The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-07-28
OVER SIXTY LIVES LOST
A rH1cKLY CROWDED PIER SINKS
Sixty-four Bodies misunderstanding
SEQUEL to an Excursion.

The accident was OccaSlOneu Dy the
giving away of the outer portion of
pier, on which several hundred persons
were congregated awaiting the boat to
return to Baltimore.
The location is on 4 small bay distant
about two miles from North Point light
house. 1t was formerly known as Holly
Grove and was the first regular excursion
place fitted up near the city, about 10
years ago, and was most popular re-
sort at that time and for several years
afterwards.
On Monday an excursion was given to
Tivoli under the management of the
Mount Royal Beneficial Society of the
Catholic Church of Corpus Christi, of
which Father Starr is 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
been fitted up with several decks Tor
excursion purposes and used as such for
several years.
On Monday she made three trips, the
last being between 6 and clock in the
evening and reached Tivoli before 10
o'clock.
During the day she had taken down
| about 500 persons, and on her last trip
about 100. 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 a rush for the end of the
whaif, which is several hundred feet
long, and were closely packed together
at a gate about % feet from the end, inn
patiently awaiting admittance through
the gate.
AS thu barge came alongside and
struck the wharf, the wharf suddenly
and without warning gave way, and a
large portion of the crowd was precipi-
tated into the water, which is about 10
feet deep.
Many were able to save themselves by
| fleeing towards the shore as the outer end
of the pier crGmoied and fell.
Owing to the darkness, the confusion
and terror little could be done at once to
rescue the drowning, most of whom were
women and children.
The first news of the disaster reached
the city little after o'clock on Tues.
day morning. when the barge landed at
Henderson's wharf bringing u number of
the bodies of the drowned.
Details of the disaster at Tivoli. for
merly Holly Grove, on the Patapsco
river, Is miles below Baltimore, which
occurred shortly after nine o'clock Mon
day night, swell the catastrophe into the
proportions of a great calamity. The
| total number of lives lost, so far as as
certained by the recOv cry and Identified
ton of the bodies Of the victims, is 60, of
whom "a were women, % children and 6
men. While the excursion was given
under the auspices of Mt. Royal Bene-
fetal Society, the participants included
many members of the Catholic congrega-
ton of the Church of Corpus Christi,
near Mt. Royal, in the northwestern part
of the city, and friends from other par
ishes. In this way the calamity carries
mourning into nearly every part of the
community. The disaster happened be-
fore the hour for the rising of the moon,
when the surrounding waters We're dark
and terrifying to the timid The details,
gathered from all available sources, are
appalling in the extreme. and well calcn-
lated to touch deeply the Sympathies of
the entire community for the victims and
their bereaved families. All the evidence
obtained on the subject aScribes the
cause of the disaster to n rotten pier
which was broken down by the weight
of the crowd and the NOV :ment of people
naturally anxious, after day of pleas
ure, to get ON board the vessel at hand
ready to return them to their homes.
KICKED FROM HER REFUGE By 4 BRUTE.
Miss Annie Ileuermann, daughter of
Mrs. Mary lieuermann, who was among
the victims, stated that size was standing
on the wharf with one arm through that
of her mother and the other resting on
the arm of Mr.. John Sanford, cOnduc-
tor on the Northern Central Railroad,
| whose acquaintance she has formed on
the excursion, when the crash came.
They all fell into the water and became
separated. Miss lIeuermann grasped a
post, to which two or three men were also
clinging, when one of them. with a gruf
remark, kicked her in the side, severing
her hold. She sank, and when she rose
again found herself close to Mr. Sanford,
who caught her and placed her in safety
on log, reScuing another lady at the
same time. A man who helped her up
the wharf stole a gold enameled bracelet
from her. She was too excited to say
anything, and the man escaped.
SOUTH BALTIMORE VICTIMS.
About 80 people from South Balti-
more participated in the excursion. The
loss of life from this quarter of the city
was ten, confined to four families. Mr..
Thomas ID. Crouch who is employed at
the Peoples Boiler Works, loses his en-
tire :amily-his wife Lavania, aged Al,
and his children, Kate, aged %: Alver-
tina, aged &, and Tommie. aged 4. The
| little parlor was crowded with four cas-
kets, varying in size from the large one
for the dead mother to the tiny little
casket of her boy. Out in the yard sat
Mr.. Crouch, utterly worn out, and re-
plying mechanically to the kindly words
of sympathy spoken by his friends. Be-
side this sad bereavement he loses his
niece, Jessie Sumwalt, and his grand
niece, Olivia Schulz. living at "a Ham,
burg street. Miss Sumwalt was only %
| years old.
RELIEF MOVEMENTS
A movement was started at the
mayors Office yesterday morning. when
the extent of the calamity became known
for the city to furnish aid to the families
of any of the sufferers who required help
in the atfiiction which had SO suddenly
befallen them. A paper was signed by
members of the city council asking the
mayor to use 81, 600 for the purpose. and
to give each family requiring help which
had lost an adult $50, and $50 Tor each
child lost. The city council was pledg-
ed to ratify the action proposed at its
first meeting.