New-York tribune., 1886-08-22
MAN AND HORSES DROWNED.
UNABLE TO STOP A FERRYBoAT ENGINE.
CRASHING INTO THE SLIP AT DEsBROssEs-sr.-PAs-
sESGERs THROWN OFF THEIR FEET.

I'm AIMING INTO THE SLIP AT DEsBROssEs-sr.-PAs-
sENGERs THROWN OFF THEIR FEET.
The ferryboat New Brunswick met Pennsyi-
y:daS ysas Ss'Sn Snd ' sarssd s'i for
smali numher of passengers and several teams ana
wagons on board. Nothing unusual happened during
slip. When the pilot gave the signal to reverse
the engines in order to slacken the speed Oh tnS
boat. the engines were caught on the centre anu
rapidly "a After repeating the signal to back and and
ont to the dock hands to keep back from the front
Of the boat lie then tried to turn the boat agans'
the side Of the slip to lessen the inevitable snpGh
pack from the forward part of the boat. u Ise 10
the gate, at the bow. stood an Adams EApIoss pres,
wagon loaded with baggage and drawn by teata aha
of spirited horses. Two men in charge Oh 'no
wagon jumped OIL in time to escape injury
When the boat was brought to sudden STOP oy
humping against the bridge the express. W.. waSUn aata
and horses were thrown forAard against the ea,.o
aud chains with force enough to DIeax uoWn ,o uno
barriers. Tho shock also made the lerry-nSSuse Suss
tTemSle apa threw most ol had a1e Teen injured when
the boat rebounded from the bridge anu adri ficht
back the slip. although there was mncd n fe
express wagon and a horse, belonging 10 tne
railroad company became wild win .efrpI anu
plunged overoGaTa WIN made e" an effort to stop
thsm and he fell into the water with them. He
was drowned Immediately althoqgh attempts were
ma
drowped also 1t was necessary to run the ferry
boat into another slip in order to land the passen-
gers The boat was not injured much McNultys
body was not found. He was thirty-three years
OF age and lived in Jersey City, The express wagon
and baggage were dragged out ,f the water ana
taken away by employees of the Adams Express
Company. Much damage was done to the baggage
by water, but the extent of the loss could not be
told until the trunks were claimed by the owners:
The drowned horses were worth about S3OO. IL
was said that the accident was unavoidable: Such
mishaps are not frequent, bat they are likely 10
occur anytime when ferryboats are entering slips
Superintendent Boomsburgh, OF the Pennsyiva,,
MIA Railroad ferry, SAID that the accident occurred
through a mistake Of Captain LOngstreet in pull
ing the wrong bell or through the engineer misun-
after making q thorough investigation. that the
former is the case Captain Longstreet reported
to the superintendent that as the boat ~, was ap
Signals were exchanged. Captain Longstreet blow
ing two Whistles to indicate that he in
,%Ssd SSsS of iss ussos OIw moment fSS
posed once. to slow down, but finding that the
sessd stsad OF Of de- decreasing he rang the gong
three times which told the engineer to stop and
back down 1t was too late however as the GOat
the bridge with considerable force. ana wneh sue
rebounded the reverse motion of the engine car,
red her back rapidly until the gong was sounded
10 send her forward again. Captain LOngstreet
thinks he rung the gong the first time, but he can
not be positive of it
had many years experience on the ferry reported
that the first signal he heard was the jlngle-be'l
directing him to Increase the speed. he had heard
the exchange of signals between the ferryboat
and the tugboat, and he thought that Captain
tugboats bow He increased the speed accordingly
and was surprised moment afterward to
hear the gong ring three times, directing
hlm to reverse the engine superintendent
Bloomsbury says that neither the captain nor the
engineer will be suspended. as the accident was
evidently the result of misunderstanding Tor
which there seems to be reason to hold either OF
them responsible The superintendent also says
that If tie boat had struck the rack on either side
as the boats usually do the accident would not
tered the slip at a higher rate of speed than
the w-Brunswick did on this occasion. This is
especially the case in the winter season, when 1t IS
necessary to force the boats through the ice which
gathers in slips and when it is often necessary
TO back down two or three times and come up agalu
with full force in order to get to the bridge.