The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1878-10-18
ENGLISH EXCURSION STEAMERS.
STRIKING PEcULARITIEs OF THE STEAM
BOATS ON THE THAMES.

W. H. Rideing in the New York Evening Post.
I went to the scene of the late disaster by
an early boat from London Bridge, imme-
diately north of which is the principal land
ing-place of the company by whom the un-
fortunate Princess Alice was owned, and by
whom also the ferry traffic of the river is
monopolized. The feet numbers sixty-two
steamers, most of them marvels of incon-
venience long, narrow, black and low in
the water. The passenger on deck has no
protection from sun, rain or dew, and be-
low his only refuge is in a dreadful little
ock-pit that 'twere only irony to call a
ca bin, in which refreshments, chiefly
spiritual, are sold by the cockneyest of
cockneYs. One feature which illustrates
the astonishing anachronisms embodied in
the boats is the means of communication
between the captain on the bridge and the
engineer. A bell or speaking tube would
certainly be the safest and most economi-
cal, but apparently because the first ferry
boats employed an intermediary small boy
to stand under the bridge and vocally re-
peat the captains orders, the same method
has been continued in the latest additions
to the fleet. The captain motions with his
hand. "Slow her! calls the intermediary,
and the engineer repeats, "Slow her"
suiting the action to the word. Again the
captain motions. "Stop her!" calls the OBJ
servant small boy, and the engineer echoes
the instructions to show that he has heard
them. The boats could not be larger than
they are, owing TO the bridges across the
river, and as it is they are compelled to low
er their smoke-stacks in passing under the
arches, which to an American who sees it
for the first time, is a somewhat startling
operation, while to everybody it is disagree
able. The pipe is hinged at the base, and
as 1t is turned horizontally over, the black,
bituminous smoke beclouds the passengers
seated astern.
These are the vessels by which London
travels to Westminster, Battersea, Chelsea
and Kew. They make frequent landings
on both sides of the river, and are extern
sively used by business people going east or
west, as they are more expeditions than the
omni buses and much cheaper than either
omnibuses or the underground railways.
At all seasons, however, they have an air of
festivity derived from proportion of pleas
ure seekers, who, with that English fond
ness for the water which seeks qualification
even if the sea is seventy miles away and
the tide is as turbid as the Thames at Lon
don bridge, spend twopence or fourpence
in the unexciting passage up the river and
feel like great travellers IN disembarking.
A band of two or three pieces, harp and
cornet, perhaps, or company OF three
grotesque-robed negro minstrels, so COM
mon in the vagabond entertainments of the
London streets, add to the holiday element,
and while at all times the boats are crowded,
they are often overcrowded. Their licenses
permit them to carry between two hundred
and eighty and four hundred and fifty pas
sengers, not one-half of whom can be seat
ed, and when there is a fnll complement it
is impossible to move without much crush
ing. If at busy time one of them Should
strike or be struck by larger object, some
of it's p .ssengers would Inevitably be
knocked overheard but the London Steam
boat Company employs careful men. and
until the accident of yesterday it claims to
have carried more than two hundred mil
lion passengers without losing one through
the negligence of its servants. More than
six hundred at once brings the percentage
of mortality up to pitiable figure, how
ever, and as I write the blame seems to fall
upon the lost captain of the Princess Alice.