Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-06-02
AFLOATING COFFIN.
Two Hundred ana Twenty-eight
People Drowned by a Treach-
Srons steamer.

a dispatch from London, Ontario, Canada.
to the Herald, dated Tuesday, says:
This evening, at 8 o'elook, tho steamer
Victoria. with over six hundred excursionists
| on board. was returning from Spring Bank,
and when nenr the Cove Railway Bridge. one
mile below the city. The boat suddenly coll.
lapaed like en egg shell, and became q total
the passengers were instantly plunged into
the s,rean, more than half Of them UNDER
meath the debris.
The first news of the disaster that reached
the city was brought by survivors who strug-
gled through the streets. wet and weary.
The news fell like o thunderbolt and o
stampede took place for the spot. .-.-
Arriving there Q horrible sight mot their
view. Fifty orsixty bodies had already been
some distance up the bank. Those arriving
from the eity from every direction crowded
around, anxious to see Is any relatives were
| on board. About one thousand families were
represented on the exoqrion. and the vail of
| anguish that arose at the sight Of the victims
was heartrending. Fathers. mothers, brothers
and sisters rushed about panio stricken,
endeavoring to identify friends.
By . O'Clock about eighty bodies were
recovered from under the wreck. Almost
every minute some victim was brought to the
surfaee and conveyed. to tho bank. The
steamer Princess Louise was early brought
to the spot and tho victims were placed on
the upper decks. Fires we're lighted on the
bank overlooking the river. petroleum torches
wero brought and the search was continued
until night. Up to tho present hour about
ono hundred and fifty ep'pses have been Sc
cured.
Later dispatches soy that 238 bodies had
been recovered to late on WednesC " night,
with several othors still 10 the wreck. The
bodies were brought out md laid along the
banks Of the river in rowe, there being no
means Of transporting thom, while the un-
dertakcss were besieged and gloom and
wailing were on overy side.
Tho vessel was so heavily laden that sho
sionally when tho crowd would happen to
surge to either side Of the boat. On the
return trip. slight eonsmotioa on the boat,
caused the crowd out Of curiosity to rush to
one side. and as the eide OF the boat sank
with tho additional weight q volume of
water, foot.or two in depth, poured in upon
the lever deck, which was crowded with
passengers. INSTANTLY the crowd on both
dccks rushed to the opposite side and their
shipped by the boat caused q lurch in the
opposite direction. The side Of the boat
sank in the water to The depth Of ons or two
feet, and while the crowd on the lower deck
were struggling to save themselves from
slipping down into the river, the ssaneheons
supporting the upper deck gave way and the
whole structure came down On those who
were below. The boat continued to settle on
its side deeper into the water, taking with it
many passengers who were stunned by tho
fall Of the upper deck and were therefore
unable to help themselves, while many were
precipitated in tho river unhurt and rent the
mir with their vain appeals for esccof, while
those of the passengers who were safe were
powerless.