Year: 1868

Investigation by tho Legislative Committee ON


Commerce and Navigation.


The Assembly Committee on Commerce and Navt-
CATION which is at present sitting at the Metropolitan
Hotel inquiring into the workings and condition Of
the ferries between this city and the Long Island and
New Jersey shores, commenced at half-past eleven
Yesterday to receive the testimony Of directors and
Others interested In the management and capital OF
these important routes Of transit to and from the
metropolis.


At the hour named Mr. Lawrence D. Herman.
chairman, rose and remarked that the Committee ON
Commerce and Navigation had been authorized by
the body to whom they owed their existence as q
commission Of inquiry to examine into the manage
ment OF the ferries and for this purpose would
main in session for two days and receive such esti-
mony as the lessees, managers and the pecuniarily
uninterested might oer He also stated that the
mittee had with them In manuscripts the evidence
taken last year, and that they uhe committee)
would avail themselves OF " In pushing their present
inquiries.


At the close Of these preliminary remarks by the
chairman Mr.. wynants came forward and stated
that he had been subp9naed to attend on the COM
mittee but that the notification should have been
served on his brother, who was the President OF the
Houston street Ferry Company. Although but q
stockholder in the company holding no ofical posi-
III. ~
as the committee might demand, provided he had It
TO impart.


TO Questions as TO his business, &c., he answered
that he had an once In Wall street, and only knew
that the boats OF the Houston street ferry were In
ceent condition and the earnings Of the concern sat
isfactory. Al no further matter material to the OBJ
jects Of the committee could be gotten from this
witness he was dismissed.


Mr. George Law, In answer TO interrogations put
by Mr.. Herman and other gentlemen OF the commit
tee, answered that he was Interested In the New
York and Brooklyn ferries, was not president
OF It. and Mr.. James Murphy was; the ferries con-
sised OF the Grand Bridge and Roosevelt streets and
Division avenue; the company had no lease for the
Division avenue ferry; he could not say how many
was at the foot Of Tenth street ana avenue d; he
knew nothing OF the character OF the boats could
enter into no particulars; the boats had means for
saving passengers, &C., In the event OF FIRE;
didn't know this, however, of his own knowledge;
he knew that government only licensed those YES
sells which complied with the law; didn't know
whether the fare was the same on all the ferries Of
OF the boats didn't know thg negligence on the part
OF the hands the cause Of the Idah0s taking hre;
thought the boat could not be saved; didn't know
that boats could be absolutely guarded nom 40
oidents didn't remember how many passengers
were on the Idoho when she took Ore; didn't
however, his opinion that there were sufncient
number OF life presorvers and other life saving ap-
paratus but didn't think they amounted 10 much;
didn't know much about them; could not. say how
many persons daily pass on an average either maxi.
mum Or minimum, on the boats plying between
james sip and south Seventh street, williamsburg
tas no belief In Life preservers when people are In
fright they dr0wn about . many - tney ave nave
crossed IN Ropseyst street boat " the evening,