In New York's East River, a Brooklyn ferry burns but all aboard are saved.

The Brooklyn to Manhattan ferry Idaho was making a Monday evening run when it caught fire in the middle of the river.  Only around thirty people were aboard, and this helped account for the survival of everyone involved.  All the passengers and crew, thanks to heroism on the part of some and the presence of small boats in the river, were pulled from the water safely.  (By John Osborne)

Source Citation

"Burning of the Ferry-Boat "Idaho," Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, December 15, 1866, p. 193.

How to Cite This Page: "In New York's East River, a Brooklyn ferry burns but all aboard are saved.," House Divided: The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College, https://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/node/45848.