Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-12-09
THE FERRY PILOT.
DUTIES OF TIE MANN CHARGE
OF A BIG FERRY BOAT.
What May be Seen and Heard on the
RoOmy Upper Deck-Fine Steer
ing Done to Make Landings
-Great Care Necessary

is, in one respect, much like
i the front door of st. Paul's
" Chapel. That is to say, you
can see it any day from a short distance,
but you give it SO little attention that
you could not describe it with any ac-
curacy. Beyond the two pilot houses
and the smokestack and the walking
beam, the upper deck is an unknown
quantity. But between the pilot houses
is an intermediate region, and in this
region the pilot passes large share OF
his working life. There is small cabin
containing two staterooms, and one OF
these rooms is almost as much home to
the pilot as the house on shore in which
he keeps his wife and children. The
pilot opened the door of one OF the
rooms and replaced his gold buttoned
coat With one OF the sane kind, but
older, and paid a similar compliment to
his best gold laced cap.
Five heavy strokes sounded startlingly
near on big bell.
"Did you ever see 'em CO ne aboard"
the pilot asked. "That's the FIVE minute
bell, and they'll be a.cOmin' now. Come
up aft"
He led the way to the shore end OF the
boat. A landsman at sea soon learns
which is the bow and which the stern OF
the ship; but forward and aft must be
puzzling terms to the ferry pilot, where
every fifteen minutes or so forward be-
comes aft and aft becomes forward
again. He walked up near to the edge
of the deck, around which there is no
rail. The big doors had just been rolled
back, and people were pouring down to
the gangway. There were hundreds Of
them, but not one in hundred looked
up; they were intent upon getting seats,
and the pilot aud the upper deck were
far from their thoughts. They seemed
far below, for no one has any idea how
high the upper deck Of ferryboat is
when looked down from. Standing upon
it. a large share Of the ferry house roof
NAV be surveyed. There are no longer
high divisions between the slips; all is
one big open space, with boat on one
side and dirty water on the other.
"Come into the pilot house, " said the
pilot; tiny last bell will ring IN a min
ute
On the way he stopped at the other
stateroom and aroused his mate, who had
been snatching a nap while the boat lay
in her slip. This company that they
have on the upper deck is a boon for
which all ferry pilots should be grateful
to some newspaper reporter. There
was time when the pilot was alone In
his lofty kingdom, with no one to speak
TO. no one to give him assistance. Bat
some imaginative writer wrote thrill
ing story one day of pilot dropping
dead of heart disease while on duty, aud
of his boat running wildly about the
river at its own sweet will, to the great
danger and alarm of the passengers.
There was not shadow of truth 10 the
story, but certainly it was thing that
might have happened. Soon atterward
law was passed requiring every ferry
boat to carry two pilots, aud now the
pilot has company. The two are alike
in skill aud honor, except that one has
charge of the boat aud the other has
not.
Both pilots aud their guest were in
the pilot house before the big bell
sounded the two taps which give the
signal to start. This is the brief but
effective way way in which the ferry
master talks with his pilots; five taps,
make ready; two taps, 60.
The loosening Of the ropes aud draw
ing in the gang plank were heard but
not seen, and there was a pause as
though the pilot was hesitating. No
hurry here, aud a few moments were
allowed to make everything ready be-
low. Then the pilot reached forth his
hand, and the jingle bell rang in the
engine room. Its notes hoated plainly
to the upper deck. Slowly the walking
beam began to move. The high wall on
either side Of the slip makes it look
from the lower deck as though the boat
must move into the river at venture,
and run the risk of being struck by some
passing vessel. But there is no such
risk, for the pilot is far above the walls,
and even from the shore end OF the slip
he sees we'll up aud down the river. In
deed, all the avoidable risks that ferry
pilot takes might be packed in a match
box. He has no glory to win, but he
has situation to keep, aud he always
looks for the safe side OF problem.
It was a clear, beautiful day, and
everything within reasonable distance
was visible. Everything, that is, except
the w.lying part Of the city along the
whaves and half way up to Broadway.
That was visible only in its roofs; but
the tall buildings beyond seemed start
Iingly near. The Statue of Liberty, on
the contrary, was miles away. The
North River was full Of boats, but they
all seemed far above or far below. This,
the pilot said, is generally the appear
ance of the river on a clear day. Rarely