The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-06-02
TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY
LIVES LOST.
The Appalling Disaster on
the River Thames, i'm
Canada.
IBY Telegraph.

by Telegraph
Yesterday was the Queens birthday
a public holiday, and large crowds of
pleasure seekers were attracted to the
river. Three or four boats made trips
down the stream. a distance of about
four miles to Spring Bank. a place OF
popular resort, where the city water
works are located. At about t. +. NJ.
the Victoria, started on her fourth and
last trip for the day, with a large load
of passengers v~ariously estimated at
from 400 TO 600. All went we'll on the
down trip, although the BOAT was so
heavily laden that she shipped small
quantities of water when the passen-
gers happened to surge to either side.
How the accident occurred On the re
turn tip is thus told by Mr.. VIM
Duffield, President of the London Gas
Company:
Il saw that the upper deck WIS too
tull, but had no idea that the lower
one was in the same condition. | af-
! terward noticed that on both decks
the people were standing as thick rs
my fingers. There was not room
enough between them for one to move
from one end of the boat to tie 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 lurching motion of the craft At
the fatal moment the boat gave a lurch
which displaced the boiler, which was
set on the lower deck, without any
other support or fastening. us | believe,
than the ro6 connection fore and aft.
When the BOAT carecned the boiler and
connections slid off into the water, cut
ting away the timbers supporting the
upper deck and carrying it along.
There was just one great screech,
mingled with a kissing sound, rs the
boiler went down, and then an appall
ing silence ensued. The transforms
ton that took place was almost like :"
fash. | found myself standing up to
the middle in water on a small part of
the steamer which [ formed a raft.
Ny TWO boys Were near me. One of
them said: My God, pa, look at
those few saved out of such a large
crowd" | turned round and saw two
small groups of survivors, one on a 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 sue
ceeded in raising up with my back a
portion of the deck and had it prop
ped up with II piece of board. Then
| put my hand down aud picked up
people in all conditions one after an
other. While standing in the water
felt my legs grasped by many hands,
which seemed to be reaching out wild
ly for something to seize hold of. My son
Willie told me that he had the same
experience. A woman took him by
the leg with one hand and by the 4
with another. Her head was under
meath the water, and seemed to I've held
there by something. She died before
she could be torn loose. After while
you could see the people coming mp
to the surface in every direction some
from among a lot Of the ~matchwood
into which the boats hull had been
spliutered, some out from under the
deck resting on the water. | thought
at one time that [ should be dragged
under by the weight Of the persons
who had hold Of my legs. [ could not
get released until they all must have
died. and | Vas powerless to save
them"
Mr.. Alex. Hardy, a medical student.
said: Il was on the bow of the lower
deck of the Victoria when the acct
dent occurred, and when | saw the boat
was sinking | climbed to the uppel
deck and dived from there to the
Lon Ion side. A man coming behind,
| threw 4 post to him and grabbed it.
and got him to shore. He again fell
into the water, and | pulled him out.
When [ looked around | saw the pco
pie crawling on the hurricane deck,
md in one instance IA lille boy caught
"A woman around the neck and pulled
her back. We threw i'll some long pie
ces of fence, by which mean a great
number were saved. | cut my shoe
laces, threw my shoes of, aud swan
back to the wreck and saved Mrs. JOS
eph Reeves, wife of Mr.. Joseph Reeves
of the Fire Department. Procuring a
boat, | also saved Miss Meredith Of
London. Seeing where Mr.. Meredith
went down. tore up that part of the
hurricane deck, but he was too far
gone to be resuscitated. Mr.. Nichol
as Wilson had a desperate struggle for
life. When aware of the danger he
told his newly-married wife t. cling to
the railing, and a moment later he found
himself in the water. Strange to say
Mrs. Wilson was thrown directly into
his arms, and Selling her firmly he
struck out for shore. On the way q
strong, big man seized him by the
throat, and hung there for dear life.
The whole three must inevitably have
sunk but for Mr.. Wilson's presence of
mind in Selling the fellows hand with
his teeth and biting with all his force.
The hold was then relaxed, and with