The Saint Paul globe., 1904-12-28
FERRY BOATS NIX UP
Dense Fog and Rain Cause
Gotham Inconvenience

NEW YORK, Dec. 27.-Rain and
sleet, with rising temperature, fol-
lowing the recent heavy snowstorms,
have greatly impeded traffic in and
about New York. Telegraphic COM
munlcation has been considerably
handicapped, and nearly all through
trains from the West and North are
delayed, owing to slippery rails. In
addltlon to the delay caused by the
sieet storm, the congested traffic of the
naroor and the North and East rivers,
crowded with ferryboats, was hamper
ed by dense fog The unpleasant
conditions in the harbor were increased
by ice
A collision on the river resulted
from the thick weather during the
morning rush hour. The ferryboat
Cmcago, of the Pennsylvania line,
loaded with commuters, was run into
by the New Haven railroads big
steam transport Maryland in the
North river, just off the Cortlandt
street slip of the Pennsylvania ferry.
The Maryland crashed into the rear Of
ferryboat- No serious damage was
done to the hull. Among the crowd Of
passengers on the Chicago were many
women and a panic ensued. Many
women tainted, but no one was in
While dense fog hung over the
river and harbor this afternoon. the
ferryboats Bergen and Musconetcong.
OF the Delaware, Lackawanna & West
ern lres crashed into each other near
tne Hoboken ferry slips, and for a few
minutes there was a wild panic on
Doth boats. The Bergen had left the
New York side and was approaching
the New Jersey side under reduced
speed when the Museonetcong, putting
out at full speed. crashed into her.
The Bergen lifted the Musconeteong
nlgn. out of water. The engines were
reversed almost Immediately on the
Musconetcong, but the headway was
such that the impact tore away about
twenty-five feet of the cabin timbers
on the mems side of the Bergen.
AS the two ferryboats came together
tnere was a wild rush on the part of
the men on the Bergen into the cabin.
The shock was such that 1t threw
twenty or more of the men off their
feet.
In the women's cabin the panic was
greater, as the passengers there had
received no warning of the impending
crash. When the boats drifted apart
the Bergen, uninjured in her hull, pro-
ceeded on her way to her slip. There
were fewer passengers on the Mus
conetcong and the crew had less diff
hculty IN reassuring them. The Mus
conetcong suffered but little damage.
So dense was the blanket of fog
Whlcn hung over the harbor all day
that business at the government quar-
antine station was almost entirely sus-
pended. Not single steamer arrived
and the officials put in the day waiting
for the fog to lift. A little puff of wind
from the west this afternoon tore
hole in the fog bank, revealing four
steamers which had come in during
the night and found anchorage off the
station. A tug with health officers on
board Immediately put out and after
time located the steamers and gave
them permission to communicate with
the shore. They were the steamers
Roman and Sailor Prince, of the
Prince line; the fruiter Avalon and the
tank steamer Weehawken.
Several steamers were due from for
efgn ports today and 1t is supposed
they are lying off Sandy Hook waiting
for the fog to lift before attempting to
come into the harbor.