The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-26
Terrible CaIamitV,

BALTIMORE. Nd, July PA ter
rible calamity occurred at the North
Point Tivoli, an excursion resort on
the Polapsco, ten miles from the city,
about 10 o'clock last night, by which
many lives were lost. the number be
ing estimated between sixty to sew
enty. The accident was oecasi oned
by the giving way of the outer por-
ton of pier, on which several hun
dred persons were congregated await
ing the boat to return to this city.
The locality is in small bay, distant
about two miles from North Point
light house it was formerly known
as Holly Grove and was the first reg
ular excursion place fitted up near the
city, about fifteen years ago, and was
the most popular resort at that time
and for several years afterward. Yes
terday the excursion was given to the
Tivoli, under the management of the
Royal Beneficial Society of the Cath
Ole church of Corpus Christi, of
which Father Starr is pastor, corner
of Mount Royal avenue and Mosher
street, and went down on the barge
Cockade City, which was towed by the
tug Amanda Powell. The barge was
formerly an old canal boat which had
been fitted up with several decks for
excursion purposes and was used as
such for several years. Yesterday she
made three trips to the place. the last
being made from this city between 6
and foSlOck, last evening, and reached
the Tivoi before 10 o'clock.
During the day she had taken down
about 500 persons and on her last trip
about 500. A large number of those
who went down during the day had
remained, intending to return on the
last trip. When the barge approached
all those on shore made rush for the
end of the wharf, which is several
hundred feet long, and were closely
packed together at the gate, about
twenty-five feet from the end, impa-
tien.ly awaiting admittance through
the gate, as the barge came along side
and struck the wharf. 1t suddenly
and without warning gave way and
into the water, which is about ten feet
deep. Many were able to save them
selves by fleeing toward the shores
as the outer end of the pier crumbled
and fell. Darkness added to the confu-
sion and terror, and little could be
done at once to rescue the drowning,
most of whom were women and chill
dren. The first news of the disaster
reached this city little after a. H.,
when the barge landed at Henderson
warf, bringing a number of bodies of
the drowned. Up to this hour IT. is
said sixty one bodies have been recov-
cred.
The Sun, in an extra, says: "The
boat had made three trips to Tivoli
this morning and took down 100, the
2 p. m. boat 120, and the 6 p. m. boat
Is. This latter boat reached the
pier at 500 p. m and prepared to take
all hands back to the city at once, as
requested by Father Starr. The ex-
cursionists, knowing this was the
only boat, landed at Long Pier, where
they were stopped by the gate
near the steamer. Some youths tried
to climb over the gate, and man and
boy seated themselves on it with
their legs hanging over. A sudden
caused the rail to break
and twenty-one were thrown into
the water. The crowd followed with
a sudden crash and chorus of shrieks.
Splinters flew in every direction, and
about 200 people were struggling
among the broken timbers in ten feet
of water. The noise and cries were
so loud that the watermen heard
them two miles away. Spectators
say the scene was sickening. The
moon had gone down. and the only
light was shed by two feeble coal oil
lamps. Some of the rescqers took
barge lanterns and set them on the
wharf. when two of them exploded
aud added fresh terror to the scene.