Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-05-26
Another Aacoun. of ,he Ca,as,rophe.


LONDON. May 24th.-This evening the
steamboat Victoria, of the River Thames
Navigation Company, whose boats ply be.
tween this city and Woodland Cemetery,
Woodland Park, Wards dock and Spring
Bank, capsized on her return trip. 1t is be-
ieved that at least $50 persons we're drowned.
but at this hour it is impossible to get full
particulars. Monday evenings boats of this
company, viz, the Victoria, Princess Louise
and Forest City, took large number of peo-
pie down to the points mentioned to spend
THE QUEENS BIRTHDAY
Holiday. To-day they took down a bigger
crowd, tickets being reduced to Is and 10
cents. Spring Bank is one of the favorite
suburbs of the city, and the grove in the
neighborhood was crowded all day. Early
In the evening The three boats began to carry
the excursionists home, landing them at
Dundas.street wharf here. The Victoria
left Spring Bank at 6 o'clock, with about 400
on board. This was her first days work this
season. She was an old boat, but her ma
trial trip day before yesterday was performed
to the entire satisfaction of Mr.. Parish,
manager of the line. She was due there at
$3.50, and large number of people
awaited her arrival at Dundas street.
At Wards dock, the first stopping place after
leaving Spring Bank, she was all right, but
the dock men say she was overcrowded and
shaky, and 1 learn from other sources that
she and her sister boats took down far more
people than it was possible for them to bring
back again this evening without overlooking.
At Z o'clock. there being no word Of the Vic
toria, the people at Dundas-street deck be-
the line were unable to relieve their anxiety.
A few minutes afterwards a messenger from
Woodlawn Park arrived with the news
that
THE VESSEL HAD SUNK,
With all on board. A terrible scene ensued
at the dock, the cries of those who had friends
on the boat being distressing to degree.
Word was at once dispatched to Spring Bank
to send the Louise and Forrest City to the
scene of the disaster, but they had left for
home. Two tug boats were dispatched from
here, carrying Drs. Street, Macklsren, Hayes,
Graham, Mitchell, Campbell and every other
available doctor in the city.
PARTICULARS AS FAR AS oBTAINABLE.
From the meager particulars as yet obtain
able here it appears that the Victoria was
going at slow rate of speed when the disas-
ter happened. A band was on board, said to
have been detachment of the band of the
Seventieth Fusileers and the people on board
had cleared space on the deck for dancing,
thus throwing the crowd in The forward part
of the boat. The evening was fine, but foggy.
On reaching Woodland Park dock 260 more
people crowded on board. AS the vessel
swung out from the covered railroad bridge,
o mile below the city, she keeled little to
one-side, end The excursionists, nov number
ing 600, rushed to the other side. The boat
gave a lurch and sank almost Immediately,
going completely to pieces. Her small boats
and life-boats were in good order, but the
vessel capsized 50 suddenly and was smashed
50 quickly that there was no time to use
them. Boats at once put out from the shore
The crews of the few slyifs on the river made
haste to the spot and took off large number
The Victoria was lying almost on her side,
and people were clinging to the boat and the
wreckage that hoated from her. Men made
desperate efforts to save their wives and
but in the confusion it was a hard
matter to recognize face, and the
CRIES FOR HELP
Coming from every side, familiar voices
could not be distinguished in the appalling
uproar. At the time of writing it is esti-
mated that $50 have persisted, but it is pos
sible that some Of those now missing reached
the shore. The majority of those who are
known to have been drowned are fathers,
mothers and children, who probably clung to
Dne another when the boat upset. The mas.
ter of the Victoria is missing, with two Of
the four or five deckhands.
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