The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1881-06-09
The Appalling Disaster ON the
River Thames. Inn Canada.

London, Ont, May 25.-About two hun
dred bodies have SO far been recovered
/ Victoria which was capsized last evening
in the Thames River, with several hum
dred persons on board. It Is still believed
that a number of bodies are yet under the
wreck, and efforts were made this after
noon to haul iD or oycTturn the large
sixty horsepower boiler which lies at the
bottom, and, it is supposed, On top OF
several bodies. The Victoria had been
two years in service, and was a fine large
river boat, considered quite suitable for
the ordinary demands of pleasure seeking.
! She measured, from stem to stern 50 feet,
with % feet beam. She was supposed to
carry four hundred excursionists, but has
been known to have on board, upon holi
day occasions, double that number. Yes
tcrday was the Queens birthday public
holiday, and as it was the first day Of the
season for the steamboats, to make regular
| trips, large crowds Of pleasure seekers
were attracted to the river. Three or
four boats made trips down the stream,
distance Of about fopr miles to Spring
Bank, a place Of popular resort, where the
city water works are located, and they all
took large loads Of cxcursionists at regu-
lar intervals throughout the day. AT
about 4 D. M, the Victoria, of the Thames
Navigation Company line, started on her
fourth and last trip for the day, with 4
large load Of passengers of all ages, VaIi-
ously estimated at from 400 to 600 i'll num-
Der. All went well on the down trip, al
though the boat was SO heavily laden that
she shipped small quantities of water
when the passengers happened TO surge to
either side. How the accident occurred
on the return trip is thus told by Mr..
VIM. Duffield, President Of the London
Gas Company:
81 saw that the upper deck was too full,
but had no idea that the lower one was in
the same condition.. | afterwards noticed
that on both decks the people were stand
ing as thick as my fingers. There was
not room enough between them for one to
move from one end Of the boat to the
other The lower deck was sunk to the
waters level, and in the heaving motion
which WAS set up water rolled in among
the peoples feet, which caused them to
change their base, and this increased the
lurclling motion Of the craft. AT the fatal
moment the boat gave !, lurch, which dis
placed the boiler, which was set on the
lower deck, without any other support or
fastening, as I believe, than the rod con-
nection fore and aft. When the boat ca
reened the boiler and connections slid Oft
into the water, cutting away the timbers
supporting the upper deck, and carry
ing it along. There was just one great
screech, mingled with Kissing sound, as
the boiler went down, and then an appall-
/ inc silence =ensued The transformation
that took place. was almost like a flash.
found myself standing up to the middle
in water on a small part of the steamer
which formed q raft. My two boys were
near me- One Of them said: My God
pa, look at those few saved out of such a
crowd.'' [ turned sound and saw two
small groups of. survivors, one on por-
ton Of the wreck. and the other on the
shore. The number altogether looked
very small as compared with the crowd
that had been on board. felt nerVed
with the strength Of a lion, and succeeded
i'll raising up with my back portion OF
the deck and had it propped up with a
piece of board. Then I put my hand
down and picked up people in all condit-
ions one after another. While standing
III the water / felt my legs grasped by
many hands, which seemed to be reach
ing out wildly for something to seize hold
of. NY son Willie told me that he had
the same experience. 4 woman took him
by the leg with one hand and by the coat
with another Her head was underneath the
water, and seemed to be held there by
something. She died before she could be
torn loose. After a while you could see
the people coming up % the surface in
every direction; some from among lot Of
the matchwood into which the boats hull
had been splintered, some out from
under the deck resting on the water. ]
/ thought at one time that I should be drag
ged under BY the weight Of the persons
who had hold Of my legs. [ could not get
released until they all must have died, and
I was poWerless to save them.'
Mr. Alex. Hardy, a medical student,
4 said: II was on the bow Of the lower
deck OF the Victoria when the accident
occurred, and when ! saw the boat was
4 sinking / climbed to the upper deck and
i diyed from there TO the London side. a
man coming behind, ! threw q post to
him and he grabbed it, and got him 70
J Ishore. lie again fell into the water, and
pulled him ont. When { looked around
II saw the people crawling onsthe hurri-
cane deck, and III one instance a little
boy caught. a woman around the neck anG