The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-22
THE LIGHTS AT FAULT.
THE DRAWBRIDGE DISASTER
CAUSED BY WRONG SIGNALS.

The Coroner's Jury Places the Re-
sponsibility With the Tybee Railroad
Company for Having an Incompe-
tent Watchman at the Bridge-Talk
About the Verdict - The Dead
Woman dentified-Condition of the
lnjured-Crovds Visit the Wrecked
steamer-Travel to Tybee Not Inter
rupted.
The coroner's investigation of Saturday
nights fatal disaster at the St Augustine
creek drawbridge resulted yesterday in
placing the blame on the TYbee Railroad
Company Capt Boulinesu Of the steamer
st. Nicholas was exonerated.
The jury charged the railroad company
with having an Incompetent Waterman at
the drawbridge, whose failure to properly
signal the steamer caused the disaster. The
verdict caused a good deal of talk
as many believed that the officers of the
steamer were responsible for the accident
and the loss of life.
The colored people whose friends and re-
lations were injured in the collision were
greatly excited, and the funerals Of the two
women who were killed were attended by
immense crowds.
The ST. Nicholas was steered across the
river TO Jones wharf early yesterday morn
ing. where she was tied up, and the Waterman
on the Georgia and Florida Inland Steam
boat Conpany's wharf was compelled to
shut Off the lights before the crowds would
leave, even after the killed and manned
were removed. Before O'clock the crowd
began returning to the wharf and there was
a continuous stream throughout the day to
view the steamer as she lay moored across
the river. 1t was interesting for by
stander to listen to the different comments
One old negro was somewhat enthused, and
was telling couple Of women about the
damage to the steamer, when one Of the
women broke OUT "Lawd, lissen at dat
Sous Colina niger. He emit tink bout de
soles OATS gone, but greibe bout de bote
bruk.o The crowd was not all confined to
the colored people, but many white people
viewed the steamer, and wondered that
there were so few killed with SO many
aboard the boat.
WONDER THAT so MANY ESCAPED.
From the character of the damages it
seems nothing short of a miracle that so
many escaped The two "backp braces
made of heavy timbers were broken
in pieces and all the frame work of the
saloon down to the main deck was broken
and smashed up to the pilot house. If the
steamer had been going at a greater speed
than she was the saloon, pilot house and
entire upper wood work would have been
swept clear Of the main deck, or even if
the tide had been a little higher and the
steamer had struck stem on" it
would have split her open from stem to stern
and the loss of life in either case would have
been frightful
The damage to the steamer it is estimated,
will approximate $1,000. An investigation
will be held by the steamboat inspectors OF
the cause of the disaster, and with view
TO placing the blame, il any, where 1t be-
longs.
THE DEAD IDENTIFIED.
1t is rather strange coincidence that the
two women killed were cousins One of
their bodies was pointed out by quite a
number of colored people as that Of Emma
Foreman, but it proved to be Eve Cooper,
wife OF Daniel Cooper, woman about 4S
years old. who lived in locality known as
Jones fields, back Of the Old
Fort. AT 2 O'Clock yesterday
morning a colored man assured the coroner
that it was the body Of Emma Foreman,
and taking the man in the wagon with him,
the coroner took the body down into Yama-
craw, and stopped at the door of the home
of the supposed dead woman, but Emma
1OI6Ludu was III tlGtl dlltl SOullQ asleep. w lel
awakened she came to the door and assured
the coroner that she had not gone on the
excursion, and was alive and well. The
coroner returned with the body to his
undertaking rooms. Yesterday morning
Fannie johnson called and inquired for
a missing woman. and when shown
the face i'll the coffin recognized it as her
mother, and the remains were taken to her
home, and at o'clock yesterday afternoon
fha fuparol ot no A Trio
Baptist church.
The other dead woman, whom none of
the excursionists could identify Saturday
night. proved TO be Amelia Wilson who
lived i'll Broughton street lane near Price
street. She and her cousin, Eve Cooper,
went on the excursion together, meeting at
Amelia's house, where they prepared their
lunch basket.
RECOGNIZED BY A RELATIVE.
Early yesterday morning Coroner Dixon
had the body taken from the boat and laid
under the full glare Of the gas light, and
had the colOred people pass it in single file
and examine it, to see If they could identify
1t. There were more than 1000 people
present, but it was not long before Alfred
Calhoun, brother-in-law Of the woman,
recognized the body as that of Amelia
Wilson, and it was removed to her
home, whore the funeral took place at 4:30
o'clock in the afternoon. The deceased was
about 80 years old, and was a vegetable
peddler. She had been married but was
separated from her husband. She leaves a
daughter 3 years of age.
The Farmers Society,"" local beneficial
society, of which both of tine deceased
women were members, betrayed the ex-
penses of the two funerals.
The members of the committee having
charge of the excursion says that there is
one woman missing, Rena Screven, who
lived in Charlton street lane, four doors
from Price street. She was known to have
gone on the excursion, and nothing had
been heard of her up to last night 1t is
thought that she may have fallen overheard
at the time of the collision aud drowned
NONE BELIEVED TO HAVE GONE OVERHEARD.
Capt Boulineau said yesterday that
after the accident he saw woman stoop
down and pick uD something and go ashore.
He does not think anyone was knocked
overheard, and he said that the Young
white man whom Mr.. Egan thought was
lost applied at the boat yesterday for bis
valise. The captain said that there are
a great many inquiries for property. a
great deal of which has been collected and
cared for, and is given out to the proper
owners upon sa isfactory Identification and
under the authority of tine excursion COM
mittee. He said that there was stir made
about gold watch which had green
ribbon attached and which somebody had
lost The captain has the property. but in
stead Of a gold watch being attached to the
ribbon il is n brass lOckpt