New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-02-25
PRECIUTIONS ~ TOGS.

It is the experience of nearly all dwellers
in our suburbs who IN coming daily to their
business in this city have to cross the North
or East Rivers, that the delays by fog are far
more frequent and annoying than those which
ice occasions. The season for tOgs is unques-
tionably longer, and they may form at any
time in the year. They cannot be antlci-
patcd, as the accumulation of ice Is, two or
three DAYS beforehand; in fact, they may come
in suddenly from the sea, without an hour
warming More than all, they endanger
human life, as Saturdays fatal accidents
proye. A far greater mortality than has yet
been occasioned is among the possibilities OF
n ferry boats collision during fog; while the
presence of ice in the river brings no such
danger. 1t is also to be said that fogs more
frequently obstruct our rivers early IN the
morning or near shutdown, when the ferry
boats are most crowded with passengers; but
an lee blockade takes place only at the change
Of tide. and there is hence less chance of its
interrupting the heaviest streams of travel.
As against sailing vessels, the ferry-boats
have not the right of way. This is just, since
the boats moved by steam have the greater
facilities for turning, slowing, stopping or re-
ycrslng their motion. Since the sailing yes
sells are not obliged TO get ont OF the
way of n ferry boat, their helmsmcn are not
likely to make any effort TO avert collision,
even though such effort might be of some
avail. II follows that as the whole RESPONSE
hility devolycs upon the pilot of the ferry
boat. no prccaution on his part can be too great
and the managers of the ferry must be held
to blame if they neglect to provide their boats
with every appliance that might tend toward
safety.
All that il now done on our ferries, by way
of precaution in fogs, shows little or no i'm
movement on the methods of twenty years
ago. The boats run slow a good lookout is
kent the fog whistle is sounded on the boat
and the bell is rung at the end of the
ferry-sllp. BIT it is not so much a warn
ing to other vessels Of the approach of
the fcrry-boat, that is needed, as a knowledge
on board the ferry-boat that it Is near
ipg another vessel. Even collision with
n dock may cause loss of life, especially If the
boat be crowded. and there have been several
occurrences of that kind in past years. II
there were means on board Of a steamboat by
which its pilot could see objects in front
during fog, at twice or thrice the distance
that his eycsight can penetrate, the danger Of
collision would be diminished i'll far greater
proportions; indeed it would be almost elm
mated. This power-to SEQ an object
more readily through fog-could be fur
nIshed ut small expense. If steamboats,
were provided with an electric light, which
could be turned on to illuminate the space in
front of them, any object in their path might
be seen, even in IL heavy fog, ut not less
than two or three hundred feet dis
lance The light would serve the pur-
nose of Illuminating the object III the way, in a
DAYTIME fog rs well as in the night. The cost
of such an appliance, after purchase, would be
exceedingly small, since it consumes nothing
while not IN use, and the steam-pOwer on the
boat is almost always sufficient to spare the
two or three horsepower required TO
run an electromagnetic machine. lt Is
not even now known certainly whether
several persons may not have been lost
overheard in tho yawning gap that was torn
in the Erie Railway ferry-boat on Saturday
he crowded condition of the boats on all the
ferries of this city, ut the beginning and close
of each day, almost invites disaster. Is it
not worth while to test precaulion, which
might save its cost in the mere matter of risk
to property, and at the same time be of iucal-
culablc value in preserving life
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The Hugo who records the crimes Of this latest
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