New-York tribune., 1922-01-20
Thickest Fog in
Years Ties Up
HarborTraffic
inbound Fleet Compelled
to Anchor and Other
Vessels Remain at Piers:
Ferry Service Delayed
Few Accidents Reported
Freighter Sideswipes Boat
With 200 Passengers, but
No One Aboard Is Injured

Transatlantic and coastwise ship
ping was blocked yesterday by one of
the thickest fogs that has enveloped
the harbor in many years. SO dense
and tenacious was the pail. with little
or no breeze to thin it out, that the in
bound feet made no effort TO get into
the harbor, and vessels scheduled to
depart remained at their piers This
condition was largely responsible for
the lack of serious mishaps near or in
the harbor
The ferries. which as a rule make he
roic efforts to take care of the COM
muters dependent upon them to go to
and from Manhattan, operated under
disrupted schedules, the trips varying
from ten to forty minutes longer than
is normally required to cross the
rivers. The municipal service between
South Ferry and Staten Island operated
exceedingly we'll under the fog hand-
cap and maintained its runs. which
were seldom more than ten minutes
late
The ferryboat Orange, of the Della
ware. Lackawanna & Western Railroad
plying between West Twenty-third
Street. Hoboken, became lost in the
fog last night and collded with the
steamship Clement Smith, lying at
Pier 3, Fletchers Drydock. No serious
damage was done. Tugs responded to
an alarm of the ferrys siren and towed
her to her slip half an hour late.
The fog extended we'll out to sea,
holding back the fleet of vessels bound
here from the east. the south and the
north. Some twenty vessels which
picked their way through the pail got
as far as Sandy Hook and there an
chored. reporting their positions by
radio.
Scythia Trapped in Mist
The Cunard. liner Scythia, from
Liverpool. took advantage of a brief
clearing and started through the Mar
rows in the hope Of landing her pas
sengers later in the day. but she was
trapped in. the mist and found an an
chorage in Gravesend Bay, where she
remained for the, night.
Late last night the mail boat Presi-
dent, which went out early in the day
80 search for the Cunard liner Scythia,
came up to the city with the Scythia's
mail. After cropping her way through
the fog for four hours the President
found the Scythia at her anchorage in
Gravesend Bay and lay alongside until
after sunset taking off the mail.
Line. with passengers from Bermuda,
also went to an anchorage when it was
apparent that she fog would continue
throughout the day.
On the Fort Victoria, of the Furness
Line, from Bermuda, the pilot took ad-
vantage of thinning of the mist and
got under way from Quarantine bound
for the company's pier in the North
River. Arrangements were made to
dock her, but after waiting several
hours for her appearance the long
shoremen who were to take her lines
and assist in the handling of the pas
sengers' baggage were dismissed for
the day. Their services were dispensed
with when the steamship officials re-
ceived radio from the master SAYING
he had been compelled to seek an
chorage off the Statue of Liberty.
No vessel of the trans Atlantic or
coastwise service left it's pier yes
terday. The fruit steamship Tanamo.
which came to port on fire two months
ago and was sunk at her pier to ex-
tinguish the flames in her hold, was
Scneduled to leave port yesterday at
& p. M, but her sailing was deferred
until noon to-day. Governor E. Mont
hiicy, OF Porto Rico. prospective pas
senger, left the ship at p. m. and
returned to his hotel.
Ithaca Forced to Put Back
The ferryboat Ithaca. of the Lacka-
wanna Railroad. had an unusual ex-
perience in the fog bound North River
after she left her slip in Hoboken for
her trip to Barclay Street, Man
haitian
She moved out of her Hoboken slip
at s:45 a. m., heavily laden with pas
sengers and trucks. MANY of the Inter
belng drawn by horses After croping
anout IN the river for ten minutes the
Ithaca put back into her slip in Hobo
ken and made fresh start for tbe
ship at Barclay Street. This time she
got IN without difficulty, but the trucks
were facing midstream. After disem-
barking her passengers the Ithaca
moved out into the stream and tnrned
around, and enabled the teams to drive
ashore as they would have done had
she not been turned around when nut
ting back into her berth in Hoboken.
The West Shore Railroad, operating
between Cortlanot Street, Manhattan
| ana W Weehawken, abandoned its ferry
service IN the afternoon The run.
"hlch IS long one. crosses at right
angles practically all the North River
terry lines, and to avoid accident tho
service was suspended.
While Jockeying for position off the
entrance of her slip at Cortlandt Street
the ferryboat Newark, of the Pennsvl-
wanna Railroad, was sidewiped by the
.relghter New Haven, inbound from
Fall River, and had part of her guard :
rail torn away. The Newark carried
about two hundred passengers, but no
one aboard was injured.