Page:History of Hudson County and of the Old Village of Bergen.djvu/48

40 A Stubborn Competitor of Steam, 1830

a great vessel. There were two hulls braced with the paddle-wheel suspended between, and with a deck over all 30 feet wide. The passengers sat in the open, but there was a hold for refuge in bad weather.

In 1816, the company had succeeded in earning only one dividend (of five per cent), which explains why Philip Howe who leased the West Hoboken or "Weehawk" ferry in 1821 contented himself with two sailboats and a horse boat. John Stevens also adhered to sail and horse after abandoning his first steam ferry, and did not try steam again till 1822. By that time, however,it had become practical. The Canal Street ferryboat "Pioneer," which went into commission in 1823, had a ladies' cabin warmed with open fireplaces and was lavishly decorated.

In land transporation, steam met similar difficulties. In 1830, Peter Cooper's locomotive "Tom Thumb," with Peter