The New York herald., 1879-10-14
CONDEMNED FERRYBOATS.
DEPUTY COLLECTOR wYNKooP REFUSES TO
GRANT CERTIFICATES TO THE BOATS OF THE

| DEPUTY COLLECTOR wYNKooP REFUSES Tc
! GRANT CERTIFICATES TO THE BOATS OF THE
! GRAND STREET FERRY UNTIL NECESSARY RE-
PAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE ON THEM.
| "No. sir! 1 will not under any circumstances
| allow my name to become connected with any ois-
aster," was the emphatic utterance of Deputy Col
lector wynkoop to HERALD reporter yesterday
when asked if he had granted certificates to run the
boats of the Grand street ferry to Williamsburg.
The publication in the HERALD on Sunday OF TUG
fact that the boats George Washington. George Law"
| Commodore Perry, Commodore Barney ana "arfen
had been peremptorily forbidden to run as Passen
ger boats until their hulls have been Thoroughly
overhauled and repaired created some little eAc"e-
ment in williamsburg circles yesterday as the prop
ability of total stoppage of travel In consequence
! would inconvenience tens OF thousands VINO n'aAo
the two ferries from Grand street. this city. to
Grand street. and also to Broadway Williamsburg.
highway during each day and might. A HERALD re-
porter was accordingly despatched to get all the facts
in the case and to ascertain what the ferry company
proposed to do-charter boats close the inst
tuition.
Before calling them. however. the reporter
visited Collector Merritt. in whose name the order
had been issued. He said. "Mr. Deputy Collector
wynkoop has entire charge of this business
Mr.. wynkoop accordingly sought. and in reply
to the reporters question said-"I refused to give
the certificate on the report OF the inspector.
Can the company run the boats without certif-
cate?,
.Not lawfully"
"Will you give them permission to run some Of
the boats while the others being repaired?'
mo. sir! will not under any circumstances
allow my name to become connected with any dis
aster. What! Suppose one of those boats should
sink the Eas: River and hundred lives be lost.
signed the certificate. and ought to be held rcspon-
sible.' The ferry company will not obtain any cer-
certifes to that effect. Oh. no! such arrange
AT THE rNspEcroRs OFFICE
At the Inspectors office Mr.. Matthews, the Super
vsing Inspector of Steamboats, OF the District OF New
York. stated that the certificates refused for
general defections in the hulls of the boats there
were some rotten timbers in them which must be
removed before the certificates would be granted.
He then referred the reporter to subaltern in the
office, who declined to give the details of the re-
ports made. saying they must be obtained from the
former gentleman. The two then held private dis
cussion and finally concluded to say that all they
could furnish was the following dates of construc-
tion:-George Washington and George Law built in
Brooklyn in 1856 Commodore Barney Commodore
Perry and Warren in Brooklyn, 1859.
The Office Of the company was next visited and
to 90 to the Office Of the inspector sir We have no
information to give the HERALD except that no i'm
pediment will be thrown in the way OF travel and
the boats will be run right along all the repairs de-
manded will be made as required. but in such a way
as to cause no Inconvenience to the public"
Mr.. Chapel, the superintendent of the company,
who had spent the entire morning running between
the offices OF the Collector in the Custom House and
the Inspector in the Post Office, when accosted by
the reporter aid:-"Write me down a know moth
ing. know nothing about it. I have received no
orders to stop the boats. and they will be kept rum
ming until do"
ALMOST ENTIRELY ROTTEN.
The ferryboas George Washington, George Law.
Comnfo lore Barney and Warren were then visited by
the reporter and suspended in the ladies' cabin Of
each were last years certificates the Warren bearing
pires October g. 1S79 and the otner three with the
date, October ]"
She is the sectional dock at the foot of Rutgers
street, East River. Her hull almost entirely
rotten, so that hull is being built around her
enough to retain, and all her foorings soft.
Some Of the timbers crumbled beneath the re-
porter's foot.
Here was met Mr.. John Englis, the shipbuilder
and president of the ferry company. He said
"We are going to take OF only one boat at time.
of the Inspector until their turn tor repairs
that by cold weather they viii ALL as it were. be
rebuilt There ts no more danger with the boats
now than there was two years ago.
THE LAW ON THE SUBJECT
The Revised Statutes of the United States in regard
to this matter in section 4454 say :-" any master
or owner OF any steamer shall refuse neglect to
comply with the requirements OF the local inspec-
tors and shall contrary thereto, and while
the same remains unreversed by the supervising in
spector, employ the vessel by navigating her. the
master and owner shall be liable to penalty OF
$3.50 each offence, uone-haf for the of the in
former; - ana the master and owner and the
vessel itself SHALL in addition thereto, be liable for
any damage to passengers aud their baggage, which
shall occur from any defects as stated. y" And
IN case any loss of life occurs. by section 5,344
every owner inspector public official interested
will be indictable for manslaughter, and IL found
guilty sentenced to hard labor for not more than
ten years.
To another reporter Of the HERALD it stated
by Inspector Matthews that. while they refused the
boats Of the Grand street ferry line the required
certificate. it not intended to compel the COM
pany to remove the boats named at once. There
was immediate danger, and it was only required
that the boats should be hauled off and repaired
fast practicable. This, he said was being done
by the company. The people Of Williamsburg are
much excited over the matter, and want to know