The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-06
A TRIP WITH A FERRY PILOT.
WHAT MAI BE SEEN AND Heard ON
THE ROoMY UPPER DECK.
Although There II No GLORY Tor INC
There IL n Lifelong JOB IT He IL S"re'"''
and He Certainly is-lIis Occupation Is
Henithru, ON the Hndson River-f"o
s,..r,pr Done to Make Landings.

There - n IurIonG So" " '.S "
and Me Certainiy i--ni's Occupation Is
uenithrul ON the Budson River-'"o
steering Done to Make landings.
Come up," said he. holding open narrow
door. beyond which was a steep ana mario"
flight Of stairs. ,,,,,,
II was not an inviting place. this to when
che" pointed. but the invitation was 80 UNI
usual that IL could not VOL be refused.
He" was tho pilot OF one OF the North h'er
ferryboats. and 1t was Sun reporter 10 "non'
he smoke. The door opened from the WAGON
wav of the boat upon the stairs that lod 10 the
upper deck. .,. ,,.
urrer deck was reached. There might he
better places and there might be worse p"t
whatever else 1t Is. its healthy.
Tho pilot certainly was u picture OF hoa'th'
Hot suns and sharp winds Ind given his lace
somethine OF the color OF tho Jolly OLD vac
chanal we read about. but his cioar eyes "n"
steady norves showed that the comnleXion was
honestly come By. lIo was moro than mlauie
aged. of course. for did anybody ever see
Young ferry pilot? There were crow leet
nbout his eyes that gave him thouEhll"'
look, and his iron-gray board. growing rather
out OF his neck than his face. emu trimmed
short all around. helped to emphasize his truly
the middle height and not stout. but so'iu'
This goes without saving. for all ferry pilots
ore pretty much of tho same height. build.
are, and disposition Tho normal pilot age Is
sixty years. and the pilot disposition ~ GOOD
and hearty. except on snowy or iosEy days.
or whom long tow tries to cross his bows
The upper deck OF u ferryboat is. in one re-
spect much like tho front door OF st. iaui
Chapel. That Is to say. you can SEQ IL any dny
from a short distance. but you give IL so niue
attention that you could not describe ~ with
any accuracy. Beyond tho two pilot houses
ana the smokestack and tho walking beam.
the upper deck Ia 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 statcrooms. ana
one Of these rooms is almost as much homo
70 the pilot as the house on shore in when he
keeps his wife and children. The pilot opened
the door OF one OF the rooms aad replaced ms
gold buttone | coat with ono OF the same KIND.
but older. and paid similar compliment to
his best cold-aced cap.
Five heavy strokes sounded stnrtlingly near
on n big bell.
Did you ever 500 'em come aboard?" the
pilot asked. That's the Ave minute bell. and
they'll be a-comn' now. Como up aft"
A landsman Mt sea soon learns which Is the
bow and which the stern OF the ship: but for
ward and aft must DO puYzling terms to the
ferry pilot, where every fifteen minutes or SO
forward becomes nft and aft becomes forward
again. He walked up ncarte the edgn OF the
deck. around which there Is no Eal: Inc niE
were pouring down tn. ganGway, There we're
hundreds of them bat net one IN hundred
n they int sp'a e:s Wars
far from their thoughts. They seemed far be-
low. for no one. has any idea how high the
upper deck Of ferryboat s,when looked dYwn
ferry house roof may DO surveyed. There arc
no longer high divisions between the slips !:
all is ono big open space wit II boat on ono
side and dirty water on tho other.
Come into the pilot house. said the rilot;
On the way he stopped at tina, othcr sstate-
room and aroused his mate. who had been
This company that they have on the upper
deck is boon for which all ferry pilots should
he grateful to s.me ne, bbewsno a, ren0EtGr r.
his Lofty kingdom. with no one to speak t.. no
one to civ. him assts'apc.; hnt some imaE.
OF. q pilot dropping. dead Of heart disease
while on duty and Of his boat running Wildly
Great ' danger and alarm Of ,he pas, "asors.
| There was not a shadow Of truth in IN" story.
but certainly it watn Ting iH "a - misnt hay
requiring every ferryboat to carry twr pilots.
and now The pilo;, has COMPANY. The two are
| charge OF the boat nn,i the other has not,
Both pilots and tmer guest TsTe in u"
whch give the SINAI Pm to sa IS
brief hut, effective way in which the ferry
master talks with his pilots: five taps, mako
The loosenins Of the ropes and drawing in
Of TIE gan: blank were heard but n2t seen;
were Installing. No hurry here. AMI few
moments wore allowed to make everything
below Td tn THIN the nil'. reached forth
CINE room. Its notes hoated plainly TO the
upper decS sGwIv The walking beam bsgn M
| slip makes it look from the lower deck rs
though tho boat must move, into tn.
being struck by some pas.ing vessel. But
| there Is such risk, for the 81 lot is far above
the walls. and even from the shore end Of tho
| slip he secs well up and down tho river In
deed. all tn" avoidahle risks that Il ferry ilot
takes might be packed in a mat hhoS. He has
no & orr to win. but he has n situation t. keep.
and he always looks for tho safe side OF a
| problem.
i was clear, beautiful day. and everything
| erythinG that Is. except this lpw-iying part Of
,he az along tne wharyes; and haif WY IN 70 70
but tho tall Luidings beyond seemed start
ingly near. The siaiuc,93( Liberty. q tie con.
full OF boats: but They all seemed Jar above Or
iar below This. the pilot said IS generily
to be in the direct track. Many of them man
ago. however. TO be in tho way before the little
There wa not nmoment'H let up to the pilots
attention 70 business while he stood at tho
wheel; His eye was upon the river md his
2nli{ious 10 the presence OF an compantonS
Wa ths w hGI it, OWN nt yen t wo as upon
the river, for he rang another bel anh in a
pointed with his finger toward the forward
rail on tne port side A passenger sat unon