The Brooklyn Daily Eagle from Brooklyn, New York • Page 19

9 EDITORIAL SPORTS CLASSIFIED FINANCE Brooklyn Daily Eagle RIAN JAMES MUSIC THEATERS RADIO NEW YORK CITY, MONDAY, MARCH 23, 1931. 2 19 Stories of Old Brooklyn Wider Channel! Digging Pathway for Superliners Rowboals On Grand Used First Street Ferry 0 Press Praised For Aid in War On Smoke Evil Expert I rges Engineer to Study Air Pollution Problem of City Believes More Than 1 Killed Druggist Here Stale Delavs Hearing of Mr. Diller as Grand Jnrv Gets Evidence JJ- Old ferry landing at Foot of Grand St. in old Williamsburg. The first rowboat ferry was started in 1797.

Started in 1797 Horses, Working Treadmill, Were Big Power Development Later and Steamers Were Put in Service in 1J527 ly MAI MICE E. Mrl.Ol GIIMN In a few years, when all the rivers and even the harbors are honeycombed with tubes, vehicular and otherwise, ferries will become a thing of the past, and perhaps children of the next generation may have to get their Impression of what Slow-moving and heavy-waisted as a battleship, the dredge Atlantic is shown starting on work of widening Bay Ridge Channel. In inset is the ship's skipper. Charles R. Peterson.

At right Government Inspector Chester Phillips on the driftwood-boat Rockaway is taking angles with sextants preparatory to setting out spar buoys to mark the new channel. French Jail 'Horror 9 Illusion Disproved 'Reclusion' Term for Lady Owen, Who Shot Her Operations Are Started Today Dredging Is Aimed to Let Superliners Dock Here in Any Weather By O. R. riLAT Brooklyn's coming of age as a port for the largest sea greyhounds Is signalized today by the start of work to widen Bay Ridge Channel from 1,200 feet to 1,750 feet along Its entire three-mile length. This main approach to Brooklyn's waterfront Is accessible now for freighters and ocean liners of modern size.

It Is inadequate only when superliners like the Bremen and Europa, which now dock at the southern end of the channel, want to maneuver farther north, while a treacherous northwest wind is sweeping across the harbor. No matter what the weather, the broader channel will furnish ample safety to the biggest speed ships now operating on the North Atlantic, and will enhance the value of ft number of piers available as fair north in Brooklyn as 29th St. Two Dredges at Work The actual dredging, which will take a year and a half to complete, Is being done by two sister dredges, the Atlantic and the Manhattan, working under orders from H. Le-roy Potter, senior Army engineer In the New York district. Over the weekend the driftwood-collecting boat Rockaway was given the assignment of setting out four 25-foot-long spar buoys west of the channel to show the twin dredges how far they must extend operations.

Both the Manhattan and the Atlantic carry crews of 60 men, to permit 24-hour work in three shifts. The Manhattan Is captained by T. Fredericksen of Philadelphia, while the skipper of the Atlantic is Charles R. Peterson, who, at 66, has the longest service record of active Army engineer skipper in this area. Though he lives at 862 56th Bay Ridge, almost within hailing distance of where his gray, battleship-like craft prowls up and down, Captain Peterson will be able visit his family only on Sundays, when the ship ties up for a rest at the Army Base at 58th St.

To reach the Atlantic it was necessary go out to her in a small boat. The dredge was moving at a two-mile-an-hour Tate, hrr nine-ton, 70-foot-long pipe arms with hungry mouths to the bottom of the flats, sucking up both mud and water. Through overflow pipes, the water poured out again from the ship's bins, leaving a cargo of mud. The Atlantic expects to make four trips to sea a day, dumping 2,500 cubic yards of mud each time. "The Bay Ridge channel must be 40 feet deep all the way," said Capt.

Peterson. "Where we are working now it is 11 feet deep, only a foot more than we are drawing." It is not outside the range of possibility that treasure of some sort may be dredged up. Capt. Peterson told today of picking up a canvas bag of English sovereigns once while dredging in the North River, and other valuable recoveries. Start of Work Delayed Work on the channel widening was scheduled to begin a couple of months ago, but two things delayed It.

