New-York tribune., 1901-02-14
BATTLING WITH ICE FLOES.

DAY OF UNCEASING STRUGGLE FOX
NAVIGATION ON THE NORTH AND
EAST RIVERS.
The weather yesterday was extraordinarily
savage. The wind strong as any hon OF
body of lions 1t tore about madly. ripping and
devouring almost everything that got in its way
1t was terrific in open spaces. Two Sisters OF
Charity tried TO walk along the seawan at the
Battery. They pushed along against the Wlnd'
making more or less progress. until they are"
near the Barge Office. Then their skirts in
fated their black cloaks spread out and their
hoods leapt up into the air The two women were
snatched up by the wind. and almost carried
from their feet.
Their experience was not different from the
experiences of many other people. The streets
were enivened with shooting hats and happihg
overcoats Women's hair streamed out in front
of them or behind them; newspapers took the
latest news to Mars and cigars disappeared from
between mems teeth like so much thin ar ouch
the power and the ability of the wind
The whirlfng newspapers and the like were
however. merely picturesque scenes eoinpaieu
10 the state of affairs that was 10 ne lou"" III
the harhor and in the North ana East rlNeiS-
The warm weather of the beginning or the "eeA
caused the ice in the Hudson from near Yonkers
a "A
break and TO float down the river. The Ice came
down in large cakes and apparently rldlhg
ont 70 sea The cakes were especially large ana
thick and numerous yesterday morning ABOUT
o'clock these cakes began 10 grind ana JOIN OH
the Battery. The tide in the North River was at
the ebb while that in the East River was at the
flood The conflict OF these two tides caused
an eddy. in which the ice was caught and IN
which il was piled up by the resist'ess west
wind In a short time the channel between lne
Battery and Governors Island was choked with
ice 1t is said that the ice was in some places
fifteen feet deep.
LOCKED IN THE ICE JAM
In this impossible field about fifty vessels were
caught They consisted of steamers, ferryooats
floats barges tugs. schooners and, IN 1act'
craft of almost every variety. This helpless
fleet presented a remarkable appearance. and
attracted a large number Of people. The vessels
tried to go forward and then backward. but they
were locked uD-
As the wind kept piling the ice up ana packing
it together it not long before the BLOCKADE
reached from Castle Williams to Grand-st.
Brooklyn. The Ice kept moving up the East
River on the food tide. The upper part Of the
river was practically impossible, while the lower
part could be crossed by the ferries with only
tho greatest risk. The general situation in the
North River was not serious. The Jersey
shore was free from ice. and traffic went on with
some approach 10 regularity. The slips on the
Manhattan side. however. were blocked with
ice and ferryboats. on this account, had diff
Guilty in making connections.
At :. 20 a IN the South Ferry boat Pierrepont
got stuck between Governors Island and the
Battery. II took five tugs 10 get her loose, and
then she could only he taken within twenty feet
Of her slip Fortunately. there were no passen-
gers On hoard. While this was one of the ear
Hest difficulties encountered by ferryboats II
was not the most serious. Between and a.
m the Jersey Central boat FanwOod. on its way
IN Manhattan. got caught in the ice off Com
nun,paw. and was held there six hours. on
account Of the experience Of the Fanwood. the
Jersey Central boats Mauch Chunk and Easton
were taken from the Whitehall line and put on
the line running between CommuniPaw and Lib
erty-st
About o % a. m the Staten Island boat Robert
Garrett got caught near where the Pierrepont
had been The Robert Garrett had several hun
dred passengers on board. She worked her way
to the seawau. where her passengers crowded
on shore by the aid Of rope ladder. The teams
on board were compelled TO put back with the
boat To Staten Island.
At about the same time the Castleton. OF the
a quarter of p mile from shore and then began
Ia drift She finally worked her way to Liberty
st where she turned into a Jersey Central slip
and gave up the attempt TO make the trip.
THE BLOCKADE BROKEN
The blockade off the Battery did not break
until late in the morning. AS soon the first
open water was seen there was great commo-
tions among the stalled vessels. one of the first
IN move out was the John @ Carlisle which
transfers immigrants from Ellis Island to the
Rarcr Office The John @. Carlisle did not do
much work however. as Commissioner FitChie
decided 10 suspend work for the day. Two other
Government boats noticed in the tieup were
the revenue cutter Calumet and the Governors
Island ferryboat General Hancock.
The ferries that almost absolutely tied
up yesterday ware the Liberty Island the Thir-
ty-ninth-s the Governors islahu ana the ram
ilton-ave ferries.
FEARS OF SAME TROUBLE TO-DAY.
II is extremely likely that much Of yesterdays
difficulties will have to be faced again to-day
Al sunset last night the blockade off the Bat
terry seemed 10 he forming again After night
fall there was some delay the Staten Island
line on account of this new formation. The
Wall-st and Fulton-st. ferries ran few boats,
but they made only occasional trips, Trafhc
to lower Brooklyn was at a standstill, and this
caused immense increase in the traffic over
the Brooklyn Bridge. which, a matter of fact.
did greater business than on any other day
this winter. Many people from suburban dis
trCts passed the night in the city
on the whole. the conditions last night ap-
peared 10 he getting The North River
above Thirty -fourth-st.. which is narrow and
sheltered by high bluffs, was filled from shore to
shore with ice cakes. The downtown ferries
made fairly good trips. although there was. of
course. almost every case forced disregard
of schedules. The East River lCOsened up. but 1t
a n