Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-07-25
LANCASTER DAILY INTEllGEN(ER WEDNESDAY

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scenes af the FsnS Point Dead House -
statements Sf Notwithstanding Spec
tacies At the Scene Of the Disaster.
The Baltimore Day has tho following
particulars of tho terribls calamity night
before last near that city:
An excursion party composed of tho
members Of the congregation OF the church
Of Corpus Christi hsd been spending tho
day pleasantly ct Trivoli, formerly Holly
Grove, near North Point, about fifteen
miles down ths Patapsco, and on leaving
the grounds about 800 people gathered on
tho end Of tho pier waiting to take passage
On the barge TO return to the city. The
pier was Old and deoayed, And the weight
Of some 200 persons on the outer end
caused it to give way, precipitating about
100 persons into tho WAter, Of whom some
66 were drowned. The barge Cockade
City had arrived at $50 p. m, and those
who had been spending tho day at the
grove pressed forward in an eager desire to
return homo. Rev. ". e. Starr, pastor
of tho church, and Jacob Bennett and
John Connor, tho gate :keepela, vainly
requested the people again and again to
keep back, but - usual in such cases their
cautions were not regarded, and merrily,
and with no dire foreeodings that death
Icy 20 near, the throng pressed forward to
their fate.
A crash was heard, and in an instant
before tho eyes Of the terrified spectators
the end of the pier was seen to give away,
and wild cry of agony was heard from
the unfortunate persons who went down
into the waters with the debris of the
wharf. This wild cry Was repeated from
their relatives and friends who were at the
grove, and who paused at the several sports
in which they were engaged, horrified at
the fearful spectacle presented to them
Most of those on the broken pier were
young people. A number were rendered
unconscious by injuries from the timber
of the pier, others from fright, but there
was largo portion of those thus thrown
into the water who struggled desperately
| for their lives. Many sank into the water
from exhaustion others were pulled down
by those who were drowning, while by the
efforts of their friends q large proportion
were rescued and brought safely to land.
Herman Walters, an expert young swim
| mer, saved several women and children,
and other swimmers, whose names are
not known, labored hard in rescuing tho
living and in bringing the bodies Of the
dead to the grove. As each body was
brought to the shore there was terrible
scene. Strong men were wild with grief
as wife or child was laid at their feet and
mothers wept with that woe which passeth
all other earthly sOrrows--a mother's 8
lament for her children. Women tainted
here and there and were ministered to by
kindly hands, and there were children ory:
ing bitterly for their parents who had
perished in their sight. The excursionists
were profoundly affected by the many
and thrilling scenes of sorrow presented at
every hand, and those who were at Holly
Grove Monday will never efface from their
minds the recollection of the horrors of
Monday night. There were some bright
contrasts to the wild scenes of grief present
ed when parent and child who had been
rescued and who had given up each other
as lost were restored safely to each other
but these scenes were 80 filed with patbos
as only to intensity the feelings and
heighten the excitement OF the spectators.
About thirty.five bodies were within the
first hour taken from the water, twenty
nine of whom were placed on the barge,
side by side. and brought to the city, tho
barge arriving at Henderson's wharf at
. M, and the spectacle in the cabin was
piteous one. The bodies of men and
women, youths and children, were lying
side by side, in death, their counteuances
exhibiting terror and fear, and their
l al fnr n,,1 1>no 4
q number of relatives, parents and friends
of the dead, who seemed to be beyond all
consolation. A largo number of persons
were on Henderson's wharf waiting with
great anxiety for the coming in of the
barge, fearing from it not returning at the
usual hour that some accident had occur
red. When tho fact was known to them
a scene of Intense excitement followed and
the crowd rushed on the boat and eagerly
scanned the faces of the dead. Some few
recognized the countenance of a friend, but
the majority of the relatives and friends of
the deceased were waiting at Light street
wharf for tho return of the barge, and did
not hear of the calamity until morning,
when they proceeded to Henderson's g
wharf, and another scene of sorrow and
grief commenced, which lasted for some
hours, until nearly all of the drowned had
been identified and claimed by their fam.
lilies. Several hundred excursiOnists re-
mained at Tivoli to continue the search
for more bodies.
TaKlLLIN9 sUENES ON THE PiER.
An Ego Witness Account Of u Lady Com
| pani0n's Death.
Mr.. James Roach had gone down on the
o'clock boat, in company with Miss
Mary Hamill, and was upon the broken
pier. Mr.. Roach states that he had hold
of Miss Hamill, but the crowd was SO great
that he had to release his hold aud she
was lost. When within about forty feet
of the end of the pier and while engaged
in talking to the young lady he was hor-
rified to see the piel beneath him give
way and struggling mass of human
beings hurled into the water. The scene,
he states, was beyond description, men,
women and children were clinging to each
other and no doubt added to the list of
drownings by their wild excitement. When
tho pier gave way he and the young lady
went down with the rest of the large
crowd. He used every effort TO save him
sef and Miss Hamill, but the excitement
was so intense at the time that women
and children grabbed hold OF him, and it
was with force that he freed himself and
succeeded in getting out of the water.
Among those who were saved were
Misses Mary and Ida Miller, sisters, resid-