Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1883-07-25
TREACHERGUS PIER.

RRIBLE CALAMITY NEAR BAL
MORE.BET WEEN SIXTY AND
SEVENTY IiVEs LOST.
{ALr1MoRE, July PA terrible
kmity occurred at North Point, Two
1, excursion resort on the PatapscO, 10
es from this city, about 10 O'Clock
night, by which many lives were
the number being estimated be-
EN- sixty and seventy. The accident
occasioned by the giving way OF
outer portion of a pier on which
bral hundred persons were congrega.
awaiting the boat to return to this
The locality is on small bay
n mt about 2 miles from North Point
thouse. 1t was formerly known az
ly Grove, and was the first regular
llrsion place fitted up near the city
ut fifteen years ago, and was a most
ular resort at that time and for sew
years afterward.
yesterday an excnrsi n was given to
|oli under the management of the
k,nt Royal Beneficial Society of the
holic Church Of Corpus Christi, OF
ch Father Starr is Pastor, Mount
val avenue and Mosher street. The
ursionists went down on the barge
kade City, which was towed by the
Amanda Powell. The barge was
perly all old canal boat which had
h fitted up with several decks for
h,rsion purposes, and used as such
several years. Yesterday she made
be fl: ps, the last being made from
CITY between 6and 7 o'clock last
mir q, and reached Tivoli before 10
b. k. During the day she had taken
In about five hundred persons, and
Ter last trip about one hundred.
large number of those who went
IN during the day had remained, in.
hing to return on the last trip. When
barge approached, Ill those on shore
lie rush for the eud of the wharf,
ch is several hundred feet long, and
e closely packed together at gate
ut % feet from the end, impatiently
kiting admittance through the gate.
the barge came alongside and struck
wharf, it suddenly and without
ming gave way, and II large portion
be crowd we're pracipitated into the
er, which is about ten feet deep.
[any persons were able to save them
es by fleeing toward the shore as
outer end of the pier crunbled and
Owing to the darkness, the con-
|On and terror, little could be done
|nce to rescue the drowning, many
whom were women and children.
first news of the disaster reached
city a little after 2 o'clock this
lining, when the barge landed at
bderson's wharf, bring large mum.
of the bodies of the drowned.
Jp to noon sixty-iive bodies had
b brought to this city, all of which
ept four have been identified.
be parties resided in almost every
Sion Of the city, being members of
)holic churches in different locali-
Is soon as the bodies had been de-
(ted on the wharf the barge went
to Trivoli, and before seven o'clock
morning had returned to Hender-
Is wharf with her second load OF
II, numbering over thirty.
" this time the news of the awful
kmity had spread throughout the
and thousands had gathered at the
lrt and in the vicinity. Through
the night many persons, fathers,
khers and friends, connected with
excursionists had gathered at Light
bet wharf, where the barge usually
lis, anxiOusly waiting her arrival
experimenting disaster, when the
! did not come at her usual time.
he uniden ifed bodies were carried
he Eastern Police Station to remain
Il recognized or otherwise disposed
4 The Coroner will commence an
tial investigation this evening.
Dement'S in regard to the immediate
BE of the accident are conflicting.
stated by some that the barge was
4adv lying alongside the wharf, and
Egang plank being run out when it
5e way, and that it fell from the
er weight Of the crowd upon it.
ters are of the opinion that the wharf
carried away by contact with the
BE.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
he Sun, in an extra issued after one
1ock, says: The boat had made three
bs to Tivoli. The morning boat took
Wn 100, the tWoo'clock boat 1900, and
Y six o'clock boat 75. This latter
y reached the pier at S.2o, and pre-
|ed to take all hands back to the city
nce, as requested by Father Starr.
excursionists, knowing that this
the only boat, dashed along the pier
II they were stopped by the gate
b the steamer. Some noisy youths
II TO climb over the gate, and man
a boy seated themselves on rail
b their legs hanging. A too sudden
cement caused the rail to break, and
1.-TWO were thrown into the water.
Sudden cOminotion followed this
Dit, but before it had even taken
pc to save them there was Il sudden
Bh and a chorused shrek.
pliuters flew in every direction, and
lit two hundred people were s,rug-
lg among the broken timber> IN
BIT feet OF water. The noise and cries
IL so loud that watcrmen heard them
miles away. Those who witnessed
scene state that it was sickcning
moon had gone down, and the only
bt was that shed by two feeble coal
lamps Some of the reHcners took
barge lanterns and set them on the
|hrf. Two Of them exploded and
led fresh terror to the scrne. Those
hc decks of the barg" threw Oft pre-
fers, stools aud benches into the va
These struck great mary on ne
HI and knocked them insnnsI bic.
Pers let down planks and robes.
I'm indescribablr helplessnrss and
for reigned--shrieks, curses, gro'ns,
es for "God to save u.s. heart relld
prayers for help. Darkness iinped-
he help rendered by those who
pped into the water. Those whose
INNING powers were the means of
ing the lives of others were as fol-
Is, together with the number of per-
each saved: Charles NJ. Cannon,
+. A Fitzpatrick, 4; Patrick Beat
y John C0nall, I Jacob Barnet, 10;
pes Burns, 10; VIM. Carey, 2; Chris.
Hle and Capt. Roberts of the tug
landa Powell. Some women were
|led up on the wharf and some were