The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-22
FROM A FERRYBOAT,S DECK.
Varied Aspects of Sea and Land and tho
CIty's Towering Rnildinga.

Some persons find the ferries OF this town
simply inconvcntent relics OF a bygone age and
long for bridges instead, but old Walt Whitman
saw wonderful things every time he crossed a
ferry. and such things are still to he seen by all
that have eyes to see. Just as there Is no
weather that may not serve as a topic Of con-
versation. so there is no weather that Is not in
its way beautiful or at least interesting, and
there is no better place from which to observe
the weather than the open deck Of a terryboat.
Some lovers OF weather like to put on imper-
vious gear and buffet with a driving snow when
ten million fakes are pelting a dun atmosphere
into life. and the long. gray uphill streak Of
Fifth avenue northward from Madison Square
looks like the desert in a sandstone. Others
like to walk through the all-permeating bath
of n sea fog come to town. when electric lights
arc half smothcred and even Diana on her tip
toe height finds her golden nakedness clothed
in wreathes and folds Of cloud. Still others
like to walk the town at evening in n soaking
rain. when the splashy streets beneath foods
of artificial light suggest those Of the New
Jerusalem. and the noises that bewilder the
ear suggest a very different place.
AS good a thing TO do as any Of these three Is
to put on a stout storm coat and take to
the ferry on the days when regular passen-
gers hug the steam pipes and leave the I'M
covered decks vacant. Whether it be fog, or
snow. or rain. or only cold and wind that thus
drive the regular passengers to cover. 1t is
equally welcome to the student of the weather.
for under any Of these atmospheric conditions
the harbor. with the sky that overarches and
seems part of it, has aspects OF charm
and interest. On windy days. when flags
and pennants look like starched linen.
when everything is sharp asiant, when
every steam tug puffs away beneath an
ever-changing string OF gigantic smoky pearls.
tna student uf the Wpnthnr StIlrIilv hrnnaf
against the deck rail of the ferryboat. has an
exhilaratlng sense Of being the only stable
days. when the sky seems pouring itself into
the sen and low pitched melodious whistles
threats far ana near. and mOmentariIy gigan-
tic. ,shapeleSIs craft Dom out of the storm only
fcathery bosom. the observer. upborne on the
open deck, through the swarm OF, fakes, half
j. overwhsImed in his hight by, binding snow:
On rainy days. when smoke and rain, entangled
sksins, hide, eith,r shore, when the waves are
yards Hap the mast with wet and angry swish.
then the lone passenger on deck. with wet face
has a momeutary sympathy with ali that do
business In deep waters. and with the doSged
walking Needless behind their sheep beneath
the c%easeless drip Of leaden skies.
and Bap tkv 2i ns se aII' from rome t6 %t f th1ss aspects ssr6 of sea
that which greets the eye Of him that ap-
proaches the city by, water after sunset, of a
Alright he will see all beneath the serrate sky
line of downtown New York suddenly burst
into ten thousand twinkling stars as the cleo
trio lights show themselves in all those seaward
windows of the tall structures facing the
was staring at the irregular dim outline OF
those mountainous buildings: now in the
deepening gloom he seems to see n city in the
sky. a hill city. with newly lighted highways
climbing toward some easily imagined citadel
lit. and its lights are plating the tide with gold.
Every ferryboati too, Is a moving isle Of splen,
dor. and far back on the end of some deserted
pier putting out from the Jersey shore a sim
gle. bare. keen are light CLEANS in lone glory.