Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1892-05-13
RIVER POLICE.
GUARDING NEW YORK CITY's
WATER FRONT.
The Police Boat and Its Equip ment-
Her Three Rowboats and Their
Crews-QuIet Work
at Night.

The police steamer Patrol is boat oil
44O tons. She was built in Leary's ship.
yard, in Gresnpoint, Long Island, nine
years ago. She is 155 feet long and
thirty feet in beam. She is always under
steam and ready for business. She has
tour pumps and eight lines of hose, ca
pable of throwing eight streams of water
distance of 200 feet. Those streams
are often turned on burning piers and
vessels, and sometimes upon free and
easy excursionists on river barges, who
attempt to cut the Patrols cables when
her officers would come alongside to make
fast preparatory to boarding the afore-
mentioned barges to make 1t interesting
Tor the Smoky Hollow and Cherry Hill
gangs of merry fighters.
The Patrols hunting grounds cover
the liquid territory from Pier A to Yon-
kers on the north, from the same pier to
Bronx River on the east side, and from
that identical pier to Robbins Reef on
the south. In case of danger to any
number of men or vessels beyond the
latter point, she will go rs far Is the
lights of Sandy Hook, il sunshine or in
storm, midday or the noon of night.
But she won't go out after dark unless
1t is absolutely necessary; and since we
have fallen upon these degenerate times
OF security, it isn't often necessary. But
three of her children, in the shape Of
row boats, are in commission all the
time. There are twenty one men divided
into three crews-that means, that there
arg seven men in each boat-one section
SoH. one section i'll reserve, and one Sec
ton on patrol, day and night. The Pa.
troll is heated by steam throughout. The
Captains room is bower; the officers
rooms are as neat as yours; the pantry is
worthy of New England farm house;
and the two pilot rooms are as neat rs
two of Pope's couplcts. There is
ialoon deck large enough for Mr.. Ned
Harrigan's Jim-jam Sailors Superiine to
get that way on; and kitchen appetlzing
enough to look Mt after four or five hours
IN the river in one of the Patrols row.
ooats-say about six o'clock in the
morning. Then there is the engineers
oom; and the general office, III which is
telegraphic apparatus and n telephone,
connecting with the Police Headquarters.
There are about forty-two people on
board the Patrol when they ali step up
% the Captains Office. They eat and
sleep aboard when they are not off duty
md in the bosoms of their respective
families
The Patrol can steam fourteen knots
au hour when chasing so-called "wharf
ats." She can also get away from Pier
a in one minute from the time Of re-
sewing orders. She can swoop down
On barge or an island, where a prize
light may be the order of the day, in the
most approved style. A few years ago
she stole up to place near Yonllers, aud
captured n party of sporting men and
pugllists to the number of los.
There are no handouts aboard the
Patrol, no cannon, no rifles; only re-
Eolvers in the pockets of the crew, and
clubs in their belts. They and the law
are sufficient. Nobody knows what
would have happened at all the great
yatch- traces in New York Harbor, and
during the festivities attending the I'M
yelling of Liberty, If those revolvers,
men, and the Patrol had not been
iround.
At night the men in the row-boats
$40 Ot thC uuONC. hey uluhC no
fuss about it at all. Their grapple- hooks,
clubs, and revolvers are ready for work,
and their dark lanterns are ready to
astonish the wicked enough to make
them weary. The wicked come from
Roosevelt, South. West and Division
street, and the "Tenth Avenue Gangn
is one of the most dangerous of all.
There is not much danger on moonlight
Nights, for the rats keep under the
piers then, and in the groggeries along
Water street and the river-fronts; but
On foggy nights, or dark rainy ones, the
thief is generally cautiously swimming
Or rowing about, to relieve some pier CT
schooner of ia bale of goods or barrel of
whisky. The rats often go down into
The cabins and pillage. They do not
hesitate to bite if cornered, nor to sQueal
If caught. They are the most miserable
Of towards. unless you happen to en-
counter item in crowds of from six to
ten. Then numbers make them reckless
and they are dangerous. They dread the
river police far more THAI the land Of
hcers. Every man on the river police his
been tried and not found wanting. He
does not obtain his position through the
rumscllers, but through absolute worth,
The river policemen are either able sea.
men or the sons of them or of fishermen:
They are all physically as hard as flint,
and their contempt for the dock rat il:
large, vigorous, expressive, and supreme.
They know all the rat holes along the
river, and every tide and current. II
they corner the rats, and if the rats
show fight, these flowers of the force
gladly meet them more than half way.
They are rather quiet fellows, and would
no more think of boosting than they
would of running away from danger
Harpcr's Weekly.
."
Fish In All Seas.