The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-06-03
STEAMER VICTORIA a rorAL WRECK.


evening, the steamer Victoria, with over
700 excuns:onists on board returning from
Spring Bank, and when near Cove railway
bridge, one mile below the city of London,
Ontario, suddenly collapsed like an egg shell
and became total wreck.
| All passengers were instantly plunged
into the stream, more than half of them
being underneath the debris. At the Coro-
ners inquest the Captain said that the boat
was 10 ton scow, fiat bottomed, with a
capacity for 400 passengers. A passenger
said that the boat was greatly overcrowded
The passengers were quiet and orderly.
There was considerable water on the main
deck at the start, which accounts for her
listing to one side. When the lurch came
the stanchions snapped like pipe stems, and
the whole wreck slid down to port, on the
shore side, into the water. Hanging on to
an iron support he saw scores of men, wo-
men and children being drowned like rats
in hole. and heard piteous shrieks on every
side without the power of rendering aid.
| Mothers with their eyes starting from their
| sockets would madly beat the water, while
their children hung about their necks
shrieking until at last smothered by water
| they went down with a sickening gurgle
beneath the flood.
The crowd at first enjoyed the oscillation
Of the vessel which they increased by NOV
| ing from side to side The boat gave a
lurch and sank almost Immediately, going
| completely to pieces. Her small boats and
life boats were in good order, but the vessel
capsized SO suddenly and was smashed SO
quickly that there was not time to use
them. Boats at once put out from the shore,
the crews of few skiffs ON the river made
| haste TO the spot and took off large num-
Der. The Victoria was lying almost on her
side and the people were clinging to the
wreckage that Hoated from her. The steam
er Princess Louise came along side within
four minutes and her decks were crowded.
Men made desperate efforts to save their
wives and children, but in the confusion it
was hard matter to recognize faces, and
owing to the cries for help coming from
every side, familiar voices could not be dis:
tinguished in the appalling uproar. A ma
| iority of those who are known to have been
drowned are fathers, mothers and children
who chung to each other when the boat up-
SET The master of The Victoria is missing
with two of the four or five deck hands.
| At last accounts 238 bodies had been recov-
cred. The city council met and passed res
olutions of coincidence. Settled gloom reigns
over the city. Almost all business was at a
stand still and crowds lined the streets dis
cussing the sad calamity. Flags at half
mast and bells tolling.
Clergymen who had worked nobly all
through were tired out and could not reach
graves fast enough. In many cases MEM
bers of different families were buried in one
grave. Different societies were on hand and
done their utmost to facilitate burial. The
longest procession was that attending the
remains of Willie Glass and Miss Cooper,
who were to be married next month, and
who died together in the water. The police
at last accounts were still searching for bod
dies, but fruitlessly,
| -~-e >-----
ANNIVERSARY SERMoN.-On last Sabbath
morning at IL o'clock we attended divine
services at the Agricultural College. and
there listened to the anniversary sermon
delivered by Rev. G. 8. Lambert. We was
highly pleased with the sermon and regard
! it as one of the finest we ever heard. The
| address bore the evidence of clear thinking
and close reasoning, accompanied occasion
ally with fine illustrations of the points in
question. The speaker is from Ohio, and
was last year President Of Willamette Uni.
versity at Salem. Willamette Uniyersity
has no doubt missed it in loosing one of her
faculty who is gifted with such rare qualif.
cations.