The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-05-27

lu6 70 blues Gus WAS L4bttu W 1thIpOht
r all the way up the river till just OF III
time Of the accident, then abe rolled sue
denly to port, and went to pieces, Just Q
one would sweep house OF cards of
table.
MI. Montgomery Is Of the opinion tina
l the upset would not have been attende,
: with halt % fatal results had the slsame
been properly constructed. Many, o
Q perhaps nearly all, might have been saveC
I had It not been that they were swep
down by the sudden collapse Of the films!
upper works, and buried in the wreck
where strong men and prSttling childreI
were alike helpless
To-day this is city Of the dead. Busi
meas 10 practically suspended, except suCt
branches as are connected with the ar
ranRement oi funerals,
, In the poorer quarters Of the city the
: authorities have been giving away cotfins
The medical men have responded nobly
10 the calls made on them. The Mayor
and Municipal authorities have put forth
every effort to meet the emergency, and SO
far as money and friendly Sid can mitigate
the griei, nothing will be lacking, The
citizens were shocked at the sight Of fair
women and tender children being carried
through the streets en- drays or In carts,
but it was not until wholesale order was
given by the Mayor that sufficient pine
could be found to enclose the remains Of
the lost ones.
The intense gloom hanging over the
community was only relieved by the
brightness oil the sun. From an early
hour the bells have been tollng and III.
neral processions vending through every
street on their way to the cemeteries, All
the business places are closed, and the city
wears an aspect OF the Sabbath, mighty
solemnity pervading all, No one speaks
or thinks OF anything else than the great
calamity, and II has had parAly zlng Of.
feet on oil the citizens,
1t has been decided to erect q memorial
In Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.
All this day one could not walk block
without meeting some solemn procession.
There are many strangers on the streets
from the country points and neighboring
towns. In several cases entire families,
with one or two exceptions, have been
wiped out. For instance, Mr.. Jos. Cough.
lin, whose children and grand children,
numbering Ave, are lying dead In his
house. His daughter Jennie was married
10 young man named Sevazzle day be.
lore the accident. The couple we're both
drowned. The family Of W. Hall loses five
In one house. Every kind Of collins are
in use and the dead are being conveyed 10.
the burylng places by every class Of
vehicles.
The remains OF Vim. Mcbride were car.
ried In light wagon, followed by O pro.
ceesion mile long. Men can hardly
speak to each other without breaking
down. The scenes In the afflicted house.
holds are terrible and trying to the strong
cot nerves. The clergymen, who have
worked nobly all through, are tired out
and cannot reach the graves fast enough.
In many cases members OF different iAmi.
lies are put In one grave. Different socie.
ties are on hand and doing their utmost
to facilitate the burials. The longest pro
cession today was that Of Willie Glass and
Miss Cooper, " ho were engaged to be mar.
risd next month and died together 10 the
water. A couple OF hundred well.flled
vehicles followed the hearses, which passed
along side by side. The ssarChers for the
dead this morning raised two little girls
olasped tightly In each others arms, ss
they no doubt had fallen together In the
water.
Several cases OF robbing the dead are
reported. Among the articles missing are
O gold watch and chain which Mr.. MilmGn
had worn, and the gold necklace Of q young
lady.
The "For Hire" wagons were busily en-.
gagged. lin some cases,t o make money and
count as much .as possible, corpses were
hurried into houses In the most unCere-
monious manner. and the drivers hurried
of for another load. In one instance o
driver brought body 10 certain mum.
Der, and finding no one at home and the
door locked, pitched the body through Q
window aud left 1t until the people came
home.
The following Is the statement Of John
K. Law, % passenger. He says he was one
OF the upper deck passengers, and In con.
sidering the causes Of the disaster, feels
that not one OF the least was the efforts
put forth by o number OF men, some OF
whom were intoxicated, 10 create excite.
ment among the women and children be.
lore the disaster, by cries Of "Get to tho
other sldel" "Get on your lie pre-
serversIp "There she goesl" etc. Feel.
ing well able TO take care oil themselves,
they seemed 10 get some qualification In
the nervousness and excitement they were
producing among those who are always
most helpless when disaster comes. Could
the excitement have been kept down and
the crowd quiet until the steamer got
above Cove bridge into the shallow water
the loss Of life would undoubtedly have
been less.
Nicholas Forke, q deck hand, SAYS that
at the time OF the disaster he was working
on the lower deck. As soon as tho boat
left the wharf the passengers began to 20
from one side 10 the other. When we
we're approaching the bridge some one
shouted, "There's boat race y" and then
the crowd pushed to the slsrboard side.
heard the CAPTAIN, who WAS at the
wheel, shout, "ffy to tim her In, boys"
Seeing homething serious would happen
did the passengers not keep sIlll, tshOuted,
"For Gods take, make for the other side
OF tho boat, or We will all ~ down" Tie
reply came: "It we q down, you'll 70
with u.s." The boat then began 10 oil, and
when there wAs about two fee! cf water
on the lower deck, on the atatboafd side,
the crowd made rush for The other side,
and the water dashed after them. The
boat lurChed over. then made for the
upper deck aud saw the passengers go
overheard In a huge mass. Just then
the boiler became loosened and went over
with q tremendous noise on the struggling
people In the water. A moment after The
hurricane slid of and was about 10 follow
The boiler. As the boat was about 10 20 In
The centre I jumped Of from the statboard
side, seized hold OF q lady and two children
and brought them safely to shore. | then
set to work and rendered oil the
aid In my power, and being a good