The New York herald., 1879-07-07
TEMPTING PROVIDENCE.

HARLEM IvER-ovERcRowDING AND CARE
LESS MANAGEMENT.
Unusually large crowds Of visitors were attracted
yesterday to the Harlem River and High Bridge by
the cool inviting breezes. From early hour
in the day they poured upon the II rlem Bridge
from all directions, and continued flowing to that
point until late in the afternoon Large numbers
arriving there hurried down the steps both ends
Of the bridge and quickly disappeared up the
river. The bridge itself crowded by
people the whole day long that it became slow and
painful task cross it. Up at High Bridge simi-
lar state of sight seeing and pleasure seeking
going forward. and the bridge and hills and floats
and shady hooks looked more like the Bowery q
Saturday night than a suburban retreat. The river
was covered with boats of all kinds and sizes.
rying a most miscellaneous collection OF crews
and passengers. Although the weather
pleasantly cool and invigorating ripple
disturbed the surface of the water, and the ladies'
were especially favored by the circumstance and
took advantage Of it. great many Of them sat in
the stern sheets Of the boats being swept through
the stream by pairs of friendly brawny arms. and
not few laid gentle hands upon the and
sought exercise we'll recreation. At distance
the river appeared impossible. and the steamers
plying between the bridges found it
difficult task to keep out of the way
Of the small craft. They obliged
to do all the watching and steering and shouting.
for many Of the people in the rowboats the
water for the first time and just seemed to be
pursuing course entirely away from the coming
steamer the bow would suddenly put in a couple
Of vigorous strokes. and bring the boat immediately
under the steamers bow. By some lucky chance
the would get by. leaving the boats every
kind of position dancing in the wash.
LoCoMorIoN BETWEEN THE BRIDGES.
To get over the distance from one bridge to tha
We
boats. in sailboats, in cabs and carriages.
others on foot. and great many by steamer The
steamers ply to and from High Bridge and Harlem
Bridge, making several landings on the way, from
both sides OF Harlem Bridge. The fare is ten cents,
aud they start when they full rarely otherwise
OF these vessels there two, the Tiger Lily and the
Lafayette. capable of accommodating three hundred
and the Lafayette propeller Four steam launches
do the remainder or the service These launches
structed to hold from thirty to seventyAve persons
safely. They are named the Edwin A. Hayes. q. G.
Deane Little Willie and Little Charlie Speed is the
all important element in the construction and
management of these craft and the desire
to be the first makes them at times
dangerous modes Of conveyance. They have
no stated hours for startng-they simply go when
they loaded they can get. and then they go
with all the power they can force The Little Charlie
made trip about three O'Clock yesterday with
ninety-seven people crammed into her cockpit.
down the river stuck in the mud just be.
side the first landing from High Bridge.
sna uns in the hayes At Hsrsm
Bridge little after FIVE O'Clock. The Hayes is much
larger than the Charlie. and might hold hfty-hve or
sixty passengers without much comfort. but several
her loads yesterday extremely risky ones to
take. Another little launch called the W lie.
broader. went into the dock under tho
Harlem Bridge the Morrisania side of thu
lutely laden to the waters edge; and when il
is taken into consideration that this late
on board had been out all the forenoon. and
impossible of management in so scant space. the
danger of the overlooking practice suggests itself
with disagreeable prominence.
MANAGEMENT THE LAUNCHES.
Two of these vessels have narrow decks each less
than foot wide-stretchng around their sides-but
the other two lack any such footholds The Deans
has a roofed-in cabin. is open fore and aft. aud
last three trips down yesterday were made with ex.
travagantly crowded loads Men and boys hung all
over her from stem to stern. They sat on camp
on the roof of the cabin and around its edges
and on the gunwale with their feet hanging over
the sides. and were so thick one wondered how they
retained . hold and kept the launch. The slight
est collision would have thrown hundred OF them
into the river. A sudden jerk or stoppage or
swerve would have had the same result and proved
equally fatal An engineer, pilot and runner are the
employees of each launch. The pilot has all q man
can do steer the boat; the engine demands the
entire attention of the hired for that service.
and the is engaged to work on the landings.
forcing people board. In his and that Of the
owner who either stands on the dock works the
boat, she is too laden and the runner must
foothold The runner, IL is said got drunk early
yesterday-probably fortunately for some people IL
after sunset when she made her final landing.
and then she smashed her Flagstaff and got beside
dock high that panic almost created on board
by the struggle to get ashore. With no one to
look after the passengers or keep them under con-
troll them OF safety. they became excited
and some climbed up the SIDE OF the pier, while
others rushed to and fro, and mschievous young
men blew the whistle adding to the frenzy and con.
fusion. On one side the high wall of the dock;
the other the high side of the sylvan Stream and
wedged in between the two the little launch. with
the two men belonging to her nervously endeavor-
ing to make her fast. An accident at that moment
of many looking the passengers got of
with dry clothes When the landing was fairly
made it the stern, and all who had not
ventured their necks up the wharf had to pass
down that way. Three OF the engineers said no
peope thew carried or the QUANTITY OF stesm used
and really II looked II restraining power what
was in operation over the management OF these
boats.
DANGEROUS CROSSINGS.
The Lafayette went twice up 20 High Bridge with
over five hundred passengers. and one of her officers
said she had frequently transported hum
dred. Her gangplank was so slight. and at the land
ings had to bridge wide that it was feared
people. Even the deck hands saw this. and two Of
them at different places called out to the crowds to
plank pssn % would anu not hold them. The he eiant eS
composed of three thin boards. with
little pieces for footholds and railing.
Women with infants in their arms and others hold
ing to their skirts passed over this and rs they
crossed it yielded and bent in manner to deprive
them of all courage. On the Tiger Lily there is
space becsuse of her width. and probably less dam
ger because of the wheelhouses. but she is by no
free from the defects of the others. and is
much in need of the wachful eye of the authorities
any oi the smaller boats.
The young man who took the fares in the Charlie
said the boiler big enough for boat double her
sZe but they could go fast. aud so they didon the
mud gentleman on the Hayes said:-"These ara
tickish craft The vibration of this is simply
terrible. and must. in very short time. split the
beams apart open the seams. A collision
to of these things would be fatal.
Nothing could be done for the women.
They would be held fast in the hold and nothing on
earth could get them tree from the boat under water
It's a wonder they don't break across. Every stroke
that fan falls upon her with thud steel plated
man ofw couldn't stand IL. I'm an old sailor but
ia walk ton miles rather than these tubs
continually. l know what steam is and how
IL ought to DO handled. Why. they tell mt
the men here in charge of the engines simply hold
certificates for machines and factory boilers. and
here the lives of thousands ip their hands daily,
.ala.. A. Iain.