Year: 1871

Scramble for tho shore-nIa.y Persons Res
cued by Boats.


The quantity of ice in the rivers yesterday
was greater than it has been for several years
Not since the time when Mrs. Henry Ward
Beecher and Mrs. Beach immortalized them
selves by crossing from Brooklyn to New York
on its slippery and treacherous surface has there
been any occasion until yesterday when the ice
has afforded safe passage.


But yesterday immense cakes of ice which had
been set free from the rivers and bays by the
late moderate weather were carried by the flood
tide into the North and East rivers, rendering
ferry travel difficult and uncertain. AS long as
the tide was sufficiently strong the mass moved
on up the river crushing and grinding against
the piers on each side, and sliding up one cake
above another, forming huge boulders and
miniature icebergs. Towards the end of the
flood, however, the tide slackened,, and at 2.
NJ the ice came to a stand, wedged tightly
against each shore, forming from Fulton up to
Catharine Ferry perfect ice bridge.


TROUBLES OF THE RIVER CRAFT.


At this time one of the Fulton ferry-boats was
in the slip on the Brooklyn side, two were in
the river, and the other in the slip on the New
York side. There was a tug, with some two or
three lighters in tow, bound down the river and
another with a schooner trying to make her
way in the same direction; then there was a
Navy Yard tug bound to the yard. Besides
these there were several other small tugs. All
of these were at once ice bound and stationary,
as if in a Polar sea. -
THE FoRLoRN HOPE.


Soon the firm appearance of the ice tempted a
small boy with skate on one foot and a ragged
boot on the other to try its soundness. Carefully
and timidly he got down from a dock just above
the ferry and then growing bolder as he found
that it did not yield under his weight, he struck
out with shout and was soon skimming over
| towards New York on his one skate. Then
another and another tried it from the Brooklyn
side, and then, tempted by the example,
another crowd started from the Peck slip
| dock on the New York side. Then numbers
! "a m nd
women, half a dozen of whom started,
but only two had nerve enough to persevere
and reach the other side amid shouts of ap-
| plause from the bystanders This passage
across the ice continued for some time, the
| crowds gradually grew greater, and several
| itineTant dealers in old clothes from Catharine
street, with their packs of goods on their
shoulders, crossed the river in safety. Women
gathered on the wbarves, and seemed to pause,
| as If in de1iberation whether they would at
tempt the perilous journey. But few of the
gentler sex attempted the task, and the adven-
turous travellers were almost wholly composed
of errand-boys, bootblacks, and newsboys.


MOVING OF THE ICE.


Shortly before 2'30 o'clock the ice commenced
| to move down stream, and a scene of an unusua
and somewhat dramatic character took place
About 800 persons, chiefly boys, were on the ice
at the tine. Over 100 men and boys were OF
one large cake opposite to the Roosevelt Stree
Ferry. AS the ice began to move this crowd D
men and boys gathered half-affrighted in thu





At last an effort was made to save them, mucl
to the qualification of the thoughtless adven
turers. The Government steamtug Catafa
lene, which was bound for the navy yard, ,steame'
for the periled pedestrians, and breaking
through the pack Ice, ran into the sheet of ice
and took the frightened men aud bows on board
By this means 100 persons were saved Other
were barely able TO reach the deck of the boa
as they foated past on smaller pieces of ice, bu
by means of ropes they were finally taken O
board. Those who could not reach the tu
were taken on board by the Williamsburg ferr
boat Arizona, and conveyed safely ashore
SAVED BY SMALL BOATS.
A small boat was launched from the New Yor
: shore manned by several sailors, which saved
: number of people, about seventeen In all. Th
steam-tugs Clay and Lennox, which weI
wedged in by the ice, were freed about oclocl
and went direct to party who were still on th
T Ice, but they were rescued before the boats a.
: rived.


NO LIvKs LOST.


9 Although many were In great danger no live
a were Lost. The more sensible of the observer