One was the sinking of the dredge Raritan in The Narrows when she was doing preparatory work on the old channel. The other was lack of money. To take the place of the Raritan, the Manhattan, which had been working at Philadelphia, was transferred to Brooklyn. The Atlantic was transferred from other harbor work. The lack of money objection was, overcome by the allotment by the War Department recently of for the widening of the channel.

'Arrowsmith' PlotNot Lewis' Own Dreiser Kansas City, March 23 (P) Theodore Dreiser has turned from the role of "the man who slapped Sinclair Lewis." The author of "An American Tragedy," here last night, renounced anv intentions of further combat with the red-headed Nobel Prize winner and said he was "really a good fellow." "I admire seme of his writings. Even 'Elmer Gantry' is a pretty good story, although it is a bit raw. 'Arrowsmith' is a good story, too. Paul De Kruif, who gave Lewis the material, first asked me to write the book, but I dirtr't have time." Johnson, Reporter Of 'Front Dies Chicago, March 23 Hilding Johnson, for 20 years Criminal Courts reporter for the Herald and Examiner and the newspaperman whose personality furnished the basis for "The Front Page," died early today. He had been ill a week with hmorrhags of the stomach but refused to leave his beat.

Johnson, 40, was described as knowing everybody worth knowing In the political and criminal world of Chicago. Ben Hecht and Charles McArthur, writing "The Front Page," frankly used Johnson as their and Johnsdh always refered to it as "that play those guys wrote about me." CARDINAL BOURNE IS 70 London, March 23 Cardinal Bourne, who has been Archbishop of Westminster since 1906, today celebrated his 70th birthday by traveling to Birminiham to speak at a meeting of Roman Catholic mothers. Newspaper publicity as an aid In lighting air pollution and smoke lias proved effective in bringing about better conditions where the problem has been prevalent. Col. Elliott N.

Whit lock, former head of tho Cleveland Smoke Commission ani now chief of smoke abatrmrnt research work Stevens Institute of Technology. Hoboken, told Tin Eagle today. Without It.s aid, the Colonel said, Improvements are slower and lesj effective and efforts of organizations to interest individuals in improving conditions are less fruitful. "Publicity as given by newspaper such as The Eagle has a most beneficial effect and assists smoke departments immensely In their Col. Whltlock SHld.

"It Is encouraging to not that a keen interest Is being takct in this problem by the press." rrrK Musi Help Colonel Whltlock declared he had found in his experience with tho air poliitlon problem that only with the help ot newspaper publicity does the general public become aroused to conditions and help to bring about a change. The New York area presents a particularly Important problem In combating nir-polluted conditions, he said, because of Itjt great number of Industries and Its many transportation systems. The New York and New Jersey Smoke Abatement Board, of which he Is a member. Is studying the New York situation with special interest so it may offer further advice to city officials engaged in this work. Several suggestions for reducing violations of the city smoke code were offered by him.

Urges More Inspectors "In Cleveland we had nine Inspectors for an area of 70 square miles. Here you have, as I recollect, 300 square miles In Greater New York and about 12 Inspectors. I believe this number should be increased proportionately If the problem Is to bo tarkleri riuht. "Our system in Cleveland was to file a record nf smoke plants, and when some one was brought Into our offire on a violation we were able to show him Just what conditions existed at his plant over a certain period. "I believe police powers should be delegated to smoke inspectors, who should be technical men with engineering training and the authority of the court in back of them.

Rules and regulations should be separated from ordinances and compiled by an advisory committee, in order to distinguish between educational and punitive measures in approaching the problem." Would Watch Harbor Although harbor conditions are Imnrovln? in New York. Colonel Whitlock said, they still need special attention. "The vessel men, principally operators of ttis and commercial craft, have not kept up to date in many instances and as a result this phase of the problem presents an important one. They still are trying to operate with equipment many years old. While the problems of fuel and combustion have changed, they are using old equipment designed for former days.

If they could be shown that they could operate more efficiently witn modern equipment a big step toward correcting harbor conditions would be accomplished. "New York should have the best engineer in the country to handle Its prohlcm, and pay him what he's worth. He would soon get to the bottom of It. It is now considered problem of engineerint. and getting directly to an operator's equipmrnt to show him what is wrong is the easiest way to correct the trouble." Problems Studied Colonel Whitlock said he Is now carrying on research work In smoke and atmospheric pollution with special attention to arriving at a unit to be used in testing plant firing efficiency.

