The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-06-01
Thrilling Experience OF II. q. Mont.
gOmery,a Survivor Of the Awful
Calamity.
Funerals Vending Their Way
Through Every Street of
Gloomy London.
The Statements of the Captain and q
Deckhand Who Attribute the Dis
aster TO the Passengers.
WENT TO PIECES.
The steamer Victoria Collapses, Drowning
155 Persons-Intense Excitement.

LONDON, Ont, May 2l-This evening at
o'clock the steamer Victoria, with over 6oC
excursionists on board, was returning from
Spring Bank, and when near the cove of the
railway bridge. one mile below the city, the
boat suddenly collapsed. like an egg shell,
and became a total wreck, level with the
waters edge. All passengers were instantly
plunged into the stream, more han nall
of them being underneath the debris. The
first news which reached the city was
brought by the survivors, who struggled
through the streets wet and weary. The
news fell like a t~hunderbolt, and a STAN
pede took place for the spot. Arriving
there, a horrible sight met the view. Fifty
or sixty bodies had already been recovered,
and were lying on the green sward, some
distance up the bank. Those arriving from
every direction crowded around, anxious TO
see if any relatives were on board.
Several hundred families were represented
on the excursion and the wall of anguish
that arose at the sight of the victims was
h attending. Fathers, mothers, brothers
and sisters rushed about panic-stricken. en-
deavoring to identify relatives. BY o'clock
about eighty bodies were recovered from
the wreck where the water is twelve feet in
depth. Almost every minute some victim
was brought to the surface and conveyed to
the bank. The steamer Princess Louise was
early brought to the spot and the victims
placed on the upper decks.
Fires were lit on the bank overlooking the
river. and petroleum torches were brought
and the search continued. Up to the pres
ent hour about $50 corpses have been Sc
cured. Among the lead are James Robert
son, Manager of the Bank of British North
America; J. c.. Meredith, Clerk of the Dis
trict Court; William Mcbride, Assessor
and Secretary of the Western Fair As
ISOLATION; Mrs. William Ashburg, William
Millman. a Montreal commercial agent, and
two sons of J. Rogers, plumber. All is con-
fusion at the present moment The land
ing at the foot of Dundas street is now
less expectation for the arrival of the steam
er Princess with the bodies. The total loss
will aggregate IT'S.
PURTHER PARTICULAR OF THE DISASTER.
LONDON, Ont, May 25.-The bodies still
unclaimed are being inclOsed in shells and
| removed to the drill shed, where they can
be visited by anxious friends in search of
missing ones. The story of the disaster, as
given by competent witnesses. who were on
broad, shows that the Inflated vessel was on
her last trip, and that on setting out from
S~pringbank to return to the city she had
nearly all her passengers OF the way down,
and in addition a large number who were
waiting on the wharf to be conveyed home.
The number on board on the return trip is
estimated at 700, a burden out of all proper
ton to the strength and capacity of the YES
sci. Shortly after passing Woodland Gene
terry the boat began to rock, and the crowd
surged from one side TO the other with each
oscillation, rather enjoying the fun than
being in any way alarmed. One passenger
stated that the number of youths on the
upper deck took delight in keeping up the
rocking motion by moving from one side to
the Other while others shouted gleefully,
"LEr HER SINK;
well only have to wade ashore" 1t is said
by some. though denied by others, that the
officers in charge endeavored to induce the
passengers to remain quiet, but their efforts
were unavalling. The crowd surged from
side to side, and with each movement the
vessel took in an inch of water on the lower
deck. to the terror Of some and the delight
of many-more of those below. No one
seemed to foresee the danger. Suddenly the
position became alarming. When nearly
opposite the Cove Bridge the water, to the
depth of a foot or more, rushed in on the
south side of the boat, and the crowd surged
again to the north, the boat slowly follow
ing the movement by listing over to that
side. This time the vessel almost turned on
her edge, and the deck floor became ele-
waited to an angle not far from pe~rpendicu-
lar. All at once the supports of the upper
deck gave way with a terrible crash, on &C
count of the unnatural position and great
weight imposed. Over the ratings the
people tumbled in hundreds headlong into
the deep water, and to make the situation
more terrible, the whole upper decks and
supports went crashing down upon the
wretched victims
TEARING AND BRUIsISG
| fho y rrrIfnu Of hrpoantfy xrhtoh fhnS
became engulfed in the dreadful watery
tomb. The scene that followed beggars des
cription. Between the wreck and shore
could be seen scores of human beings whO
had become liberated from the mass oil
debris, and were battling with the element
into who's cruel grasp they were so suddenly
thrown and slowly. but surely, yielding tC
its power. Many who were so stunned by the
crash rs TO be unconscious, sank without al
effort.
The work of recovering bodies then began
and has continued unrenittingly ever since
The steamer Princess LOuisescame along
side a few minutes, and in a short time bott
her decks and every available inch of space
was taken ND with dead bodies. Tears cam,
into the eyes of many a man OF lion nerve
as he gazed upon the bodies of boys and girl
as they were taken from the river clad il
their holiday attire, and were carried il
sy~mpathiz.ng arms ab~ard the Princes
Louise. Meanwhile the tidings were con
veyed TO the city, and crowds Of anxious
ones ffocked to the scene to learn, if possible
the fate of some one on board who was deai
To them. Many Of the bodies were terribly
bruised and mangled from the crash of tim
Der which came down from the upper deck
and i'm many cases the features bore evidence
} of a desperate struggle, which must have
taken place. A visit to the scene shows tn
Victoria To be a complete wreck. being liter
ally an RECONSTRUCTED vessel broken int
splinters. 1t is said, on good authority, tina
her boiler was not properly secured. and i
shifted with the rocking of the boat. Hardl,
any portion of the vessel is visible aboH
water.
WHAT THE CAPTAIN SAYS.
Captain Rankin, who had charge of tn
Inflated Victoria at the time of the disaster
makes the following statement:
I'VE were on the last trip for the day, hay
ing made three trips previously. We hat
not a very heavy load going down, as ther
was plenty Of room on board, bat when W
got 10 the wharf at Springbank there was
large crowd wa ting. and before Se could ge
the passengers of the boat the Othersr nsbe
on the afierpart. jumping and climbing i
every direction. | ordered them down o
the top deck and main deck, and threatene
| would not leave the wharf till midnight
some of them did not get off. One gentl,
man-Mr. Powell, of London East-said
me: You are not going to put me of, az
you? and ] said: 'You had better get of