The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1881-05-31
241 LIVES LOST.
FULL PARTICULARS OF THE
QUEEN'S-BlRTHDAY DISAS-
TER AT LONDON, ONT. IS

QUEEN'S-BlRTHDAY DIsAS-
TER AT LONDON, ONT.
A Rotten Hulk. Carrying Double
Her Capacity, Falls to Pieces in
Swift Current.
LONDON, Ont, May 25.-The great
calamity of last evening has filed every
house with mourning. There is hardly
q family in the city that is not more or
less directly interested in the terrible !
catastrophe, from having bad relatives
or intimate friends and associates on
hoard. Up to last night about ITO
bodies had been recovered, 100 of which
had been identified and removed by the
hands OF relatives. The sun this NOR
ming rose upon the upturned faces of the
remainder, which were lett for Iecoe-
uition upon the White Sulphur Spring
lawn. Many of tue faces of the dead
had turned dark, showing that decom-
position would be speedy process uu-
Ger the hot SUI The hodies we're ac-
cordingly removed to the drill shed,
whence many were taken away by friends
in the course of The day.
Up to tonight the number OF persons
known to have perished is 241, according
10 trustworthy estimate, although i'll
has been found extremely difficult to
keep tally OF the remains as ihey are
brought in, especially as many bodies
were not identified till late in the DAY.
The Superintendent Of the company,
Mr. Parish, was on board. and had gem
s4al charge. AT Spring bank no special
effort was made to prevent any one or
as msnv as liked from getting aboard
The Victoria started for the city, all the
ligh,beartedness and jollity incident to
holiday excursions being apparent on
hoard. Slowly the doomed boat crept
along the channel Of the Thames to-
wards the city, while the excursionists
moved gayly about from one place to
another, laughing and talking as they
mingled together young men and young
women, parents and children, friends
and acquaintances. The passing row
boats and steamers attracted the con.
slant attention OF the passengers. The
crowd rsn first to one side and then to
the other and at each movement it was
observed that water poured in, on the
side OF the lower deck, and finally al
times reached the depth Of six and eigh'
inches Several times the officers in
charge urged the people to remain quiet
i Their caution, however, was of NO avail
and when one side dipped to an alarm
;. ing extent orders we're given to NOV,
across. The anchor and other heav,
, articles were piled in the middle of th,
deck. Still the oscillating motion con
tinued No one seemed to think of dan
ger. But rs each heavy swirl OF waite
poured in, the passengers surged iron
side to side, and the boat slowly kneelei
i over, For couple of seconds t6er
was deathlv stiffness, only to be fol
5 lowed by suppressed vail OF terror a
= the dreadful truth flashed upon thei
e minds. The deck q or became almos
r perpendicular Then all at once III
supports Of the upper deck gave wa
g with terrific crash Over the railing
f the people tumble in hundreds headlon
h into the water Thirteen feet deep, and t
= make the terror more terrible the Who'll
of tho upper deck and supports wen
Il crashing down upon the wretched vic
g inns. tearing and bruising the strug
n Cling people. who thus became coopet
il as it were between two deaths. Th
e river is usually high just now. bein
: swollen by recent raius. Moreover, .
3 the spot where the disaster occnresf--th
I'll Cove railroad bridge Of the Great West
: ern Railway, mile below tie city
e thereis swift, black current at all time.
!. Tne water was alive with human be
n ings. the children going down without
It cry and the men and women baltic
i. desperately for life. The cries WEI
heartrending Children shouted to the
II fathers to save them, and in several cs
II ses father, mother and children, havin
IA come together, went down iogethe
r The yawning river was not the onl
ir danger. The whole upper works of III
3. boat fell down piecemeal upon them, ,th
'. machinery shifted, and the steam rust
). ing out raised cloud of mist that il
e tensified the confusion and agony. On
,e man was nearing the hank, with chill
,e under each arm, when woman clutcht
d at him and the four sank. A woma
q with babe at her breast clung to it, an
.s WAS being hauled ashore by a sturd
d swimmer when a falling beam killed tt
II infant and The river swallowed it Anoil
o er woman twice lost and twice recoyere
is her boy. Many acts of heroism wei
70 performed, but there was no time eth,
i to land the brave and self-sacrifcing {
/. chide the lnhumsn towards who strue
IF out for themselves, leaving their Chi
:, dren to perish.
% The news was brought up to the cit
v at o'clock and spread like contagio
!, in few minutes. The city emptied i
!. self by every avenue leading to the spo
+ The work OF recovering the bodies ws
10 at once begun by those who arrive
It early on the scene. Merchants, lawyer
i laborers, men of all degrees, plunge
,e into the river, and, borne up by raft
i. hogan to hand the lifeless forms of II
Al victims out to those on the shore. R,
"a suscitation was tried with all who wei
"a rescued within half an hour, but only
!. ore or two instances were the efforl
Il successful.
10 One Of the survivors says:"I W.
in standing on the north side of the upp'
N deck when the crash came. / was hur
a ed into the water with six hundre
If others. / held the hand of my daugl
a. ter Lizzie, who was standing near me
n the time. / sank 10 the bottom hut mai
, aged to climb up on the people. but
"a k,urn was climbed upon by others
n then exerted myself for final strugg
10 AMI got on top again and reached IL
in shore. then went to WORK and aide
!. in saving others from the seething hesl
! My little girl was rescued by Frencl
If man named Forgll. The screams fro
70 the drowning will ring IN my ears UNI
n my dying day." This 'gentleman's aru
. we're feartully scratched and torn by Il
: drowning people climbing over him an