Year: 1875

A RICH CORPORATION YIELDING TO THE DE-


MANDs OF THE PEOPLE AT LAST.


1t is estimated that fully $4,000 people cross the
Roosevelt and Grand street ferries daily, yet every
body who has been compelled TO travel
these boats agree that these ferries two
of the worst managed in the city. The com
pany, It seems have in the. past been utterly
unconcerned demands OF tho public for rapid
and comfortable transportation between the city and
Williamsburg and in the winter season, especially
they stop their boats to the lower ferry account
OF ogs when they could easily 60 through, and after
collecting from the passengers three cents the fare
demanded for landing them al Roosevelt street. fro
quently they have landed them Grand street. New
York This necessitates additional expense and
delay to reach downtown points. Their boats, too,
have been Ill ventilated, and in no manner com
pare with the craft the North River. In fact
the corporation during the rege OF the President
Murphy made not the least effort to accommodate the
public, and consequently hundreds OF families who
would haye taken advantage Of cheaper rents across
the river, were forced 10 remain in the city


Last summer there was a change In the management
Of the company and the public at observed
provement The ferry house at Roosevelt was COM
petey reconstructed and repainted aud better waiting
rooms provided; but the improvements did not stop
here All the boats have been or are now being over.
hauled in hospital with view Of preparing for the
winter campaign greater Improvement still is in
progress Tho miserable accommodation at South





ferry house Is dlapidated and filthy and the
bridges out of repair that delays are often
caused by the low water that renders difficult TO dis
charge heavy trucks. For weeks the company have
been engaged in remodelling their slips Between the
slips of tho Roosevelt and Grand street lines a pier,
100 feet long, filled in with stone has bean
structed and the slips dredged out They
another strong pier q little south OF
this The bridge Of the Grand street line is
be extended out sixty feet beyond its present water
line the bridges OF the Roosevelt boats will be
extended twenty five feet further into tho water,
and strong aprons constructed away out along the
make tho approaches to the slips easy OF
accomplishment All these improvements now
being rapidly pushed 10 completion and 1t Is expected
that before sets in the slips and bridges will be
all that be desired Tne company, however, does
not propose 10 stop here. Early in the spring they
Will begin the erection, the new pier between the
Grand and Roosevelt street slips OF and elegant
ferry house. provided with all the comforts required by
passengers forced wait for boats When this build
ing is completed it will give the company twenty-five
feet frontage Division and South Sew
enth street and enable pedestrians reach the boats
without crawling under the heads Of vicious horses and
picking their way through market wagons and trucks
that renders at certain hours OF the day almost
impossible Tor ladies children TO reach the ferry
house The so 900 people who daily these ferries
will grumbe less at high farce when these long delayed
improvements completed by President English and
his officers II is estimated that the cost OF these i'm
provements will reach fully sl50,0oo to $500, 000