An accurate method of sampling escaping gases to establish a definite standard for measuring the efficiency of combustion chambers is to be worked out. Another problem being tackled is the escape of fine ash from plants, which now presents an important phase of air-pollution. All this data will be correlated and used in making technical recommendations where the occasion arises. Advice on these and related subjects is civen at Stevens Institute and queries answered from all parts of the country, said. 7 Children Perish, 6 Rescued in Fire Holdcrness, N.

March 23 (Pi Seven children of Louis Avery, farmer and odds-job man, were burnod to death yesterday in a fire that razed their home in less than a quarter of an hour. The dead are Sperle, 20; George. 14; Harry, 10; Alfred, Milton, Daisy, 3, and Joseph. 5 months. Three other children were severely burned.

Mr. and Mrs. Avery and three other children escaped injury. Durant's Daughter In Crashing Plane Santa Barbara March 23 vP) Miss Marjorie Durant, daughter of W. c.

Durant, automobile manufacturer, and Dr. N. Brish. resident physician to. Stanley McCormick, wealthy incompetent, escaped serious injuiy yesterday when a cabin plane through aj air field -n Thev and the piijt were shaken.

Possibility that more than one person was Involved In the slaying of Herman Diller, druggist, who was beaten to death In his apartment at 518 Empire Boulevard last Mondrfy. was admitted by the police today. Heretofore the detectives assigned to the case and Anthony Di Gio-nannl, assistant District Attorney, who is handling It. have confined their Investigation to the belief that the drugRist was killed by Mrs. Marian Diller, his wife, who is now in Raymond Street Jail facing a charge of murder, and that she had no direct accomplices in the act.

Presentation of evidence in the case was being made to the grand jury today and, because of this, the examination of Mrs. Diller, which was set for this morning In homicide court, was postponed by Magistrate Jacob Ellperin until Wednesday. Abraham Kesselman, attorney for the accused woman, vehemently protested the postponement. Report Changed Theory The revamping by the police of their original theory that the Dlllrr slaying was a one-person Job is the result of the report of the city toxieologist, A. O.

Oettlcr. that examination of the hammer, found in the bedroom of the Diller home, revealed no traces of blood. When Capt. John J. McCloskcy, in charge of the detective bureau of the 12th precinct, was asked If he still was of the opinion that this hammer was the weapon and, if not, what type of Instrument did he believe was used, he said: "There is no use contradicting the finding of the city toxicologic.

If he says there was no blood, then there wasn't any. But it is very strange that when the hammer was found there were obvious signs that it had been thoroughly washed." Asked if he thought the hammer might have been used as a "plant" to throw off suspicion, McCloskey replied "That Is entirely possible. The elimination of the hammer does not in the least eliminate my belief that Mis. Diller was there when it was committed and that she planned the Job. While the elevator operator declares he took no out sider to the fifth floor on which the Dillcrs liver, it is possible that some one did enter the building and proceed to the floor by a stairway.

"The most important link aside from the established fact of Mrs. Diller's Jealousy over her husband's attentions to Miss Hannah Bershon is the absence of the dead man's key to the apartment. 'He must have used it to let him self into his home at 2 o'clock in the morning. Maybe this, like the hammer, was a part of a For the first time Captain Mc- Closky also declared that the night dress of Mrs. Diller, on which were found bloodstains, might have beep used as a towel and was not being worn when the killing took place.

On this point he said: "The only bureau drawer that was open in the room was the one in which Mrs. Diller kept her towels. Several of these had been used in a futile effort to mop up the bedroom, and more were found in the bathroom. To me, it seems improbable that the night dress would be used to wipe one's hands." Fund of $25,000 For Jobless to Be Asked for Stale Social Welfare Department's Report Is Rearly for Legislature Tonight Albany, March 23 (P) The annual report of the State Department of Social Welfare will be presented to the State Legislature tonight by Victor F. Ridder, president.

