Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-07-25


made trips, the last being made
from this city between 6 and o'clock
last evening, and reached the Tivoli before
10 o'clock. During the day she had taken
about 500 persons, and the last trip about
100. A large number of those who went
down during the day had remained, intend
ing to return by the last trip. When the
barge approached, all those on shore made
a rush for the end of the wharf, which is
several feet long, and were closely packed
at the gate, about twenty-five feet
from the end, impatiently await.
ing admittance. AS the barge came
along side and struck the wharf, it sud
denly and without warning gave way, and
a large portion of the crowd was precipita-
ted into the water, which is about ten feet
deep. Many were able to save them
selves by fleeing toward the shore as the
outer end of the pier crumbled and fell.
The darkness added to the confusion and
terror, and little could be done at once to
rescue the drowning, most of whom were
women and children. The first news of
the disaster reached the city little after
o'clock this morning, when the barge
landed at Henderson's wharf bringing a
number of bodies of the drowned. Up to
this hour it is said sixty-one bodies have
been recovered.
BALTIMORE, Nd, July 24.-The bodies
at the eastern police station were identi-
fed this afternoon as those of Alfred Bur-
gan, Is, Miss Kate Ives %, and two child
rem as those of John McArnary, leaving
alive but one of that family, little boy
six years old, who was rescued. The
bodies of two more children have been
found, but only one of them, the child of
Bernard McMahon, had reached the city at
O'Clock this evening. Coroner Wormel
began the inquest, at which Father Starr,
pastor of the Church of Corpus Christi, was
present. Jacob Bonnell testified he is
special officer locked; the gates on the
wharf about 8 o'clock in the evening by
order of the proprietor of the place, to
keep people from getting on the wharf.
He refused some young ladies who wished
to return to the grounds through the first
gate, because he feared others would get
through. The boat reached the wharf be-
tween 10 and H.. Witnesses then opened
the gates and people rushed through. He
begged them keep back, as wharf was not
the best. Soon after he heard a crash, ran
back and saw number of people in the
water. He pulled off his clothes and went
into the water and rescued ten or twelve
persons, and also recovered three dead
bodies. Did not consider the wharf secure
with such a crowd. There were about
700 persons on the wharf when it
FELL and fully 800 were in the
water. Had seen larger crowds on the
wharf. The flooring had been repaired
this season. The break occurred between
the two gates and not where the boats land.
He examined the place where the break
occurred and found the timbers pretty
rotten. There were six to eight lights on
the wharf and they burned brightly. Re-
members only one pile standing
when the wharf broke. Rev. w.
E. Starr was on the pier head
before the accident, and sent messenger
to have the gates closed. Lamps on the
pier head gave ample light, but the pier
was badly lighted. The moon also gave
good light. Did not think more than $50
people could stand on the space where the
break occurred. Had full view of the
accident and saw people struggling
in the water. Had there been
a rush of people many more
would have been thrown into the water.
though it was fair estimate to say there
were 1900 people On the excursion. The
pier is a mass of patching from one end
to the other. After the crash he found the
outer gate open, though it was closed 5
minutes before. James Council examined
the wharf at the bank
and took piece of timber
of which the wharf was built. Part of one
of the posts supporting the foor-piece was
shown and entirely rotten. There were
80 people between witness and the outer
gate, the greater portion of whom we've on
the space that fell through. The testimo-
ny of the witnesses already given will
doubtless cover all the facts to be brought
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