New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-18
0yERCROWDING STEAMBOATS,
N VETERAN CAPTAIN sToUTLY AYERS 1T
TO BE IMPOSSIBLE.
HOW FIVE MILLION PASSENGERS ARE SAFELY
= CARRIED on METROPOLITAN PLEASURE
STEAMERS AND PICNIC BARGEs
EVERY SUMMER.

Talk about overlooking pleasure steamboats, and
picnic barges, which comes with the opening ana
keeps I'D till the close Of every summer excursion
season" said one Of the oldest steamboat captains
of this port to Tribune reporter the other day.
lis mostly bosh and cuts no ice. The excursion
steamboats, and barges Of this city might be filled
with as many passengers could stand upon all
their decks packed closely together as sardihes
In q box without being overloaded. and there could
be overlooking unless the passengers were pned
In solid tiers mast high There are no excursion
steamers plying in these waters that Know OF tha'
could safely carry at least one-third more pas
sengers than they permitted TO carry by Govern
ment license Look at the Long Branch boats, the
ST. John. Monmouth and Long Branch, the boats of
the Iron Steamboat Company: the Rockaway boats,
Grand Republic and General Slocum; Starins me
fleet Of Glen Island and general excuIson steamers
and many others that might be mentioned Ihey
are all stanch boats. and each is licensed to carry
large number of passengers. but there is not of
them that could not safely carry many more pas
sengers than permitted by Government license.
I've been aboard excursion steamers Of all sizes.
including tugboats. both captain and passenger,
when they considerably less than one-half
loaded. and also when they were chock full. or So
called overloaded. Give the densely filled boat
for safety every time for there Is far less danger
her when under way than a boat carrying
only one-Quarter one-half of her licensed
complement Of passengers. When boat is well
crowding side TO look some object or in
cident which attract their attention. or TO
avoid being sprinkled by spray or rain some
real imaginary danger from wind or wave In
cases like this boat may be dangerously heeled
over. become less unmanag eabie. and. when
in a heavy seaway. in danger of being swamped.
On the other hand, however when boat is well
filled her passengers are compelled TO stay wherever
they may be, thereby assisting to keep the boat on
an even keel and reducing every element of danger
20 a minimum leaving the safety Of all dependent
upon the skill of the captain and pilot unhamperel
by the starnpedng Of passengers from side TO
the other
When you come TO consider that from 100000 TO
b.oOooO people old and young. safely carried on
the pleasure steamboats, and picnic barges Of this
city every summer. you have record Of which
owners. captains and crews may well be proud.
There has been only one case within my memory,
there has been any more serious loss of life from
any EXCURSION steamers running in or around this
Ing Ing Of single person who has fallen over
ness though in Such instances ns the nVoan
tary bather has almost always been rescued The
J D. Nicol. which foundered off seabrght on sun:
gay June "a, last veal when ten persons on Of
was outside of Sandy Hook with fishing party,
gers all rushed to the lee side Of the boat careenng
her so much that she could not promptly be brought
the trough Of the sea she was boarded and swamped
by several heavy waves which followed each other
many people on board the Nco she would have
been in much better trim for weathering the gale.
and probably would not have gone down. as a num-
Der OF no more seaworthy boats than she, which
rescued ffty-five of the sixtyive mperied per-
sons: passed safely through the storm. With this
single exception, while pleasure boats have been
ashore and met with other accidents all serious loss
OF life has been confined to regular liners which
make stated trips between this and other cities
There are now and always have been too few
Government steamboat inspectors watch even
the big excursion steamers to say nothing about
tugboats. which have been watched. and
which Rave frequently carried two three times
many passengers their licenses allowed. Even
with much greater number OF inspectors, however,
II would be impossible 10 prevent far larger num-
Der OF passengers from getting board excursion
steamers than Is prescribed by law. Now you take
all OF the excursion steamers and bsrges that run
out OF NewYork, and you will that any small
number or men that undertakes watch them has
a pretty big contract hand. Starins biz, feet
OF boats and barges carried about 200 excursion
lists last year, the Iron Steamboat Company about
1000 the Meyers Excursion Company's three
knickerbecker Steamboat Company's two big boats
the Grand Republic and General Slocum which can
comfortably carry from $500 TO 900 passengers each
sweiled the number by between 300 900 and 400 600
Inese with other boats too numerous TO mention
VIII pring the total up 10 nearly quite 5000 900
as nave already said To watch such an immense
tnronS especially on Sundays, when the rush is
IKE mat or an oldfashioned buffalo herd or a new
Hanged football flying wedge is no childs play
AK rs cheap. but when you bring matters down 10
an aIIspice.' honest talk about local pleasure
which live " o'N ~'N' az