Inspection of The New York Ferries

Editor's note: The following are excerpts from NY Herald, September 7, 1857, p. 1, cols. 1-5
 -- The New York Ferries. Thank you to Contributing Scholar George A. Thompson for finding, cataloging and transcribing this article. The language, spelling and grammar of the article reflects the time period when it was written.

Drawing of steam powered ferry. Saulpaugh Collection. Hudson River Maritime Museum.

THE NEW YORK FERRIES. Visit of Inspection of One of the Herald Reporters
to each Boat and Ferry Landing, and what he saw there -- Condition of Boats, and
Means taken for Life Saving ***
EAST RIVER. 
EIGHTY-SIXTH STREET OR HELL GATE FERRY.
This ferry has but two boats, the Astoria, of 119 tons, built in 1840, and the
Sunswick, of 129 tons, built in 1848. They are both built after the same primitive style of
the Hoboken ferry boats. . . . ***
Wednesday of every week this ferry is almost entirely converted into a cattle
ferry, a large number crossing on almost every boat, which renders it anything but
pleasant or agreeable for foot passengers. ***

GREENPOINT, TENTH AND TWENTY-THIRD STREET FERRIES.
THE TRIPS. The Tenth street ferry has two boats on from four o'clock in the
morning until nine o'clock at night, so that one boat leaves the slip on either side of the river every ten minutes during those hours. From nine o';clock until quarter past one at night there is but one boat on, making twenty minute trips, after that hour, up to four
o'clock in the morning, no boat runs.
On the Twenty-third street ferry there is but one boat running from six o';clock in
the morning up to ten o'clock at night, making fifteen minute trips. . . .
THE LIGHTS. This company have set an example worthy of following by some of
the other companies in respect to lighting their ferry slips, bridges and passenger ways
at night, there being ten large gas lights inside of the ferry gates, two of them being at
the end of each bridge. The boats all present a neat and clean appearance, the ladies cabins all being well cushioned. . . .
*** Most of the business done by the ferry . . . is by the crossing of country wagons. . . . A very large number of funerals, also cross this ferry daily on their way to Calvary Cemetery. The foot passing over these ferries is as yet quite insignificant, owing in great measure to the fact that there is no shipbuilding or other mechanical business of any account going on at Greenpoint at present, and the fact that fever and ague abounds in the village of Greenpoint to a greater or less extent during the warm weather.

HOUSTON STREET FERRY. ***
The boats are usually kept in cleanly and comfortable condition, with the exception of lights in the cabins at night, which are very deficient, they being scarcely sufficient for passengers, sitting opposite each other to discern the precise complexion of their neighbor's countenance, much less to read by. . . .
Two boats are kept running from five o'clock in the morning until ten o';clock at night. . . . After ten o'clock at night there is but one boat running until five in the morning. . . . ***
PECK SLIP, DIVISION AVENUE AND GRAND STREET FERRIES. [Editor's Note: long discussion of the lack of accommodations]
THE JAMES SLIP AND SOUTH TENTH STREET FERRY. [began running last May] The boats of this ferry are the "George Law", of 400 tons, one year old, and "George Washington", 400 tons, the same age, both of which are double decked, clean, commodious and well cushioned. ***
The bridges on each side of the river are forty feet long, and thirty feet wide, on floats. The houses each have two fine sitting rooms for ladies and gentlemen, the seats in all of which are handsomely cushioned, the same as the ladies; cabins on the boats.
***
The pilots employed on the boats of this company are quite too careless and reckless of human life. . . . ***

UNION FERRY COMPANY. [Fulton Ferry: 4 boats; Wall street Ferry: 2 boats; Atlantic, or South street Ferry, 3 boats; Hamilton Avenue Ferry, 4 boats; Roosevelt street Ferry, 2 boats; Catherine street Ferry, 2 boats] *** South ferry run three boats every five minutes from 5 in the morning until 10 o'clock at night, and two up to 12 o';clock, after which there is one untill 5 in the morning.
The Hamilton avenue ferry runs four boats during the day and one all night, as fast as they can be run.
The Fulton ferry has four boats on all day and two on all night.
The Catherine and Roosevelt street ferries have two boats on all day, and one all night at the Catherine ferry, and one on up to nine o'clock on the Roosevelt street ferry.
The Wall street ferry has two boats on during the day, and one on from six in the
evening until twelve at night, when both are drawn off until four o'clock in the morning.
[a new boat is being built, that will have gas lights in the cabins]

JERSEY CITY FERRY. ***
[among the boats on this ferry is the] "John S. Darcy", built in 1857, tonnage 700,
and one hundred horse poser engine. . . . This boat has just been put on the ferry, and
is a perfect floating palace. She is lit up with gas, which is introduced in tanks . . . ;
these tanks being filled and taken on board as often as necessary. ***
Three boats are run on the Jersey city ferry from 4 o'clock in the morning until half-past 10 o'clock, making about ten minute trips. From half-past ten at night until four in the morning two boats are run, making half hour trips.

THE HOBOKEN FERRIES.
This ferry being the principal breathing outlet to the city, especially for women
and children, who desire to take a sail during the warm weather, and the thousands who
daily visit Hoboken, of all sexes and ages for pleasure, it is something to be regretted
that the present owner of the several ferries, Edwin A. Stevens, Esq., does not take
more active means to provide against any accident of emergency which is so liable to
arise at any moment, especially on boats so continually crowded as those are with
females and children. *** The following are the names and ages of the boats owned on
these ferries: --

BARCLAY STREET FERRY
James Watts, built in 1851, tonnage 312 31-95.
Patterson, built in 1854; tonnage 360 62-95.
CANAL STREET FERRY
John Fitch, built in 1845, tonnage 125 75-95.

CHRISTOPHER STREET FERRY
Phoenix, registered in the custom house as Fairy Queen, built in 1826, and
subsequently cut in two, and about 70 feet added to her middle. She is 141 81-95 tons
burden.

SPARE BOATS.
Chancellor Livingston, built in 1852; tonnage 457 61-95.
Newark, built in 1827; tonnage 175 17-95.
Hoboken, built in 1822; tonnage 322 20-95
These boats are all built in the primitive style, with but one carriage way, and no
separate passage for foot passengers.
[their life boats] The John Fitch has a metallic life boat the proper length. The
Hoboken, which issued on the Christopher street ferry as a cattle boat, is without any
boat, corks, boat hooks, ladders, floats, or any conveniences whatever for saving life,
with the exception of one old cork life preserver, hung on the upper deck. The boats on
the Newark and Phoenix are miserable concerns and unfit for use. . . . Those on the
other four boats are better, but not such as should be provided, with the single
exception of the metallic boat. Each of the six boats, are otherwise supplied with from
five to six cork buoys, only one of which on either boat is supplied with a lanyard, and
one pike pole, all of which are kept tied to braces on the upper decks of the boat, and
consequently would be of . . . little purpose . . . in the event of an unlooked for accident.
. . .
The Phoenix is said by those who should know to be unsafe, and entirely unfit for
use as a ferry boat. ***
The ferry bridges are for the most part swing bridges, the only suitable ferry
house being that at the foot of Barclay street. On the Hoboken side carts and wagons
are driven in every direction at hap hazard, inside of the gates promiscuously among
the passengers, rendering it anything but agreeable or safe for foot passengers,
especially during the busy portions of the day.

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