Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-05-25
THIRD EDITION.
EVENING, NAY as. Ise
TERRIBLE DISASTER.
SUDDEN COLLAPSE OF AN EXCURSION
STEAMER.

SUDDEN COLLAPSE OF AN EXCLUSION
STEAMER.
One Hundred and Ssvsnty-five Drowned.
London, Ontario, like its namesake in
Old England, is on the river Thames, and
the navigation company of that stream has
three pleasure boats which carry excur-
sionists to the groves and summer resorts
in the vicinity. Monday being tho queens
birthday, many people went down the
river for holiday to Srringbank, favor
ite suburb, and yesterday the rates were
lowered to accommodate many more. Of
the boats employed the Victoria was an
old one, but it had been satisfactorily re-
paired this spring and approved by the
manager of the line, Geo. Parrish, and put
ON for her first trip yesterday.
The boats ran full all day and at 6 p. m.
there was great rush for accOmmOda-
tions on the return trip. The Victoria
left Springbank about 6 p. m. with about
four hundred men, women and children on
board and the crowd was SO great that the
manager was expOstulated with and urged
not to let the boat go out in that over
crowded condition, but he replied "All
right, know my business Mr.. Samuel
Stewart, stove merchant, one of those who
protested, left the boat at Springbank with
his family. Several hundred more re-
NAMED there, unable to get passage, and
had to walk home, distance of tour
miles, no conyeyances Of any kind being
available. They escaped watery grave
by that necessity. The boat stopped first
at Wards dock and left there safely, but
Overcrowdcd and shaky and proceeded
along slowly. A band was on board-said
to have been detachment Of the
band Of the Seventh Fusileers (militia)
and the people on board had cleared
space on deck for dancing, thus throwing
the crowd on the forward part of the boat.
The evening was fine but somewhat fOggy.
On reaching the Woodland Park dock 200
moro people wero crowded on board. AS
the vessel swung out from Cove railroad
bridge, a mile below the city, she keeled
little to ono side, and the excursiOnists,
now numbering GOO, rushed to the other
side. The boat gave a lurch and sank
almost Immediately, going completely to
pieces. Her small boats and life belts
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 cut from the shore and
the crews of few skiffs on the river
made haste to the spot and took off large
numbers. The Victoria was lying almost
on her side and the people were clinging
to the baat and the wreckage that tlOated
from her. The men made desperate efforts
to save their wives and children, but i'll
the confusion it was hard matter to rec
Ognize face, and the cries for help coming
from every side. familiar voices could not
be distinguished in the appalling uproar.
Meantime the crowd Of interested peO-
pie, awaiting in vain tho arrival of their
friends at the Ontario dock, wero startled
by the first news that reached the city,
brought by survivors who struggled
through the streets, wet and weary. The
uCWS lCu lhC SuuuuOI OVlu SsAAtA - OttshA-
pede took place fsr the spot.
Arriving there horrible sight met
their view. Fifty or sixty bodies had al
ready been recovered and were lying on
the green sward some distance up the
bank. Those arriving from the city from
every direction crowded around, anxious to
see if any relatives were on board. About
one thousand families were represented ON
the excursion, and the vail of anguish
that arose at tho sight Of tho victims was
heart-rending. Fathers, mothers, broth
ers and sisters rushed about panic stricken
endeavoring to identify friends.
by seven o'clock about eighty bodies
were recovered frcm under the wreck.
Almost every minute some victim was
brought to the surface ard conveyed to the
bank. The steamer Princess Louise was
early brought to the spot and the victims
were placed on the upper decks. Fires
were lighted on tho bank overlooking the
river, petroleum torches were brought and
the search was continued until night. The
following dispatches to-day indicate the
extent and further details of the awful
calamity which has stricken the city.
One Hundred and Seventy Corpses.
LONDON, Ont, May $3.50 a. m.--
The work of recovering bodies at the scene
of yesterdays disaster is still going on
actively. Up to this time ITO have been
found and most of them were
brought to this city. All the undertaken
shops are besieged and coffins arc
going out by the score. The crowds at
the river bank and at the steamer landing
have not diminished. Among the bodies
identified arc those Of two daughters Of
James Burns. The excitement seems to
increase as the night advances. Tho list
of the identified is still incomplete. A
large number of bodies remain on the
grounds at the Sulphur Spring bath
awaiting claimants.
List Of tho Drowned.
LONDON Ont, 25.-The following is a
list of those drowned by the steamboat
accident yesterday, 50 far as identified &;
Mrs. VIM. Ashbury, Maple street; Hud-
son Abbott, son of H. G.. Abbott Minnie
Amesbury, London, East Charles BOnney,
aged 16; Lille Beaton, aged IA i;
Harry Beaton, aged 6; James
Burns, Albert street; Lizzie Bos-
kerville, daughter of q workman at
Carling's brewery Ida Bachelor Rosa
Bailey John Baskerville Ida Burns,
daughter of James Burns another daugh-
ter is missing Albert Cole, aged 2, son Of
Colonel Cole John Clarke, shoemaker