The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-03-05
ICE BOUND FERRY BOATS
Exciting Experiences on the
River Last Night Com
panies Criticized.

Ice in the river yesterday afternoon
prevented the boats on the Barclay street
line of the Hoboken ferry from effecting
landing from five O'Clock until seven
o'clock. 1t is estimated that fully five
thousand people blocked the entrance to
the ferry house on the New York side,
while fully one thousand were in the
Hoboken ferry house waiting for a boat.
The boat which left the Hoboken slip
at five o'clock was compelled to return to
Hoboken and deposit those passengers who
wanted to go to New York. It made sew
eral efforts to force its way through the
field of ice and only succeeded in making
the New York slip after seven o'clock
Tugs were brought into use. and even
then it was hard work to get the large
ferryboats through the blockade The
ken did not reach the New York slip until
1885 this morning. On the Christopher
street line the same troubles were expert
delay was as great.
Those persons who use the Fort Lee
ferry had an experience last night that
they Will not forget in a hurry. The
ferryboat George Washington, which left
her slip at the foot of West 19Oth street
at $50 last night managed to get outside
of her slip and then got wedged in the
pack ice with which the river was
few moments. There were thirty pas
sengers on the boat, ten of which were
women. They were within q few yards
Of the shore but We're. unable to reach
which swept between the boat and the
slip. A small boat would have been
unmanageable. and ladders were too
short.
Their only chance Of relief was to hail
some boat strong enough to tow them
The. ferry is a one-boat line, so there was
no chance of assistance there.
A sharp lookout was kept, but no boat
hove in sight, until nearly midnight.
Hudson River freight boat then neared
the helpless ferryboat An attempt was
the line missed the George Washington
and the freight boat continued on her
way down the river, ~,
The ice became jamrned between the
main land and the ferryboat at four
o'clock, and by means of ladders the i'm
prisoned passengers escaped, and crossing
the ice reached New York in by no
The George Washington is not a powers
full boat She is a sister boat to the
Shsckamaxon A powerful tug, managed
to free the George Washington shortly af-
ter daylight this morning. by forcing a
way through the ice for her. The pas
sengers are loud in their denunciation of
the feryboat and evry one connected with
the line.
Ferry boats had again this morning a
hard time pushing their way out of and
into their slips. The fierce northwest
wind which occasionally veered around
to the east. blew the ice foes into a
solid mass on each side of the river. and
it was only the strong current which kept
the middle of the stream free from broken
ice,. Were there no projecting slips and
riers to catch and retain the ice, the
tide could easily carry t out into the
bay: but as IT. is every pier is a splendid
means to hold the immense zhoes and
the ferry brafs and other craft have the
greatest difficulty in MAKING. headway.
Because of the difficulties in the way
of navigation. there were few craft on
the river and consequently no accidents
were reported