ferry, vessel providing passage over a river, lake, or other body of water for passengers, vehicles, or freight; the term is also applied to the place where the crossing is made and, by extension, to overwater train or airplane transit. Ferries were especially important in the days before engineers learned to construct permanent bridges and tunnels across bodies of water. At first most ferries were small boats or rafts, propelled by oars or poles and sometimes assisted by sails. Some ferries today still make short passages by winching themselves back and forth along a chain fastened to the shore on both sides. Other ferries rely on the force of the current against the side of the boat to push the ferry. Most ferries for heavier traffic and longer passages are powered by diesel or diesel-electric engines, such as the largest ferry in the world, the GTS Finnjet; others, such as the Staten Island ferry in New York City, are steam powered. Where railroad bridges are impracticable, there are train ferries; these may use paddle wheels for maneuverability or may simply be barges pushed by tugs. The train ferry that made through service possible between London and Paris after 1936 was largely replaced by the Channel Tunnel in 1994. An innovation during the latter half of the 20th cent. was the "fast ferry," high-speed ferries that have become an important component of transportation systems around the globe. This alternative provides a critical link for commuters and travelers in many world regions. Such passenger-only or combination motor vehicle and passenger ferries are relied upon in coastal ports in Europe, Asia, and Australia. The designs of these ferries incorporate features of catamarans, hydrofoils, and air-cushion vehicles.

Martins Ferry, city (1990 pop. 7,990), Belmont co., E Ohio, on the Ohio River opposite Wheeling, W.Va.; settled 1780, inc. as a city 1885. It was formerly an industrial coal-mining and steel-manufacturing city. The novelist William Dean Howells was born in Martins Ferry. In Walnut Grove Cemetery are the graves of Elizabeth (Betty) and Ebenezer Zane.

Harpers Ferry, town (1990 pop. 308), Jefferson co., easternmost W Va., at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers; inc. 1763. The town is a tourist attraction, known for its history and its scenic beauty. John Brown's seizure of the U.S. arsenal there on Oct. 16, 1859, and the town's subsequent strategic importance during the Civil War, when it was considered the key to the Shenandoah valley, brought it into national prominence. In 1747, Robert Harper, a millwright, established a ferry at the junction of the two rivers—hence the town's name. The U.S. arsenal was located there in 1796, and by the mid-19th cent., Harpers Ferry was an important arms-producing center, with mills, numerous gun factories, and huge stores of weapons and ammunition. The development of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and of the Baltimore & Ohio RR increased its importance, making it a transportation link between the Ohio valley and the East. During the Civil War it was primarily held by Union soldiers but changed hands a number of times. Its industrial plant was repeatedly destroyed by troops of both sides. Harpers Ferry never recovered economically, and a series of devastating floods in the late 19th cent. ended all hopes for revival. Despite continued flooding during the 20th cent., many old buildings remain. Of interest are the fire engine house in which John Brown was captured; the John Brown Museum; and the old steps, hand-carved (early 1800s) into the natural stone, which lead to Robert Harper's house (1775-82) and to Jefferson Rock. The Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (est. 1963; 2,343 acres/949 hectares) attracts many visitors (see National Parks and Monuments, table).

Ferry, Jules, 1832-93, French statesman. A member of the government of national defense established after the defeat of Emperor Napoleon III in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71), he later rose to prominence as minister of public instruction (1879-80, 1882). He was twice premier (1880-81, 1883-85). Ferry established the modern French educational system with universal, free, and compulsory education in the primary schools. He secularized the public schools, abolishing religious education in them and barring members of Roman Catholic orders as public-school teachers. Ferry is best known, however, as the builder of the French colonial empire. An exponent of imperialism, he was willing to cooperate with the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck in order to secure French expansion overseas. During his premiership the French occupied Tunis, entered Tonkin and Madagascar, and penetrated the regions of the Niger and the Congo. Ferry was overthrown after a temporary French defeat in Indochina. He was assassinated by a religious fanatic.

Dobbs Ferry, village (1990 pop. 9,940), Westchester co., SE N.Y., on the Hudson River, a suburb of New York City; inc. 1873. It is mostly residential but has light industries and research facilities. Dobbs Ferry is the site of Livingston Manor, where George Washington and Marshal Rochambeau are said to have planned the Yorktown campaign. Mercy College and the Masters school for girls are there.