New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-27


ensde deck requested 10 move over to the port ue
Some Of them did 40, but stiI the steamer dic not
etraighten up TO any percepbie extent AGAIN '"s P
sengers were requested 10 move over - tine port '
though a large majority Of those on tue pronei-
ade deck already over there Al TINS uno 10
,on..d low, the co,ppanionway and Considerable
dcpth OF water on the main deck which, as ne eais ~" ~,
counted the extraordinary listing OF sme suy n
nent or so before The captain passed
the crowd rsmoR9g y1o e Si S for over Al ns
several Of the passengers moved over 20 u"r
Seayv 70 The por side which wasiuOt more than forty
feet from the bank and down She vent With astonshlhe
DECK cinchad the stsncions thai supported the awning
over head but these SNAPPED IKE ead deck gave
andhe whole wreck slid down the PDs OF caught
hold of an iron rod or bracket Of some sind In ne
ing and holding to this MANAGED 10 sesp , liz
Collapsed promenade deck beneath bis feet had gone
into The SaeT The Gsc we had dS nn " @ under him
he knew that were periShlng browning nKe r
as rapIdy sinking and bar ing beneath It Uen, women
side.
SCENES OF ISDEsCRIBABLE HORROR.
Mothers with children clinging about their necKs
would beat the water madly with their arms ana VIII"
ewes starting from their sockets utter shrek ai'er
Shrek until at lost half smothered cry that ended IN
sckenng 1lrge told that they had gone down beneath
the waves But even this not the most horrible OF
Mr. Montcomerys experiences. While he stin held his
head above the water he could feel the drowning ch
dren whose little heads swept under water some
seconds before his own cutchng at his legs IN what ne
well knew were their dying struggles. Drowning
mothers grasped him ranticaly and pteousy implored
his helm His coat and wastcOat were almost torn from
him. At length the awning sunk 40 low that ne 100
went down overhead In the water and then oy pro
tracted and desperate effort during which ne was more
than once on the point Of giving up, he dragged
himself hand-overhand along the iron ROD 10
which he bad been clingine, and finally crawied
on the half sunk hull OF the wrecked steamer
One or two who chung to him were saved As soon as
lying him and flung the end OF to man whon ne
on the sH n OF pf ntc 6e river
with the boy just the wreck was falling In me oppo
site direction The brave frGg Hss n 6 man.
aged 10 gasp out "save the boy They dld BOY
Those working on the wreck includng Mr. MONTGOMERY
himself now IN naged 10 raise up tns awn,1G TO ee
upper deck the edge OF which sun rested paruay up
the sunken hull and from beneath this many women ana
children Tere rescued ee % deck Witch had
swept down beneath 1t scores and scores OF VICTIMS
None of these could be resuscltated
Mr.. Montgomery asserts that there was no lettering
or rolling Of the steamer from side to side.
She was listed 10 siarbOard all the way
up the river iii just the OF the accident and then
she rolled suddenly TO Pprt ana NM 10 The
machinery must have been loose or out ~ order ana
He Is sure that the steamer was overloaded
but lie makes the graver settlement tAat ne
not have been attended with half fatal results bad
the steamer been properly constructed "Why." said
more than forty Feet from the bank Many PERHAPS
nearly all might have been saved had it not been mat
they were swept down 10y the sudden collapse OF the
fiusy upper works "a buried In the wreck where
strong men and prattins children were ahke hepesS
She went TO pieces just as one would sweep house OF
cards off "A table"
CLEAR ACCOUNT OF THE DISASTER.
Mr. William Duield xiv the following very clear ac-
count OF the disaster:
When found the boat at Spring Bank saw that the
upper deck full hat had idea that the lower
in the same condition aerward noticed mat
on both decks the people standing as thick a. my
fingers There was not room enough between thcm Tor
to the other The lower deck was sunk the waters
level and in the heayiug motion which was set u the
to change their base and thus increasing the urchnc
motion OF the craft How ever the boat was brought 80
far ON her journey she cannot imagine she dld
well to hold out 50 long under such heavy strain AZ
the fatal the boat gave hrch. dslod hng the
boiler which WAS set upon the lower deck Without any
other support or fastening as believe, than the roo
boiler and connections slid OF into the water.
cutting away the umbcrs supporting thc
one great screecb mingled with "a Missing sound as the
The transformation that took place vas almost llAe
fash found myself standing up 10 the middle III Tue
ran NV bows were near me. one of them said: Ny
God Pa, LOOK AT those few saved out OF such crowd.
a%In S 1,S poton Of S w. ih ohtr on tr thoe
Ths number Altogether looked very small a. compared
with the crowd board felt neryed with the
strength OF a lion and succeeded in raising up
up witt piece Of board Then put my hand down ana
picked up people In all conditions, after another
While standing IN the water eit my itSs slou ~ hu
merous hands, which seemed 70 be reaching out wildly
tor something to seize mold Of Ny son told ne he lad
the same experience Il woman TOOK nun Oy the hS
with hand and by the coat Win the other cr htad
was under water and seemed TO be held there by some
thing and she died before she could be- torn loose
After awhile 1 could the bodies coming up 10
o lot OF the matchwood fnto winch the sea- er's hun
had spinIered from under the deck rcsting
on the water. thought n one time that should be
dragged under By the weight OF the persons VINO had
hold OF my legs could not gel released until they must
have died. nd " now 81 less -
those in cnarge blame for allowing 80
many TO get ON board Ihey should not have started
STATEMENT OF A MEDICAL STUDENT
clear state ntut ofsthe cOlla is made by Alexan
Ger Hardy. medical student lie says;
/ was on the bow Of the lower deck OF the Victoria
when the accident happened ana when l saw tnat the
boat was sinking climbed 10 the upper deck and Owed
hom there 10 the London side threw post To man
shore wien In again fell the and pulled him
out When looked around saw the people erowdlus
caught woman around the meek and pulled her back;
fence into the water by which means several
were saved. my shoelaces and threw my shoes on
And SWAN back TO the wreck and saved a Mrs Reeves
Procuring boat saved Miss Meredith, OF London. and
Mrs. Nicholas Wilson, whom look on AT to sulne
fine. The sight frightful. Walls of despair hued
face in half choked condition. The that
I shall never forget
John X. Law. passenger, says
was one OF the upper deck passengers, and in con-
derng the causes OF the disaster feel that not one ot
Of whom were intoxicated to create excitement among
kSe cries e" Of "Gst 20 the other side Get on
lie preservers" There she goes" Feeling well able
10 take care Of themselves they seemed derive
gratifcation In the and excitement they
we're producing among those who always most help
ses when disaster comes II the excitement could have
been kept down the crowd Kept quiet till the
got above Cove Bridge into shallow water the oss O1 LIE
you'd undoubtedly have been less
Nicholas Farke n deck-hand, says: 4" At the time Of
the disaster was working the lower deck. As soon
- the boat left the wharf the commenced go