The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-08-01
A RoTTON PIER
Causes the Death ofover sixty Excur-
sionisfs.

BALTIMORE, Nd, July 23-There |
is great excitement all over the city .
over the terrible calamity which be- |
fell the Catholic Church excursion. /
The particulars of this awful catas-
trophe are as follows Yesterday an
excursion was given to Tiyoli under
the management of the Mount Royal 4
Society OF the Catholic /
Church of Corpus Christi, OF which |
Farther Starr is the pastor, at Mount
Royal avenue and Mosher, street. |
The excursionists 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 has been used as such for sever /
al wears. Yesterday she made three
trips, the last being made from this
city between 6 and : O'Clock last
evening and reached Tivoli before 10
O'Clock. During the day she had
taken down about five hundred. 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, impatiently
awaiting admittance through the
gate A. the barge came alongside
and struck. the wharf, IL suddenly,
and without warning, gsvewav, and
a large portion Of the crowd was
precipitated into the water, which is
about ten feet deep Many were
able 10 save themselves by fleeing
toward the shore as the outer end Of
the pier crumbled and fell. The
darkness added to theconfusion and
terror, and litde could be done at
once to rescue the drowning, most
OF whom were women and children.
News Of the disaster did not reach
this city until late last night, when
q barge landed at the wharf with
several bodies Of the drowned.
Az soon a. the bodies had been
deposited or the wharf the baTge
returned 10 Tivoi, and before : this
morning sad returned to Hender-
sons wharf with her second load of
dead bodies, numbering over thirty.
By this time the news Of the calami-
ty spread throughout the city and
thousands gathered at the wharf and
in the the vicinity. Throughout the
night many persons, fathers, moth
ers, brothers and friends connected
with the eXcursi0nists had gathered
at the Light street wharf. where the
barge usually lands, anxiouslv await
ing her arrival aud experimenting a
disaster when the boat did not come
at her usual time. As the hours
wore on past midnight and there
were yet no udiugS OF then friends,
their fears were increased almost 10
conviction that some dreadful acci-
dent had fetallen the party. As fast
as the bodies were identified by re-
lations and friends they were taken
10 their respective homes. The
unidentified bodies were carried tc
the Eastern Police Station, to remain
until recognized or otherwies dispos
ed Of
THE DEAD.
Up TO noon sixty-fve bodies hav,
been brought to the city. All. ex
cept four, have been identified.
These unfortunates all reside in tn,
city and represent every part of it
being from different Catholic churcl
societies.
The locality of the calamity is OF
a small bay, distant about two milet
from the North Point Lighthouse
1t was formerly known as Holly
Grove, and was fitted up about fifteer
years ago.
The Sun says The boat had mad
three trips To Tvoh. The mornin;
boat took down 100. the , o'elocl
boat 1,200, and the 6 o'clock boat -
This latter boat reached the pier a
$40 and prepared TO take back al
hands 10 the city at once. As re
quested by Father Starr, the excur
sionists, knowing this was the onl,
boat, dashed along the pier unit
they were stopped by the gate nea
the steamer. Some youths tried t
climb over the gate, and man an,
boy seated themselves on the raj
with their legs hanging over. A to
sudden movement caused the rail 1
break, and the two were thrown int
the water. \ commotion followed
and there was a sudden crash an
chorused shrek. Splinters &c,
in every direction and about tw
hundred people were strugglin
among broken timbers in eight fee
of water. The noise and cries weT
so loud that watermen heard ther
two miles away.
sIcKENING AND AWFUL SCENE.
Those who witnessed the seen
state that il was sickening. Th
moon had gone down and the onl
light was that shed by two feebl
coal oil lamps, and some OF the re!
cuers took the barge lanterns and st
them on the wharf. Two of thei
exploded and added fresh terror {
the scene. Those on the decks
the barge threw life preservers. stoo
and benches into the water. The,
struck a great many on the hea
and knocked them insensible. Oh
ers let down planks and ropes. II
describsble hopelessness and terrc
reigned. The shrieks. curses. groan
cries for God to save u" wei
heart-rending. Darkness impede
the help rendered by those VII
Jumped into the water.
Some women We're pulled up c
the wharf and some dragged in
the shallow water. Movements
the barge caused a wash that carrie
those battling with the water und
the wharf and among the piles; Il
men were mostly able to strugg
ont those males drowned we
trying TO help the women and chi
-dEea.-After the con fusion was ov,
"a huge IRE vas built on the sho