New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-25
SIX OF THE PARTY DROWNED
FATAL cAps1zING OF STEAM LAUNCH ,
FIVE OF THEM WERE woMEN-TsE MEN cHARdsD
WITH COwARDICE.

FIVE OF THEM WERE woMEN-TsE MEN cAAhosO
WITH cowARDIcE
Six persons five Of them women, were drowned
by the capsizing of steam launch on the Passaid
River at Newark on Saturday night The accl<
dent occurred below the Central railroad bridge
near tho entrance to Newark Bay, and the facts
were not known in Newark until early yesterday
morning when the survivors told their story.
The party consisted Of fourteen men and seven
girls, all Of Newark, their names being William
Holzhauer, the owner OF the launch: William
Rothe. the engineer: Frederick Hook. Emil Strasst
burger, Charles and Frederick Sommcr, Mchaea
Reilly, John Witlich, Henry FricS, Jacob Schercks
John Dauer Frederick Christopher Herman finKs
Louis Graf, Minnie Burger, Gusse Soatz, Gussie
Weber, Annie Frcl, Lizzie Zilliox Julia Smct
and Mary Stecker. The boat is steam launch,
thirty-two feet long, and is one OF the deet OF
the Newark Yacht Club 1t started from Centro
Street Wharf Of Newark about p m on Satur+
day and was headed down the river toward Greens
vills. William Holzhauer was at the tiller Ihe
party was merry with story and song, and no one
thought Of danger. ~
RUNNING ON HIDDEN DANGER
The launch had passed the Central Railroad
bridge, near the mouth of the Passaic. when a
tug and tow bore down upon it. The piot Oh
the tug sounded whistle and the engineer
of the launch responded The tug and tow passed.
to the port side and the launch sped on, headeu
for stone dixie which was concealed benestn
q foot of water. The next moment the keel OF
the launch grated on the dixie. and the iauncn
came to standstill and lurched over little
Engineer Rothe and Charles Sommer got overDoafu
to push the launch Off
As the keel slid from the stone dyke it again
tilted and the girls became panic-stricken. Ihey
sprapg from their seats with screams and plungeu
TO the upper side OF the launch. In an lnstanu
the boat was turned completely over and sank.
All the party were thrown out Several ne ng
preservers foated on the water. but they dld
no good. The girls were thrown IN heap
and seized each other about the neck and sank
Engineer Rothe saved Julia Smith by getting her
Charles Sommer All the other girls sank and
were not seen again. Louis Graf. who was good
he was dragged down by, one Of the drowning
girls The list of drowned is as follows;
Louis Graf age twenty, No. % South Eleventh-sts
"ssie Sssie Weber Weber, age age nineteen, 30 10 DroOmest
Lizzie zox age fifteen, No; 20 RoseIst;
Minnie burger, age eighteen, No. Boydst
At 9:30 o'clock yachting party which started
across the Bay heard cries for help and the scream
ing of women. They pulled in the direction OK
the cries. and saw a number of men and two women
standing on the water-covered dlke, win no poae
in sight The women were frantic witn rrisno'
and grief The shipwrecked party was taken into
the boat, and, with the help of a launch from
boat-house near, the party was taksn to kronss
boat-house, near the bridge, where they toid tneA
story
THE ENGINEER TELLS HIS STORY
Rothe the engineer, said he was running tho
launch in the place of the regular engineer. Hd
saw the tow 90 by and moment afterward noticed
n post sticking out CT the water. He had Iuss
asked when a buoy had been placed there when
the boat struck the dixie and got stuck. When
the boat turned over he was thrown out and sunk:
lie came lp and found three girls close to him ana
J. epal Of them to the girls continued Roche, DuU
they were too wild with fright TO heed my alrec,l
tions but grabbed each other around the neck and
sank together One girl snatched my hat from ny
| head and another caught me by the ankle, but
aged to free myself from her. The cabin roof
ef the launch afforded good footing and several
men stood on it. but gave US no help; heid ouo
q life buoy to one of them and he did not take lts
II he had, could have saved some OF the girls
Holzhauer, the owner Of the launch SAID ne Was was
thrown out and swept away by the tide a I nIo
buoy hoated near him, and he seized It, and sue
ceeded in reaching the dixie He dld not notlce
what was going on around him. Charles Sommeri
said that when the boat struck the dixie Holzhauer
and Dauer were quarrelng at the tlller.
RECOVERING THE BODIES.
The survivors did not reach Newark until a
late hour and the families of most of the drowned
girls were not apprsed of the accident until morn
ing. Yesterday steps were taken to recover the
bodies The first one brought to shore was that
of Annie FriclS The girl was the only support
of an invalid father and mother. She worked aO'
tailoring and bore an excellent character. Up 10
a late hour last night no more bodies were recQy-
ered and the searchers gave up for the night.
| Fishermen and boating men claim tnat the dlks
where the accident occurred Is the worst deatn
trap that ever blocked a navigable stream as tho
| channel runs within about twenty feet or the BAR
ricade and then takes sudden turn and runs par
| allel with it,
DROWNED BY THE CAPsIZING OF A sAIIBoAT.
| Chicago June 24-Edward EgloT and Mrs. Charles
Sanders drowned this afternoon by the capszing