The morning call., 1893-06-20
SHUT THE GATES.
Prompt Action of Captain
Birmingham.
Overcrowding of Ferry-Boats- The
Real Danger Arrives From Pos
sible Panics on Board.

Captain John Birmingham, United
States Supervising Inspector of Steam
Vessels, is very much in earnest in his
determination to stop the overcrowdng of
ferry-boats. All of Sunday he passed his
time visiting the various slips to observe
and check the evil. He warned the
superintendents and the captains that the
practice of herding great mutitudes of
people on the ferry-b0ats would no longer
be tolerated, and If continued he would
take summary measures for its suppress
sion.
The result of this emphatic warning was
that for the first time in the history of
local ferry management some degree of
vigilance was exercised by those directly
responsible for the overcrowding of the
boats. Captain Birmingham. however.
viewed with some dsmay the swarm of
Sunday tourists who were pouring in upon
the ferry boat San Rafael when receiving
her passengers for her A. NJ. trip from
San Francisco for SausalitO. When he
found that no attention was being paid to
his repeated warnings, that the San
Rafael had already on her decks all the
people she could safely carry and that the
perspiring crowd continued to push for
ward, ne Immediately ordered the gates to
be closed. The officials did not hesitate,
but obeyed at once.
The people who saw themselves thus
suddenly shut off while the San Rafael
was still lying in her slip raised a great
outcry, and exclaimed that the closing of
the gates was an outrage. They refused
to be pacfied by the statement that the
gates bad bten closed only for their own
protection. Many of the men cut off in
this way grew very red in the face and
n Fnr int
fering with their pleasure. Finding threats
unavailing the lOudest lunged, pressing
against the gates, shouted that so long as
they were prepared to take their chances
Of disaster from Overcrowding they could
not see any good reason why they should
not be allowed to join the throng already
aboard.
What do l intend doing further to stop
this reckless practice? Well, I haven't
quite made up nv mind about that" re-
marked Captain Birmingham in his Office
yesterday. IF the steamboat owners per-
sist in crowding their boats on Sundays
and holidays as they have been doing, l
will very likely compel them to put on
more boats 10 accommodate the extra pas
senger traffic on such days. The trouble is
that the people themselves are too willing
tn take chances, and do not realize that
there is any danger from the overcr0wd-
ing.
.'lt is all nonsense to talk about the
danger of these boats sinking from the
weight of the biggest crowd of people that
could possibly bs piled on board. No;
that's not the danger. A panic is the real
peril which always threatens a crowd of
men, women and children, wheLher they
be 1ammed inside a hall or a theater or be
wedged like sheep on board a vessel. A
panic often arises from the most trivial
circumstances A woman NAV faint, a
man may fall in fit. two hoodlums might
take notion to punch each others head,
or bench or a seat may break down.
ANY OF these occurrences contains the
germ of panic on board crowded ferry
boat. The bursting of a tiue. which other
wise might do no harm, might start
stampede. Then in case of a collision or
any other accident to navigation the pres
ence of great mass of people would only
aggravate matters and render the work of
rescue extremely difficult.
There is also some foolish talk about
llfe-preservers. Stacking these appliances
up in great number would be no guaranty
against the consequences most to be
feared, those which flow directly from
panics. In some instances very badly
frightened passengers in the first moments
OF panic have been known to make a
rush Tor life-preservers, securing which
they Jumped into the water when there
was no occasion whatever to take the leap
The ferry boats here will Of course be re-
qulreC 10 carry their proper quota OF life
preservers. but the only thing to DO is TO
60 to the root of the evil and compel the
owners to desist from overcrowding their
excursion ferry-boats.
Il shall keen up his work until the evil
is stopped. Next Sunday l shall again
visit the wharves and see what | can do.
Meanwhile have requested all the Steam
boat owners to furnish me with certified
statements OF The number of passengers
they have been in the habit of Carrying on
Sundays and excursion days. This they
have promised to d0''