New-York tribune., 1903-03-01
COLLISIONS IN RIVER.
Fe,rybOat NezC-Jerscy Rams into
Three Others.

PASSENGERS ExciTED-TWo INJURED.
peculiar atmospheric condition yesterday
morning which over the river and bay mani
tested itself in the form Of barber" was re-
sponsible early in the morning for three col
lisions between ferryboats on the North River
A fourth was reported, but this proved to be no
more than the touching Of the New-Jersey and
the st. Louis as one was entering and the other
leaving the slips at Jersey City about o'clock.
AS result OF the collisions, two men-Julian
LeIgeut, thirty-six years Old a cook, OF No. 80
Garfield Place, Rutherford, N J.. and William
Hughes, machinist, OF Paterson, N. J.-were
injured, and five girls tainted. The men were
injured by flying debris. Leigeut receiving sew
erai scalp wounds and Hughes being bruised
about the back. The damage to the boats in
volved was in the neighborhOod Of $1,000
The beats In collision the New-Jersey
and st. Louis, Of the Pennsylvania ferries; the
Ridgewood, Passaic and Paterson of the Erie
ferries, and the Lackawanna, of the Hoboken
ferry. The New-Jersey was in every one OF the
collisions except one. The first was between
the New-Jersey, OF the Desbrosses-st. ferry, and
the Ridgewood, shortly after q o'clock, about
100 yards off the end of the Chamber-st. slip,
for which the Rfdgewood was making The two
boats had left Jersey city at the same time.
The surface of the water was then blanketed
hardly see his hand before his face This cloud
was only a few feet deep. The tops of the
buildings of the city could be seen above IT, IL
WAS due to the difference in temperature De-
t,veen the air and the water, the forIheF
being much warmer than the latter Inc
New-Jersey in command VI "P
tain George Spencer and the RldgeWooo' u
CAPTAIN William Hallenbeck. The former n"u
about thirty passengers, Of whom SIX were
hon tV-nN
men and dozen women. On the starboard slde
- tho Ridgewood on the roof of the hood Of the
mons cabin. was a lookout named Watts. lie
was peerins through the mist when Re saw the
New-Jersey which is a double deckeo poat'
loom up about hundred feet away. lie
shouted to the pilot. and then TO the men IN Iile
20 hin he cried Get over on the other side or
the boat There is going to be collision! All
but two of the passengers succeeded In opeylhg
his warming Those who did not succeed IN do
ing SO were Leigeut and Hughes VINO were III
the after end of the boat.
The New-Jersey struck the Ridgewood on the
starboard quarter and the filing debris struck
the two men, About fifty feet of the upper joiner
work of the Ridgewood and the rail on the for
ward deck and hood over the cabin door OF the
New-5ersey were carried away. There was eX-
citelnent for few minutes. The boats sepa-
rated Immediately, each proceeding to its slip.
An ambulance W1s summoned from the HUDSON
Street Hospital, and surgeon attended to the
two injured men. They afterward went 'home
The superintendents of the Pennsylvania and
Erie ferries said later that The collision was
umavoidab ble and neither captain was at fault
The Ridgewood was damaged to the extent OF
$500 She was taken off for repairs.
About the same time the ferryboat Paterson,
of the Twenty -third-st. ferry Of the Erie Rail
road and the Lackawanna. of the Fourteenth
St line of the Hoboken ferry were In collision
There were few passengers on either boat, and
as they were travelling slowly. there little
damage done when they bumped together
Neither sighted the other until one hundred
feet apart.
shortly after { o'clock, less than hour after
she had rtnmed the RidgewOod the New
Jersey was struck by the Passaic. of the Twen-
ty-third-st ferry of the Erie Railroad, near
Desbrosses-st This time the New-Jersey re-
ceiYed damages that made it advisable to take
her off the route, and five young women their
way to work became hysterical and tainted from
fright. An ambulance was called for them and
they were treated by the surgeon. AfterWard
they went to their work A large part of the
superstructure of the New-Jersey was injured
She was heading for her slip when the Passaic
struck her little forward of the women's cabin.
The boat listed over to starboard much that
many of the passengers thought she was going
to sink and they became excited.
According to some of the women the men were
as badly frightened as they were, and paid no
heed to them. There was rush for life pre-
servers, and several women tainted. AS soon
as the Passaic backed away the New-Jersey
righted. She was able TO proceed under her
own steam to her slip. The passengers. how
ever, CIunG to the life preservers they had
snatched up in the moment of seeming peril
When the boat reached her landing there was
scramble to leave her. The horses attached to
the trucks could not be restrained, and they
plunged over the chain and off the boat before
the deckhands could take it down.
The NeW-Jersey, on her return trip, side
OF the women's cabin knocked off, and a rope
stretched in place of the guard rail- took few
passengers. She seemed to be doomed to COL
lisons, for she entering her slip at
Jersey City she bumped against the st. Louis
coming out. No damage done, but the
New-Jersey was taken off.