New-York tribune., 1908-12-15
CITY In A FERRY WAR
FIVE LINES CLOSE DOWN.
Company May Be an Contempt
NearlY q Rush Hour Riot.

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The city. after day Of disorder amounting al
most to rioting. began taking steps TO nave the
New York Terminal Company punished for con
tempt Of court in closing down its entire ferry
service. including five different lines. in spite Of
an injunction forbidding such move in connection
with the 42d street service.
The shutdown came at o'clock in the morning
without a moments notice the public and at
an hour when the rush OF vehicular and foot pas
senger traffic starting AS result the streets
leading the ferries became congested with trucks
of all kinds and the conmodous ferry house at
Broadway Williamsburg, overhowed with angry
and indignant patrons. The latter fumed and swore
without avail, while the drivers Of the trucks
howled on the outside and worked themselves up
into furious passion.
They rapidly getting into condition to mob
the ferry gates when the police reserves from the
Bedford and Lee avenue stations arrived
BY this time the streets leading to the ferry
IN condition of great disorder. Trucks
blocked the passage Of the streetCar lines. and it
only with the greatest difficulty, accompanied
by threats of that the congestion was
finally relieved. Mounted policemen then
placed points thoroughfares leading 70 the
ferries, and truckmen bound in that direction
were turned with the warning that the ferries
closed.
The ferries which we're shut down are the Roose.
welt Grand street 23d street and 42d street
all from Broadway-and the Grand street from
Grand street, Williamsburg All the lines formerly
operated by the Broadway Ferry Company
whose property was recently acquired under fore
closure proceedings by the New York Terminal
Company.
When the terminal conn any took charge or the
ferry lines 'hey leased them William O. MAIDEN.
and whcr he about 10 stop operations tenn
porary injunction kept him from doing so This in
Junction set aside last week by Supreme court
Justice Rlackmar, when he refused to prevent the
city, the company and MAIDEN from discontnuing
the service. The company announced that service
would he discontinued, hut it presumed that 1t
would not effect until the end OF the present
month
The haste however. in shutting down may have
been iue to the fact that Corporation Counsel
Pendleton got from Supreme Court Justice Staple
ton late Saturday afternoon order enjo!ninE the
New York Terminal Ssompany and William o.
MAIDEN from stopping the 42d street ferry. TIE in
junction was based on the ground that the lease Of
this particular ferry did expire until December
! 1911. A clause in the lease, it held made the
operation of this ferry until the expiration Of the
lease obligatory. Justice StapIeton's order is re
turnable before Supreme Court Justice Thomas at
Special Term tomorrow morning
Yesterday Assistant Corporation Counsel Hahlo
said the papers in the injunction proceedings
against the stoppage of the 42d street ferry were
served on Mr. AlIaire. of the terminal company.
and also the ferry master. Supreme Court JUS
rice Stapleton when informed that the operation OF
the ferry had ceased with the others. said it looked
though the parties against whom the Injunction
was directed had committed contempt Of court
On application of d representative OF the New
York Terminal Company Justice Stapleton later IN
the day granted order to show cause returHable
this morning before Justice Thomas why the tenn
porary injunction granted on Saturday afternoon
should not be dissolved.
Corporation Counsel PeldletOn was busy the
greater part Of the day with the preparation Of
proceedings against the company for contempt Of
court. When the company moves to-day to have
the city's injunction of Saturday vacated, he will
ask that it go till Wednesday. when the in
junction, the move 10 vaCate and the request 70
punish the officials for contempt of court VIII all
come up for hearing.
"A way will he found 70 keep running the 42d
street and the Roosevelt street ferries, said Con
troler Metz last night Those ferries cover the
long hauls and if necessary the city will take hold
Of them and keep them going. AS for the other lines,
where the bridges afford fair facilities. il be
different with them At the meeting of the Board of
Estimate and ArpCrtiO1ment on Friday shall a5E
for the reappointment Of the special committee con-
ststing Of Controller. the chief engineer Of the
board the Dock Commissioner and the Corporation
Counsel to take up the matter again. The commit
tee discharged at a recent meeting. The most
definite thing can say at this the city
not, with my consent, pay So 10000 for prop
critics estimated by the city as being worth about
S3O0n00"
Mayor Mcclellan conferred with Corporation
Counsel PendletOn about the closing down Of the
ferry service and urged him to do everything pos
sible keep the service going
R r GOWN. president of the Terminal Company.
when seen at mis- Office No. * Wall street, yester-
day said The New York Terminal Company.
New Jersey corporation organized purchase boats
and real property, purchased the property Of the
Brooklyn Ferry Company at auction sale last July.
The Terminal Company, being foreign corpora
ton. could not operate ferries in New York city.
and no franchises or leases were purchased. Sev-
eral franchises had expired. and the franchise Of
the 42d street ferry not taken up. Consequently
that practically lapsed.
We have had nothing to do with the 42d street
J., +p1F l,Fea '1,a
franchise has lapsed. and do not consider our
selves in any way blame for not operating any
Of the three lines We legal right to do So
Manufacturers in general are Up IN arn}S over
the closing down Of the ferries. and il Is expected
they will take decisive zteps in some direction in
the few days.
The shutting down Of the different lines came
a surprise TO the ferry employees, who numoer
about four hundred.
III