New-York tribune., 1901-06-16
ONE BODY IN WRECK.
Confined from first paEe.

the waves from passing steamers That rail-
ing all there was TO keep hundreds OF peo-
ple from being thrown into the water The
police warned investigators from II. saying:
Don't trust that railing" Keep away from,
that railing!" The deck itself was weak and
shaky. In places it gave as It was walked
across. The feet seemed to sink into II as when
walking thick turf. One side the port-
not the side that struck by the Mauch
chunk-went up and down like seesaw. That
was the deck which the passengers were
crowded for safety
William A Moore, a diver and side mariner
Of Martin Anderson. who was suffocated while
diving in the North River on Friday. visited the
wrecked Mortified yesterday afternoon. He
was interested in her because he did his first
diving in her sister boat the westfeld. when
she blew up in July. 1871
tits a wonder TO me-" he saId "and TO many
men along the waterfront, that these wooden
ferry tubs have lasted as long as have the
Mortified and some others which are stin being
used They should haze been condemned years
ago. This Mortified has suffered for years from
carrying too heavy loads. There are two tides
coming into this harhor, and underneath the
surface Of the water there is an eddy. This is
especially felt when the tide breaks and at ebb
tide The ferryboats are running into IL all the
time and II is bound TO wrench them. There
companies from using anything but iron boats.
and there viii always be disasters like this as
long as they use wooden boats.
THE Mortified belongs TO a very unlucky
class but she has managed TO outlive her sis
ters The westneid was good boat when her
boilers burst, in 1871. but think how long ago
that was! She would be as flimsy as the North
field had she lived. The SOuthheld. another fer
ryboat built for the company about this Time
r1-frx hon hfa
company sold her. She turned into n
barge and is in some boneyard other by this
time That is what they viii have 10 do with
the Mortified when they get her up. and it VIII
be a blessing the public
HOLDS DOCK BOARD RESPONSIBLE.
Guey II. Irving. president OF the Chamber OF
Commerce Of Richmond Borough. said yester-
day:
some wears ago the Chamber Of Commerce.
through q committee and by resolutions called
the attention of the Department OF Docks ana
Ferries TO the evils OF the ferry service which
the citizens have for so many years trleu 70
have remeded. The committee even went so far
as 10 express 10 the commissioners their peIet
that three or four OF the boats used upon the
Rapid Transit Ferry We're not thoroughly sound
and seaworthy. The commissioners have taken
no action, and ! think the responsibility Tor the
sinking of the ferry boat and the continuation OF
the poor service rests entirely with that board
Such collision might have happened 10 any
when watertight compartments had not been
thought Of. II the Mortified had been provided
with modern safeguards. the boat probably
would not have sunk so quickly
Edward s Rowson District Attorney OF Rich
mond County. would express no opinion, saying
he had no power in the matter.
''The Mortified disaster" said Assemblyman
Van Name. OF Richmond County. yesterday 10
g Tribune reporter. has opened the eyes OF the
public TO the danger Of riding old boats.
There has been demand on the part Of Staten
Islanders for several years for modern boats 10
replace three which had become Inadequate and
even dangerous. because of their great age.
These three boats were the Mortified. which
sank yesterday; the westfield and the Middle
town The Westheld is thirty-nlne years old. a
wear older than the sunken Mortified. In spite
OF its great age il still carries thousands OF
people between Staten Island and Manhattan.
The Middletown is thirty-seven years old, and
also considered by many as unseaworthy.
Because Of the public Indignation arising
from having 10 travel in these arks, / intro
duced. as told In The Tribune this morning.
bgu last winter 10 retire the Mortified, the
westheld and the Middletown. in the course of
the next three years. one TO be retired each
year
The bin was fought by the company. and
killed in committee This in spite OF the
fact that delegation after delegation came be-
fore the committee and asked for the report and
passage Of the b!l.
LEGISLATION IMPERATIVE
This disaster has shown that such legisla-
ton Is imperative and should have been enacted
into law long before the present time The
Westheld and the MiddletOwn are still carrying
q heavy traffic and the former is even a year
older than the sunken boat. These boats should
be retired from service before another and per-
haps still more fatal calamity appalls us
The Borough Of Richmond is just as integral
O. mart of the greater city Of New-York as The
Bronx or Queens or Brooklyn borough. The
Bronx is soon TO be Joined with Manhattan
with a tunnel costing So. 100000; Brooklyn is
70 have two bridges and a tunnel; Queens and
Manhattan are TO be Joined by the Blackwelrs
Island Bridge. for which contracts have already
been let; but Staten Island must get along with
the old ferryboats which former generation
had 10 be content with. do not think that ths
Is fair Why should Staten Island be neglected
while her sister bOrOughs are being proSpefeo pS
a closer alliance?
we do not ask for tunnel or bridge but
modern fast boats, that can run TO staten ISL
and from the Battery in twelve minutes as the
Sandy Hook steamers do each day.
Talks with other Staten Islanders showed that
q movement was on foot TO carry out the re-
forms provided for by the Van Name BILL Just
how the movement is TO be pushed has not been
determined upon. A majority seem 10 faVor:
however, a protest 10 the Mayor. who could
bring about action through the proper channels
D the municipal government many DeheNe that
The legislature 4 in session now, would pass
The b but by next winter public opinion might
tall OF its fun force
The statement was made by Lester w. Clark,
counsel OF the Staten Island Rapid Transit Rail-
way Company yesterday that the Mortified
would PROBABLY be repaired and put into service
again. The Mauch Chunk was running again