South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1883-07-27

ally tinid persons were already boz
ginning 10 pray that they might be al
lowed 10 pass back, when there was
suddenly heard sharp crack; then n
/ crash of rotten wood aud in an I'M
slant thirty feet OF the pier broke into
pieces, AMI fully two hundred men.
women aud children were shot into
the dark water SIX feet below.
1t may readily he imagined that the
scene which followed would mock ut
any words THAI might be used To ex.
press it. The cries from 200 throats
seemed to go up In one sickening. ag :
onizing cry OF terror. oh, God,
said an eyewitness yesterday. i
shall never forget it to my dying day.
There was no moon. / don { think 1t
had risen. Two feeble coal-oil lamps
failed to throw any light down the
black abyss into which the macs of hu-
mainly. fighting desperately for life.
had been plunged Some young men
at once made rush for the lamps on
tn barge, aud tore them down with
such haste that two Of them exploded.
People on board OF the barge began
to throw over life prcservers, stools,
chairs, and even heavy settees. right
into the breach where men. women
and children were struggling and
shricking. Some young men threw
OFT their coats, and, diving bravcly in.
TO the water. commenced TO drag wo-
| men and children toward shallow wa.
ter Their efforts were a great deal i'm.
pcded, however, because OF the des-
perate clutch Of three or four drown.
ing people ut a time3 Some were
pulled out after nothing worse than "a
wetting Some were stunned and
senscless, having received blows from
the articles thrown into the water for
their aid. Some were limp and
dead. Somehow many as yet is
not known-hdvc not been found ut
all. The groans. cries and shrieks of
the drowning were horrible TO hear,
and the directions of those who were
taking hand III rcscuing could not
be heard as they were shouted out
The captain OF the vessel tore the gate
from its hinges and launched It into The
water. No cue could get upon it.
however. a long bench was manned
and handed down into the hole for the
struggling ones TO seize aud hold on
by. 1t was pitiful then to see men try
to crawl Up it aud slip back repeatedly
till III list they wo1id be seen no more.
Efforts at rcsusc tation were Delayed in
some case, until ley were too late.
In few instances was the rolling or ar
tficial respiration method successful.
Miss Maggie q. Cunnur, whose sister
was drowned. AMI Miss Emma Smitl,
were two who were b-Ju ghJ back to lite.
A little 10 ed hoy. named Tom, who
had boat, saved at least six perso ns
fro,n drowning and recovered the bod
les OF IL who were dead.
There were joyful mee,inz'. to-, between the
bedrag2led but alive excutsioBists, who had
shivered ON The shore all night. an their rels-
tons. who were waiting to hear that they
were dead.
the horrible details Of the Tivoli dis,stcr be
came known. The crowds that collected ADD
blocked up the streets leading 10 Henderson, $
wharf, where the barge deposited its ghas'ly
dripping freight, eagerly absorbed. mrgn6ed
aa1 dis ,eminated the sickeIny story OF the VIC
lent ard awfsl deaths OF nearly oeventy excur.
sionisis The accident c,ne not acciden Is
usually come. 1t WAS known to the employees
OF Iiv'l that the p'ec WAS unsafe Ii had been
there len. time, aud its beams and trusses
were in an advanced Stage of decay. There
were two g ties on either end of this $50 va d
pier Tor the purpose OF regulating the II Nv OF
passengers over this shackiy arrangement, and
officials have always On ptevinus occasions as
on this, been PRESENT u warn The pe oplc not tn
hurry and moi 10 press upos ore another !,
VAS nobody's fsul, istt ;bs locks were broken,
the gates forced and the tide eutsei upon the
d-ath-irsp, bet there seems to lie general in =
digaitios that there sholld have bsel "a death.
trap there - Baltimore Sun. July 25