In the report, which was announced last night, are Included requests for an appropriation to aid in the study of juvenile delinquency and its prevention and an appropriation of $25,000 to aid local officials in handling unemployment relief. The department lists four practical benefits expected of th old an? security law including improvement of standards ol living by aged persons, establishment of high standards and adequate systems of records and supervision, indirect Improvements In the living conditions of other members of the families of aged persons and reduction of expenditures for erection of institutional buildings ny aiding aged persons at ther homes. Applications from 44,282 persons had been received for relief under the law up to Feb. 1. Of the 28.343 cases investigated, 21.942 were given aid and 6,401 were denied.

The report states the department expects the expenditures will amount to $12,000,000 annually by the end of the fiscal year, July 1. A decrease in the number of children actually 'inder institutional care is noted. Eighty thousand were being cared for during the year, 43,000 of these in their own homes through mothers' allowances and 10,000 in family homes. The department requests more accommodations for the care and treatment of wayward girls, "especially such as come from New York City." Lover's Invalid Wife, Doesn't Mean 'Solitary Confinement' Any More By GUY HICKOK A3 Rup Cimbnn. Paris, March 14 Another picturesque illusion as to the horror of French prisons vanished with the sentence of the French-born English peeress Lady Owen to five years "reclusion" for attempting to kill the wife of her lover.

"Reclusion" was once soli- a ferryboat looked like from photographs or old prints. Every ferry that ever ran from one side of the East River to the other has an interesting history. In this series we have touched upon more than one, starting, of course, with the one that carried passen-eers and cattle from the foot of the old Ferry Road, now known as Ful ton St. As conditions demanded, new fer ric were established, lncmciin? ine Grand St. ferry, a picture of the Brooklvn landing of which, taken from Stiles' "History of Kings County," is herewith shown.

Started With Rowboals This ferry began operating in 1797, Just as folks were beginning to feci settled after the Revolution. James Haznrd, living up to his name, risked quite a sum of money by buying a couple of sturdy row-boats, and hiring husky men to propel them in the good old way, from the foot of Grand New York, where he lived, to the foot of what is now Grand Brooklyn, then the town of Williamsburg. That Mr. Hazard was an optimistic gentleman may be understood from the fact that the population near the ferry landing on the Brooklyn side was scant in the extreme While the families were lnrge, so were the farms on which they lived and they had little time lor ferry-boat riding, cither for business or pleasure. On the New York side, where teeming thousands now have scarcely elbow-room, there were a few houses surrounded By iar- reaching fields.

However, Mr. Hazard had faith and kept his row-boat ferry going. Rival ine He must have done pretty well, for in 1804, John Morrell started a rival line. Morrell had bought a big farm through the center of which he cut a highway, which he named Grand St. He placed his fcrrv landing at a spot near the foot of the street, which he railed Morrell's Point.

It is said that Mr. Hazard and Mr. Morrell had friendly understanding, and while each tried to do as much business as possible, thev managed to refrain from treading on one another's territory, or rather rowing on one another's water. Horn Signaled Boat Mr. Morrell showed greater en terprise than his rival, for-at his ferry landing he had, securely fastened, a large horn that would-be passengers would blow as a signal that they wished to be rowed over to New York.

How he managed to prevent the small boys of the period from blowing "false alarms" is not known. Still another "capitalist," seeing the prosperity of the Hazard and Morrell ferries, Mr. woodhuii tty name, having bought a large tract on the waterfront, started a ferry from the foot of N. 2d St. to the foot of Rivington New York.

giving it the name Williamsburg Ferry. There was not enough business to support all the lines, so there was an amalgamation and the rowboats and sail boats that had been used were superseded by vessels propelled Hamilton Band Will Be Feature Of 16th Eagle Bee Will Be 50-Piece Complete Symphony Unit Under Direction of Dr. Zeiner Featuring The Eagle's 16th annual current events bee at Girls Commercial High School Friday night will be one of the best school symphony orchestras in the city. Although ordinarily 75 pieces, Alexander Hamilton High School will send to the bee a 50-piece orchestra as instrumentally complete as any symphony. Dr.

Edward J. A. Zeiner, head ol the department of music at Ham-ilton, will personally direct the program. Dr. Zeiner, organist at the Bedford Presbyterian Church and conductor of the University Glee Club of Brooklyn, is one of Brooklyn's best-known musicians.

Director Since 1903 He has been head of the department of music at Hamilton sine 1903. Prior to that he was a super- Dr. Edward J. A. Zeiner visor of music elementary schools in South Brooklyn.

