The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-06-02
COIVER WASHINGTON TERRITORY, THURSDAY JUNE 2 1881
boat, but her machinery was repaired
this spring, and her trial trip day be-

this s1'ring, and her trial trip day be-
fore yesterday was performed to the
entire satisfaction of Mr.. Parrish,
manager Of the line. Shs was due
here at $50, and Il large number OF
people awaited her arrival at Dundas
street. At Wards dock, the first stop
ping place after leaving Springbank,
she was all right, but the dock men
say that she was over crowded and
shaky, and learn from other sources
that she and her sister boats took
down far more people than it was pos
sible for them To bring back again
without over-Ioading. At I. there he
ing no word of the Victoria, the reo-
PIE ut Dundas street dock hrcame eX-
tremely uneasy, and officials Of the
line were unable to relieve their anx-
iety. a few minutes afterwards IL
messenger from Wood'awn park ar
rived with the news that the vessel
had sunk with all on board. a terri
bic scene ensued at the dock, the cries
Of those who had friends on board be-
ing distressing to a degree. Word
WAS at once dispatched to Sprincbank
to send the Louise and Forest city to
the scene Of the disaster, but they had
left for home. Two tug boats were
dispatched from here, carrying Drs.
street, McLaren, Hayes, Graham,
Mitchell, Campbell and every other
available doctor in the city. From
the mcager particulars obtained ii ap-
pears that the TictOria was going at a
slow rate Of speed when the disaster
happened. \ band was on board, said
tn have been detachment Of the eth
f,siieers, and the people on hoard had
I.,l "a Il
thus throwing 4 crowd on the forward
part Of the boat. The evening wa-
fine but foggy.
On reaching Woodland park dock
two hundred more people were
crowded on board. As the vessel
swung out from Cove railroad bridge,
mila below The city, she ke.led lit
| tie to one side. aud the exrur-lnnist-,
| now numbering SM, rlshed TO the
other side. The boat gavea iurch and
| sank almost immediately, going conn
p'eteIy 10 pieces. Her -,nal!hoat and
| life hnniA We're in gool orl.r, hut the
| vessel cap-ized sn -nid, ny and was
| smashed so quickly that there was not
time to use them. Boats nt once put
ont from the share; the crews of q few
skitf- on the river made haste tn the
spot and took oifa large number. The
Victoria was lying almost on her side
and people were clinging to the wreck
age that iloated from her. Men made
desperate effntts To save their wives
and children, hut in the confusion it
was a hard matter to recognize faces;
| owing to the cries for help coming
from every side, familiar voices could
not hc distinguished in the appalling
npr"ar A majority %. those VIII" are
known to have been drowned are fa
theirs, mothers aud children, who
clung to one another when the boat
upset. The master of the Victoria is
missing with two OF the four or five
deck hands.
TWenty-two more bodies have been
brought To the surface, making about
200 in all recovered. 1t is not known
how many more are lost. The city
council met to-day and passed rc~o'u-
tiors Of coincidence. Settled gloom
reigus over the city. r. {. Montaom-
cry, OF Toronto, was on board,
but escaped and succeeded in saving
many others. lie states that on the
passage up the captain went among
the passengers urging them To keep
on the other side. Heraid, for Gods
sake keep on the other side; il you
don't. you'li have to swim for it," A
little later on he saw water pass in
over the deck and the boiler 20 by the
board when the crash immediately
took place. Almost all business is at
a stand-tiIl aud crowds line the streets
discussing the sad calamity. Burial
of the Wet inns Ia ut this hour ,2:3U r. NJ
proceeding. Solemn stiffness prevails
In the city; flags are at half mast aud
bells tolliug. Up to the present time,
1880 r. NJ two hundred and thirty
eight bodies were recovered.