The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-08-02
POLIC[nENS BIG OUTING
Nearly 5000 People Sailed
Away For Bay Cliff
Grove.

The tenth annual excursion OF the 10
lice Mutual Aid Society is taking place
today to Bay cliff Grove. popular re-
sort near Perth Amboy. Nearly 5000 per-
| sons were aboard the steamer Mohawk
and the two barges which accompanied
it when the start was made, shortly be-
fore eleven o'clock this morning. Nearly
everybody who could get off and get a
ticket went. The start was made from
the foot of Grand street. The steamer
Mohawk. before picking up the barges.
which lay off the Grand street pier, took
aboard several hundred persons from the
wharf at the foot OF Pavonia avenue
The crowd began to gather on the
Grand street wharf over an hour before
the time scheduled for the start, 1918
O'clock. The excursionists came from all
parts of the city. Each trolley car de-
| posted its load Of men, women and hill
dren, who carried baskets, boxes and
bags filled with eatables. Each ticket
bore on it's face a picture of PatroIman
Thomas Maypother. Among the early ar
rivals were 4 number of fakirs, with
whips, flowers and other articles for sale.
They got aboard the barges and piled
their trade until the start was made.
"A 4umDGT OG DOOGDidGhS WERE dilOWSa OA
board and did a big business. Chief of
Police Murphy had about twenty police
men in uniform stationed along the
wharf and at the barge to preserve or
der. Lying next the wharf vas the hand
some new three-deck barge Starina,
which is capable Of accommodating 5000
| persons. Beyond 1t was a large two-
deck barge. AT the gangplank were sta
toned Patrolman Robert Miller, chairman
of the Committee of Arrangements. and
Sergeant James Hopkins. 1t was their
duty to gather in the tickets and money
and they did their duty well.
Very few ringers passed them. Pa
trolmen were stationed along the string
piece on the wharf to prevent persons
from jumping aboard without passing the
ticket takers The members of the com-
mfttee were energetic in their efforts to
handle the crowd with as little friction
as possible. Although the rougher ele-
ment was largely represented in the
crowd tina hung around the wharf, in
the hope of picking up chance tickets,
and many Of them tried to pass the
guards. there was no serious disturbance
to mar the start.
~ ~ etCoAia btA& go 49,
went on the whar again did SO at the
risk of being forced to buy another
ticket. No return tickets were issued.
Several young men defied the order and
trusted to their pulls to get back. They
failed to do so and a number of them
were left behind. The steamer Mohawk
arrived from the Pavonia avenue wharf
a few minutes after ten o'clock and polk
ed her way between the two barges. She
was soon fast to them and all was ready
for the start. There was still a large
and ever increasing crowd on the pier,
however. and for twenty-five minutes
more belated excursionists continued to
pass down the gang plank. It seemed
as if the line would never end.
AT last the order was given by PATROL
man Miller n his assistants gave the
order to draw in the gang plank. AS the
order was complied with there was a
wild scramble to get aboar Men and
women jumped to the barges at the risk
of falling into the water. AS the gang
plank was drawn in the barge fell away
from the wharf nearly three feet. All
the member of the committee were
either aboard or jumped aboard, with the
exception Of Chairman Miller. He is a
large man and he couldn't jump. The
gang plank had to be replaced for his
benefit.
The forepart of the barge was still close
to the wharf when the policemen, whose
duty it was to preserve order, began toss
ing the fakirs and Objectionable persons
off the boat. Two of them would catch
hold of the victim and hand him up to
other policemen on the wharf. Almost