New-York tribune., 1890-06-29
THE EAST RITER FERRIES
GROWTH OF THE MEANS OF REACiiNo
NEW.YORK.
TUE r,pry rrrRYBoArs AND ROUTEs-NEw
YoRK's CONTROL OF THE KNEi'
FIRST sTEAMBoATs-THE PRESENT

yOrK's CONTROL. OF THE RlN
rtpsT sTEAMBOATS-THE PRESENT
UNroN FERRY COMPANY.
Since the DAYS of the first settlement OF "hi'c n'c'
ppon Long Island, the means OF cfo's"Is wv ~,
River have been Of prime Importance 10 al upo' ,''
wotcrbound tract of country Inc earnest So
who found their way thlther doubtless maue use VI '
Indian canoes which their red owners piulcu ~. ~,
shore TO shore at the infrcqUcnt intervals at "i'"
dasrcd 70 make their way to the mainland III .e u'
-, tfo,dril Hudson first set eyes upon the r'cr
,rhicb has be1pcd TO immortalize his name 10 INC
carly inhabitants Of Nicuw Amsterdam however. '
stream was known by the pro>aic tue "i ''o
riror thc Delaware being the south River ana DS "
natural sequence the term East RIVER WAS uo'''",'
unon th, strait which links the BAY at the mouth VI III"
uud.on with Long Island sound IL was s".V''.
wears before hardy navigator bravcd the pcriiS VI
IIcu cate and discovered that the supposed river "a'
rl an arm Of the sea before that time II hau pee"
discovcred that the stream on the other sac Oh '"
haitian Island was real river. ana not "h"V H""''''
and his companions supposed it. sound OF STRAIT
which would lead directly to the Northwest r''S"s'
for which they we're vaIniy searching
A. early As lG42 regular ferry BY rowboat was
established between Long Island and New NIh''c'u"'
by Cornelius Drcksen. II ran rom 'nc
rpl,on ST in Erooklyn where the Indian tran c"uc"
eaIndv hanks which are now Brooklyn Heights 70
The nearest point on the opposite side OF the water
near what is now Peck slip THIS point was Id.
ont I'm the country from the little village SuTFouhnE'S
the fort al the Battery. Not a road ran among inc
farms I'm that quarter below the swamp. year
later the ferry sold 70 Wilhelm Ihoha''c" 'o'
200 ,lildcrs Icforc "A regular boat was run there
used to be horn hung IN tree near where the boat
,.,s ,no,rcd and II any one desired 70 summon the
waterman 10 ferry him across De blew the norm.
In order T. convey carts AMI cattle across large
seows were employed and sails were hoI'ted wren
the winds were favorable. MI the advantage posNb'o
was taken Of tho tides. Ia 1852 the bureonastet'
o( the village Of Prcuckcyn. milo from the wafer
edge cndcavorcd 10 get a franchise for the ferry but
II was denied. Int Governor StlyvcSant leased inc
ferry 10 one Eebcrt Dorsum In 1919 for three years
for 700 ruillcr, The fare was fixed At six stnvcr'
Of wampam for " each man, woman Indian or Sqnaw.
In 1913 the ferry was leased for ElO3. the colony
having passed under English control The hrst
formal claim Of New. Yorl, to jurisdiction over the
ferry - Brooklyn set forth under the charter
granted by Governor Doncan in 1886. few years
later the corporation Of NcwY York purchased The
ground where the ferry landed in Brooklyn. known
as The foot Of the old Ferry Road. and erected
substantial brick building thereon which Scrvci
tho Joint purpose Of fcrryhouse and tavern. II
cos, c435 The rates Of ferrilcc then eight
stuivcrs of wampum or two pence in silver. two per
son. being allowed 10 for one fare but double
rates being charged after sunset.
In the early part Of the eighteenth century an ap
pIcaton was made for ferry from the foot of
the "burrhcrs' path now Joralcmon st.. l'ro"klyn
To run directly across TO Cocntcs' slip. But the ap
plcat!on was denied and TO secure the rights Of tho
old ferry the Corporation Of New orls obtained from
Lord Cornbury tile Governor. second charter, CON
nrming the Grant Of the Donran charter and iuclud
ing ht and title to all the vacant and Incorporated
land between high and low water mark on the Brook
Ign shore from Wallnhout to the fishing place west Of
Red Hook Point, fronting New York. By the terms
Of the charter only residents the water front were
allowed TO cross and carry their own goods in Their
own boats still another charter obtained by
New -Yorli in 1880, from Governor Montgomery. by
the terms OF which the ferry franchise confirmed
forever with provso hat no other person or persons
should have ia" right to establish ferry in said
premises. and this confirmed by the Colonial
Assembly Of 1892.
Upon these grants the control by the Corporation
Of New York Of the ferry rChS IS :oundcd although
eminent counsel have maintained that there stronf
grounds upon which New York's claims could be nc
ssfully contested. The single ferry maintaned
until I77i when another opcnc' from what $
now Joralcmon- ST. to COcntics' slip. nj third
from Fulton st. To the Fly Market Countess Key
starting from the same point the ono to Peck slip
ON the main one SIX boats were run and at each
Of the others. three boats. These were small
rowboats and Nat bottomcd with spritsails.
ard progucs. with two masts each Many
DELAYS occurred and in stormy weather and
when ice floating up from the bay the passage
had serious pcr,. Boats were upset and passengers
were drowned occasionally, and there some thrill
ing rcscucs.
After the disastrous battle Of Long Island two days
Of rain and fog followed. and Washington, fearing
that the British ncet would sail up from Gravescnd
Bay and of his retreat to the mainland deter
mined to by night from Brooklyn. All the
ferryboats and every other sail and row boat that
could be secured were pressed into service. There
were naturally many delays In cmbarkIng large body
Of troops. and owing to misunderstanding. the men
ordered to remain guard at the entertainments in
front of the enemy left their posts and assembled
at the ferry before the Others had departed scene
Of confusion followed. The men crowded into tho
boats and failed 10 obey orders until Washington
ordered them ont Of the boats, enforcing his command
with a huge stone. with which he threatened to put a
hole in the bottom Of the boat This is said to have
been one Of the occasions when the Father OF his
Country used profanr language. Under the shelter
the friendly fog the retreat successfully made
before the British troops discovered that there was
any movement being made.
In 1898 the New Ferry. afterwad known as
Catherine ferry, was established from the foot Of
Main-st, under separate management from the Old
Ferry. In the succeeding years the business I'm.
creased and the ferry rentals were raised. A demand
for better facilities created, and in lsl2 steam
sfnlly applied by Robert Fulton ferry
boat between NcwYork and Pauus Hook
In Jersey City. In 1914 Fulton and his
brother-inaw, william Cutting, leased the ferries
to Brooklyn. except the New or Catherine Ferry
Before they had put on the first steamboat horse
boat introduced upon Catherine Ferry in the
winter OF 1914. The hull Of the boat was in two
parts with the paddle-wheel between. and II
driven by eight horses. Good headway made
against both wind and tide which had delayed Tho