The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-06-03
THE CANADIAN HORROR.
Ehe Story of the Disaster, from BE.
ginning to End.

~N~S~~~~AS
ginning to End.
london Telegram to Chicago Tribune.J
tuesday, the day of the horrible catastrophe.
was the anniversary of Queen Victoria's birth
day, and the great bulk of the people closed
up their houses and went off for day of inno-
cent enjoyment. Several train loads took their
departure for the lake shore at Port Stanley.
others to Windsor and Sarnia, and about 2 900
went to Springbank, being carried thither by
the three excursion steamers owned by the
Thames Navigation Company. The day was
pleasantly enjoyed in the customary recreations
of rural picnic. and, toward o'clock, the
homeward rush began. The rotten Victoria
was the first boat up, and the rush to get on
board and reach the city before supper-time
was tremendous. Several people protested
against the Captain of the craft allowing SO
many people to board her, but he was deaf to
all entreaty, and allowed all who could find
place whereon to hang to come
| along. Grooming under the weight
OF some 600 people, who kept moving in
masses from one side to another, the boat had
q hard time oil it. The main deck was packed
30 tightly that it was with difficulty that one
could elbow his way yet at times the mass of
humanity would, as it were CONCEAL together,
80 as to leave a small vacant space, sometimes
on one and sometimes on the other side
of the deck. The hurricane deck also
was crowded, but here there was none
of that swaying back and forth, which
marked the crowd below. A few adventurous
spirits sought the seclusion of the boiler-deck
and the engine-room, where they smoked their
cigars and watched the movement of the ma
chinery. All went well, or, at least, presume
bly,. until bend in the river was reached,
about 200 yards below the Cove railroad bridge,
and there the day of pleasure turned into dies
lr9. About Z o'clock some persons arrived in
the city with a wet and generally used-up
appearance and spread the intelligence Of what
had befallen the Victoria. Rumors of all
kinds began to spread like wild6re, but it was
not for some minutes that the full significance
of the news was realized. Then the general
stampede for the river banks, in which the en-
tire city seemed to Join. Every road leading
to the fated spot had its line of people of both
sexes, hurrying thither in a state of frenzed
anxiety, some sobbing Historically and ques-
tiouing every one in their flight as to the fate
of friends and relatives, whom they knew to
have gone down the river. AS each one ar
rived on the river bank overlooking the wreck
and saw the CHASTITY uptTlrned faces of the dead
who had been taken out and laid upon tho sod
or looked out upon the shattered hulk which
lay in fragments on the water, they gave vent
to piteous ordinations of grief: ''My God!
such sight | have never looked uponr" said
exclaimed another. "My wife and child! Where
are they?" 'Oh, God restore my little ones!"
were prayers heard on all sides. On the wreck
brave men, streaming with perspiration, and
strong in their noble purpose, were working
like heroes i'll recovering the bodies which lay
underneath the shattered boards and timbers,
and, as one after another were brought to the
surface and carried tenderly to the green
sward to add to the CHASTITY row, the
tO
the features. Their faces Lit with
strange anxiety. Here was some be-
reaved father or brother, clasping the limp
form of beloved daughter or sister, giving
vent to their emotions in walls OF anguish !;
there some mother or sister lamenting over
the corpse of a son or brother, like Rachel
weeping because they were not. Here and
there knots of men worked vigorously to
restore to life some beloved relative,
practicing all the arts known to them,
rubbing the hands and applying clothes
heated at neghboring fire, but all
to no purpose. Vitality would not re-
turn, and the Borrowing friends gave up in de-
spair. Meantime the work of rescuing went on,
and the List swelled and swelIed until it seemed
as IL the end would never come. AS dusk
deepened into the night the scene became more
weird and terrible. Fires we're lit upon the
bank, shedding a lurid and ftful glare over
the water and showing the dreadful outlines
in their most sinister aspect. The work
of recovering the bodies was enteredinto with
heroic spirit by those who arrived early on
the scene. Merchants, lawyers, workmen and
all classes plunged into the water, and, borne
up by RATS, began to hand the lfeless forms
of the drowned ones out to those on the shore.
Resuscitation was tried with all who were res
cued within one-half hour, but only in one or
two instances were the efforts successful
During the silent watches of the night, and by
the lurid glare of wood-fres and petroleum
torches, the work of rescuing the bodies of the
drowned was carried on.