The San Francisco call., 1897-11-25
Those Were Lucky. Who Es.
capped With Nothing Worse
Than Torn Clothes.
THE SLIPS ALLOWED TO FILL UP.
Conditions Prevailing That Need the
Attention of the Harbor
Commission.

Those are strange scenes that are bein q
enacted every evening at the ferry land
ing on this side of the bay when the
steamer Oakland comes in with the crowd
| from the race track and the throngs VINO
reach here on the trains from Sacramento
and intermediate points.
| Either the boat is TOO heavily laden or
the Harbor Commissioners have per-
mitted mud 10 accumulate in the slips.
Whatever may be the reason, the fact re-
mains that the people who come to this
city from across the bay on the boat
| which reaches this side at 5:45 in the
evening experience adventure, incident
and discomfort which, TO say the least
they could very readily dispense with.
Tuesday evening it took twenty minutes
for the Oakland TO make landing, and
last evening she tried for forty-fve min
utes to get into slip No. 4, and finally was
taken to slip No. 3. where she unloaded
the wearied crowd. But weariness was
not the greatest discomfort experienced
by the passengers. There were rent cloth
ing, battered hats crushed bodies and
even bruises and scratches to show that
too many people were trying TO gel off the
boat at the same time.
In fact, several ef the passengers en-
deavored TO escape by clm bing the piles
OF the slips. a few succeeded, but most
Of them had a duCkIng, and in some in
stances worse, for their pains for when
they were hshed from the cold wafer, of
the bay they were covered with mud and
slime.
But while those who tried the pile route
to get ashore were badly bedraggled they
tare1 better than many who remained on
the boat. When the bow of the vessel ap-
preached the slip the crowd in the for
ward part OF the steamer was so heavy
! that her nose stuck IL the mud as she
! struck the pillng and the jam vas some
thing terrific. The cries OF women rose
above the din of voices and for a lew
minutes it looked as If there would be a
| panic. Women and children were the
worst sufferers, for be men were in most
instances strong enough to protect them.
! selves.
Two facts were very plainly brought out
/ by the incident: There is an accumulation
| of mud in the slips which prevents a
heavily loaded boat from landing, and
| the crowd on the boat was too great for
absolue safety. Whether the attention OF
! the Har5or Com missioners has been too
| deeply devoted tC the erection of the ne W
| ferry depot to permit of their looking
| alter the minor details of the slips, or
! whether some one has been derelict in his
! duty is not known, but the mud Is there
and requires removal if the ferry boats
are to continue bringing crowds which
! test their capacity.
There is State law which is supposed
to regulate the numb Der of passengers that
Can be carried with safety by the ferry
boats. If the law is violated the company
! is liza bic to heavy fine for each passenger
! in excess of the legal number, which fine
| goes to the IN ormer who brings the fact
10 the attention Of the proper officials.
The mum ber OF passengers on the Oakland
last evening was undoubtedly above the
number prescribed by law. for it was so
great as to DELAY traffic and ieopardize the
! personal welfare and even the lives OF
| those who were unfortunate enough to be
J aboard.