The daily gazette., 1883-07-25
TERRIBLE LOSS OF LIFE
AFRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT NEAR
BALTIMORE.
SEVENTY PEOPLE LOST.
A Rotten Wharf Precipitates Two Hun
dred People Into the Water-Frightful
Scenes and incidents.

0red People AubO tnD WAtor-EflBnCIuI
Scenes and incidents.
BALTIMORE, Nd, July 24.-Not since the
blowing up of the steamer Medora In the
harbor of Baltimore has the city been Wis
tied by such dire calamity as that of last
night, when nearly 20 lives were lost by the
giving away Of the pier at North Point,
Tivoli, an excursion resort about 13 miles
| from this city. Under the auspices of
| beneficial society connected with the Corpus
Christi Roman Catholic Church, an annual
excursion was given, which was attended
| by over 900 people. Three trips the barge
| Cockade City made to the Point, taking
down and bringing back passengers.
At 0 O'Clock she arrived at the wharf for
her last complement. Pretty well tired out
| and anxious to secure good seats the people
made rush TO get on board as soon as the
barge made fast to the pier. Full 200
crowded on the narrow pier. Rev. w. e.
Starr, pastor of the church, who accom-
panied the excursionists, and the gatekeepers
vainly requested the people again and again
| to keep back, but as usual In such cases,
their cautions were not regarded, and mer-
rily and happily, and with no dire forbod-
ings that death lay so near, the throng
pressed forward to their fate.
DOWN INTO THE WATER.
Suddenlay a crash was heard and In an
instant, before the eyes of the terrified spec
tators, the end Of the pier was seen to give
way, and a wild cry of agony was heard
from the unfortunate persons who went
down into the water with the debris of the
wharf. This wild cry was repeated from
their relatives and friends, who were at the
grove, and who paus in the several sports
In which they were engaged, Mortified at
4 = th, faar rft Ia Co.
Most of those on the broken pier were
young people. A number we're rendered
unconscious by injuries from the timber of
| the pier, others from fright, but there was
large portion of those thrown into the
water who struggled desperately for their
| lives. Many sank into the water from ex-
haustion, others were pulled down by those
who were drowning, while by the efforts OF
their friends large proportion were rescued
and brought safely to land.
BRINGING UP THE DEAD AND DYING.
In the meantime efforts to rescue the
drowning persons were being made by
few brave young men ,and number OF dead
bodies, and others who were we'll nigh dead,
were brought up and lay dripping on the
wharf. One young man, Herman Walters,
taking of his outer clothing, gave them to
| the priest to hold, and, jumping overheard,
saved no less than eighteen people. Inspired
| by this mans heroism, several others fol-
| lowed his example, and quite number
were thus saved. The moon had not yet
arisen and the work progressed under the
| ftful light of few lanterns which had been
brought from the boat and grounds.
A number OF bonfres had been started on
the shore to allow those who had been res
cued to dry their clothing, and these lent
weird and ghastly light to the scene. Ac-
cordlng to the statement of an eye witness
the scene baffied description. Men and wo-
men were shrieking and yelling and chill
dren crying; while from the dark byss be-
| low the most he art ending cries were heard
| only to end In gurgling sounds as the help
less beings sueeumbed to the cruel waters.
ILI-JUDGED ACTIONS.
Then ensued q scene of indescribable con-
| fusion. Stools, pieces of plank, everything
available, were thrown into the water right
| in the midst of the struggling mass, until it
became evident that some who might be
saved from death by drowning would be
come victims of the heedlessness of those
who, with the best intentions, but very poor
| Judgment, were casting the heavy articles
| into the water.
Father Starr tried his utmost to calm the
tumult but he might as well have tried to
stop the earth from revolving. Those who
| were on land had suddenly conceived the
| idea that the boat was unsafe and refused to
90 OH board. Almost half OF the exeur-
sionists passed the night around the blazing
fires on the shore, where the sniyering sur
vivors who had been rescued from the waves
were seeking to dry their dripping clothing.
THE oALMNEss OF DESPAIR.
The scenes on the ground during the night
are described as awful. One of those who
stood by the fires watching for morning said
to-day that he would not pass another such
night for the crown of kingdom. Shrek
ing women grew calm as the night passed
by, but their calmness was that of despair.
The noisy cries OF children, the hoarse
shouts of men and the piercing notes OF
grief of the women were as nothing to the
terrible silence that preceded the dawn for
few hours, when nothing was heard but
an ccasional dull moan or the call of ope
OF those who were watching by the shore
for the bodies of the dead.
About 80 bodies were within the first hour
taken from the water, " OF whom were
placed on the barge and brought to the city
The barge arrived at Henderson's Wharf al
2 a. mr. and the spectacle In the cabin was
piteous one. The bodies of men and
women, youths and children, were lying
side by side In death, their c0untenanees ex.
hibiting terror and fear, an their clothing
torn and soiled. On board were number
| of relatives, parents and friends of the dead
who seemed to be beyond all consolation.
A large number of persons were on board
} Henderson's wharf, waiting with grea
anxiety for the coming in OF the barge, fear
ing from 1t not returning at the usual houl
that some accident had occurred When thi
fact was known to them scene OF intenst
excitement followed and the crowd rushed
on the boat an eagerly scanned the faces o
! | the dead. Some few recognized the coun.
tenance II friend, but the majority OF tht
relatives and friends OF the deceased wer,
5 | waiting at Light street wharf for the return
| OF the barge and did not hear of the .alamit
I until morning, when they proceeded Il
!, | Henderson's wharf, and another scene o
!. sorrow and grief commenced, which Taste,
: for some hours, until nearly all of tn
drowned had been identified and claimed b
their families.
WAS THE PIER RoTTEN2-THE MANAGE
THINKS NOT, WHILE THE PRIEST BELIEVE
1T WAS.
: Mr.. Frank Debilius, manager OF Tivol
! states tha' the accident was caused by person
crowding too closely toward the gate at tn
end of the wharf, although he and his suh
9 ordinates had done ali in their power to kee
o them back. He did not think the whai
e was weak or rotten, as great crowds hat
1t gathered on It before He was much dis
: tressed, and says the scene presented whe
II the people went down with the broken pie
n to darkness and to death was too harrowin
1 \ of hn rrtak