He lives at 1230 Carroll St. During his 28 years at Hamilton Dr. Zeiner has built up a music department that takes front rank with the best in the city. Most of hit orchestral students are products of the instrumental classes conducted at the school. Music is an elective course there, and various instruments the flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, the French horn and the like- are taught.

10 Hold Scholarships Dr. Zeiner beasts this year" of ten of his orchestral students who ara holders of scholarships offered by the New York Philharmonic Society. Hamilton graduates attest to the success and high calibre of the Ham ilton music department which Dr. Zeiner has buit up. At least 15 ol his boys are music instructors in the various schools, some having returned to Hamilton under Dr.

Zeinei again. Officers of the orchestra are: Isidore concertmaster and president. Edward Goldberg vice president. William Hauslei, treasurer. Paul DeBourg.

secretary. Anthony SalvagRio and Kazmier Albln-tkl, executive committee. 3 Couples Are Killed In Crashes of Planes Los Angeles, March 23 (Pi Two women pilots and two men accompanying them were killed in suburban airplane crashes yesterday. They were Miss Aline Miller. 21), transport pilot: Ivan De Villiers.

aerial advertising promoter: and Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Wadleigh, both of whom held private pilot licenses. St. Louis, March 23 (,) Raymond S.

Bowers. 23, and Miss Elizabeth Eslinger, 22, were hilled yesterday when a plane, piloted by Bowers, fell 200 feet on the outskirts of St. struck high tension wires and bui'P by patient horses working on treadmills. The boats were all operated from Grand St. and helped to build up the village, bringing people over from New York who liked Williamsburg so much that they decided to remain.

First Steamboat In 1827 The ferry changed hands several times and at one period belonged to David Dunham of Bushwick. In Sr-ptembrr, 18'J3. It was sold by his administrators for $28,000 to David Ross Dnnhnm. In 1827, when the village was incorporated, a tremendously important improvement was made in the service by the plaring of a steamboat called the Eclipse on the line. The old horse propelled boats were kept going, however, even after their condition was such that no one ever felt sure, when he got aboard, that he would reach the opposite shore.

The Williamsburg Ferry Company took over this line, together with the Peck Slip and Division Avenue Ferry. This company was incorporated In 1849 with a capital ot $130,000. Later on the ferries were operated by J. V. Meserole who paid an annunl rental of $15,000.

Their lease expired in 18M. Since then ferryboats have been greatly Improved, some of them, such as the ones on the Kt.iten Island line, being in the de luxe class. These follow the same path traversed by Skipper Vanderbilt, who laid the foundation of the Vanderbilt fortune with his row-boat ferry. Inspector Is Held On Bigamy Charge Moe Segal, 37, of 275 Grafton an inspector in the Tenement House Department, was under $500 ball today on a charge of bigamy, after two "wives" had faced him In Flat-bush Court yesterday. According to Mrs.

Shirley Levy Segal, 26. she married on Nov. 27, 1329. Soon afterward, she said, she was informed that Segal was already married. She said she learned that Segal had married a Miss Hazel Failowitz on Aug.

47, 1916, who obtained an interlocutory decree of divorce on Nov. 23, 1928. The interlocutory decree forbade either party to marry for three years, it was stated. Two weeks ago, the complainant said, she Instituted suit In the Supreme Court to have her marriage annulled. Segal pleaded not guilty.

Arc Welding- Hurt Eyes of Watchers Bolzano, Italy A) Introduction of electric arr. welding here has caused an epidemic of eye trouble. Never having seen welding before, crowds pressed about to see the arc sputter and fuse the ends of street car rails. The got so close that the ultraviolet rays from the arc affected the eyes of scores. At first an Oriental eye malady was supposed to have struck Bolzano.

for Joseph Gmffre and Beatrice Levy, who pliyed the parts of col-i ored servants, and Sheba Wilson in the role of the Pig Woman. The (commendable cast was further dis- unguisnea oy faui ferioain and Dorothy Koehler as hero and heroine, respectively; Buddy Procter. Bernice Pmcus and Harold Rubinstein as counterfeiters; Daniel Goldberg, the attorney; Curtis Knight, a magician, and Jean Rieholfon. a seer. M'-! It'll by Ralph Marcus, siage manager.

tary confinement. The popular Idea has been that it has always been solitary confinement. And numerous press dispatches to papers in England and America stated that Lady Owen was sentenced to five years (reclusion) translating the word to "solitary confinement." The resulting comment on the severity of the sentence brought a flood of official and unofficial explanations that "reclusion" no longer means what it says. "There is no longer any solitary confinement in any French prison," said one legal expert, "except for brief periods; and for disciplinary purposes. A prisoner may be put in solitary for a few days for trying to escape, for attempting to stir up revolt, or other infraction of discipline.

