Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-07-25

carried to tho shore In an exha1ted con-
ditio0. She Il still q1ite ef6k - Jet
scarcely able to oompgohena 31eg nauow
escape. 4ias 4aggio HhaenAA WaB Sho
most unfortunats q tho party. She nnk
twice and was unable 70 help hecDo4 ~
the water was 20 filed with stru ggling
people. Her clothing was torn from her,
and some valuable jexelry was lost. A
young man by the name of Joseph Don
rescued her. .----,0.------
All these young ladies' relate tho awful
and horrifylng experience they endured on
their return to the city. They were
obliged to stand during the whole trip
within few feet of the pile of dead
bodies.
A "a Hamburg street lay the corpse OF
Miss Jessie Sumwait. Her body was re-
oeived last night and conveyed to her late
residence. She was 81 years of age, and
her appearance in the coffin leads 10 tho
belief that she was a beautiful woman.
She was accompanied by her father, John
Sumwait her sisters, Misses Venia and
Nellie, and Mrs. Skull and her husband
and infant two years old. All escaped but
Miss Jessie and the little baby. Tho house
was filled with the friends and relatives
of the family, all of whom were overcome
by grief. Many stood on the side walk
and were unable to gain admission. The
father had retired to an upper room, where
he sat with bowed head and apparently
unconscious that such terrible tragedy
had been enacted.
In back room sat Mrs. Skull, the
young mother, bitterly moaning her harsh
fate. She at length partially composed
herself, and between her uncontrollable
sObs she related an account of the disaster.
eve were standing" she said, "near the
centre OF the pier waiting for the boat.
had my child in my arms and she was
quietly sleeping" Here the mother could
no longer restrain herself, and burst forth
into an uncomfortable fit of weeping.
Again composing herself she continued
81 heard something breaking under my
feet and all at once was thrown into tho
water. My husband was at my side in
an instant, and together We struggled.
went down my baby was washed out OF
my arms. RECOVERED her when 1 came
up, and my husband began to pull me to.
ward the shore. 1 went down again, and
my baby was again washed away, but
found her. don't remember much else.
Somehow our little baby was again washed
out of my arms, and could not find her.
was then completely exhausted" AT
this point of the interview some ono came
in from the street and said that a man was
coming with the baby. The mother caught
the subdued words, and the scene that
followed defies description. "Oh my
baby, my baby, my baby - she frantically
screamed and rushed from the room. Her
means ard sighs were piteous in the ex-
treme, and many mother present burst
into tears.
At 2O6 Montgomery street were the
bodies of three of tho victims of the dis
aster, and one has not yet been recovered.
They are Miss Lavina Crouch, aged 40;
Thomas and Albaughina Crouch, brother
and sister, aged respectively 5 AMI years,
and their mother, Mrs. Kate Crouch. The
little parlor in which the bodies lay was
almost filled with the oOffins, and every
available foot was occupied by the friends
and neighbors of the deceased. A police
man was stationed in front of the residence
to keep back the crowds that gathered on
the sidewalk. No particulars Of tho
disaster could be learned. With one
exception the whole family is gone.
The aged grandfather of the two little
| children is left, childless and alone, to
bemOan his harsh fate. He sat in a back
room seemingly obvious of his surround
| ings, and of the many sympathizers who
| vainly sought to console him. The little
companions of Tommy and his sister en-
tered the room and would gaze upon the
lifeless forms of their playmares who so
lately shared their trials aud partook of
their pleasures, and would be overcome by
grief. Hourly the arrival of the other
body was expected, and it seemed already
tnat the fountain of tears of that house
hold were dried up.
George Skull, who lost a daughter,
Olivia, aged 10, was found sitting on the
wharf awaiting the arrival of the boat
bearing the body of his lost child. With
tears in his eyes he tod reporter the
story of the accident. IL went down, "
said he, "to spend the day with my wits
| and child. There were seven other relatives
in our party. When the boat arrived and
lay alongside the pier, We all crowded
forward and were talking about the place,
and wondering why they did not open the
gate and leave US in. There was probably
200 people on the pier, all trying to get on
tho boat first, and I was ono of the head
| ones. stood close to the edge of the
wharf, and had the empty lunch basket in
my hand, and my wife and child were close
behind. Suddenly the whole thing gave
| way beneath our feet with crash aud We
all went down together, frightened screams
drowning the crash of tlmbers as they
broke. cannot describs what followed.
My wife clung to me and let the child 60
in her terror, but she did not got hold of
| me until she had sank twice, and after
that l, who had boon under two times, was
dragged under again by tho crowd of
struggling people. finally swan with
her to the boat and was pulled on shore
by q rope. was much exhausted and nv
wife was nearly dead"
Did you notice any thing like a jar
when the boat struck the wharf - asked
the reporter. "Some people say that was
what stated the pier to fall.'
"NO, l noticed nothing of the kind :;
there was no jar the whole thing just
gave way"
Mr.. Richard Tierney, living at 141 Pres
ton street, who was reported drowned,
gives thrilling account of tho disaster.
Mr.. Tierney says the people crowded on
tho wharf, where they were unnecessarily
detained by the gate keeper, when, with.
out the slightest warning, the wharf gave
way and the dense mass was precipitated
into the water. The evening was very
dark, and there wero, he says, but two
dim lights on the pier. Tho shrieks of the
victims were awful and the most deter
mined efforts on the part of those in the
water who could swim to save the drown.
ing persons proved in nearly every case
unavailing. Parties on tho boat threw
boards, pieces OF wood and anything that
could be got hold of in tho water, but