Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-07-26

victims of yesterdays Tivoli disaster at the
Eastern police station were identified as
those Of Alfred Burgon, Miss Katie Ives,
aged twenty-eight years, and two children
ss those of John McAnsny, leaving alive
but one OF that family, q titfe- boz Sod
years, who was rescued. The bodies Of two
more children are said to have been found, |
but only one of them, a child of Bernard !
McGahsp, had reached the city al 8 O'Clock
last evening.
THE INQUEST.
Coroner Nenaril begun the inquest, at
which Father Starr, pastor of thu cnurcn OF
Corpus Christi, was present. Jacob Bonnet tes-
tilted that he is a special officer at the Tivoli.
He locked the gates on the wharf about s
o'clock in the evening by order of the pro-
prietor of the place to keep the people from
getting on the wharf. He refused TO allow
some young ladies who wished 10 return to
the grounds through the first gate 10 do 60,
because he feared others would get through.
The boat reached the wharf between 10 and
IL O'Clock. The witness then opened the
gates and people rushed through. He beg
ged them TO keep back, as the wharf was not
the best. Soon after he heard a crash and
ran back and saw a numbe of people in the
water. He pulled of his clothes and went
into the water and rescued ten or twelve per-
Sous. He also recovered three dead bodies.
He did not consider the wharf secure with
such a crowd. There were about 700 perscns
on the wharf when it fell in; fully 800 were
in the water. He had seen larger crowds on
the wharf. The feoriug had been repaired
this season. The break occurred between the
two gatee, and not where the boat lands. He
examined the place whore the break occurred,
and found the timbers very rotten. There
were six to eight lights on the wharf, and
they burned very brightly. He remembers
only one pile standing when the wharf broke.
The Rev. w. E Starr was on the pier
head before the accident, snd sent a messenger
to have the gates closed. The lamps on The
pier-head gave ample light, but the pier was
badly lighted. The moon also gave good
light. He did not think more than $50 peo-
pie could stand on the space where the break
occurred. He had q full view of the acct
dent and saw the people struggling in the
water. Had there bsen a rush of people
many more would have been thrown GU into
the water. He thought it a fair estimate to
say there were 1900 people on the excursion.
The pier is a mass Of patching from one end
to the other. After the crash he found the
outer gate open, though it was closed FIVE
minutes before.
John Conner, special off Ger at the Tivoli,
was AT the pier-head an hour before the ar
rival of the barg =, and found about 200 pso-
pie there. He told them they would have
to go on shore, but they did not go. He then
went toward the inner gate and closed j., .nd
wsrned The people if they did not go bach
when the boat arrived there would De a rush
and many of them would surely go over
board. He called upon the committee fol
assistance to keep The gate closed, but did
not get 1t. He was at the gate when TIE
crash occurred. He opened the gate al thai
time. He thought there wers ab0ut t5e -rc
200 people on the pier hen the break took
place-The timber OF the pier appeared 1.
be pretty good, but there was some dry rot
He thought there werr no Iighis excep, a
the pier head. de often had seen large
crowds on the wharf, but they we're NOR,
easily controlled. He did cot think tn,
barge struck the pier-head when il cam,
alongside, but did not see any piles left wheI
the wharf broke.
AJames Gorpel, on the excursion, examined
the wharf at the break, and took a piece O.
timber of which the wharf was built. Part O
one Of the ioists supporting the floor. Th'
piece was shown and was entirely rotten.
He was about forty feet from the break wheI
it occurred. There were about $50 peopl
between the witness and the outer gate, tn
greater portion of whom We're on the spac
that Tell through. He did not at am tim,
hear the people warned 10 keep back.
Frank D.. Eoileirs, proprietor Of the III
; vol, was on the pier at the landing OF
O'clock. The boat pier is HOO feet Ions
The break was about twenty or thirty feel
' There ere three piles in the bresk, and they
are all three in good condition; none of then
: are rotten. The piles are ten feet apart
The barge did not strike the wharf whe
she reached it. The lamps are not used wheI
the moon shines. Last night the lamps wer
: turned up 50 high by some Of the committe
of the excursionists that they smoked an
gave no light at all.