But nobody can be 'sentenced' to solitary confinement. Has Big Income "Lady Owen will not be in solitary confinement except when she is, like prisoners In all civilized countries, locked in her cell at night. In the daytime she will be in a workroom with from 20 to 60 other women prisoners who, like hersell, are sentenced to reclusion. "Hard labor is the nearest English equivalent to the word reclusion. though in Lady Owens case the hard labor will probably consist in making underwear on a sewing machine.

"On the other hand, reclusion does differ in severity from a sentence of the same number of years of ordinary imprisonment. In the first place the condemned is perpetually deprived of civil rights, automatically. 'They lose the right to control their own property and are placed, when released, under trustees. This is important in Lady Owen's case, for she has an annual income of 4,000,000 francs. During the sentence the reclusion prisoner may have the use of only two-fifths of the money they earn at their labor for purchases at the canteen and the like.

Ordinary prisoners have the use of half these earnings while in prison. "Furthermore, Lady Owen will be among other reclusionnaires, a tougher class of prisoners than the ordinary. They are separated both in cells and workrooms from those sentenced to ordinary Imprisonment. British Reaction "She will, like the others, have to observe silenca- in the work rooms-Except that The word 'reclusion' carries with it the idea that the crime was particularly infamous, the actual conditions of a reclusionnaires term differ very little from an ordinary term of imprisonment." British papers have vented a lot of mawkish sympathy over Lady Owen's hard fate, forgetting the particularly detestable act of which she was guilty. If she had shot her lover, Dr.

Gastaud, she would still have been guilty of a crime, though he treated her very badly, but to have shot Dr. Gastaud's semi-invalid wife, who knew nothing about the liaison, between her husband and Lady Owen, whose only offense against Lady Owen was that she existed, was hardly excusable. Other circumstances were still less so. Lady Owen coolly bought her revolver at a fashionable shooting gallery, went downstairs and practiced with tt, firing 15 or 20 shots at a human silhouette on the wall. She took her maid in a taxi-cab and drove to Dr.

Gastaud's home, telling the maid what lawyer to notify, "if anything happens." She cut a hole in a scarf so that she could cover the revolver and still have the muzzle protrude. In other words she fired in very cold blood, warmed with a little hooch, but not enough to cause her to act in a blind passion. Five years for that is not a sentence to be gushy about. Will Honor Colors Of 305th Infantry The 305th Infantry, commanded by Lt. Col.

Moses King, and in which Lt. Col. George U. Harvey, D. S.

Borough President of Queens, Is a battalion commander, will have its colors decorated with battle streamers during the Army Day festivities on April 4. The ceremonies will take place before the Army Day parade begins and will probably occur in the vicinity of 46th St. and Fifth Avenue in the afternoon. Brig. Gen.

Cornelius Vanderbilt, former brigadier commander of the 27th Division, A. E. and present commanding general of the 77th Division, will officiate during the ceremonies. The 305th Infantry had an enviable record during the World War and has earned battle streamers for its colors because of its achievements in the Ooise-Aisne and MeuseArgonne of- ensives and the Lorraine and Champagne defensive sectors. Adult Mystery Play Presented In Adult Costumes by Children There was considerable mystery at the Brooklyn Little Theater, 122 St.

Felix yesterday, when Violet Hill presented 11 of ner Juvenile players, ranging in ago Irom 9 to 13. in an adult mystery play, "The Phantom Pilot," by Katharine Kavanaugh. It was the first time Miss Hill ever placed her pupils in a grown-up play, in grown-up costumes, and, judging by the response of the large audierce that attended, the results were rrtirely successful. Applause was especially profuse i.jjp..jfiT.iiifiL,jBjiii irmffiffri.