Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-13
AN AWFUL DISASTER
Fourteen People Crushed by a
Barge Capsizing.
TWENTY OTHERS INJURED.
1t Was an Excursion Party of the En-
ployes of n Largo Dry Goods Es-
tablishment---A Sudden Gale
Over Long Island Sound.
Co1p SPRINGS HARRoR, LONG ISLAND, N.

CoLD SPRINGS HARBoR, LONG ISLAND, N
Y. Aug. IA terrible disaster occurred
here this afternoon by which fourteen per-
sons, eight women. four children and two
men lost their lives. The steamer Crystal
Stream, with the barge Republic
in tow. ard having aboard about five hun
dred adults and as many children on an eX-
cursion of the employees of Theodore kayser,
dry goods dealer of 1917 Graham avenue,
Brooklyn, arrived at the Cold Spring grove
dock about . O'Clock About 80 the last
whistles for all to get ABOARD
were sounded by the steamer, and at $40
everybody was ready to start. The larger
portion OF the eXcursionists were on the
barge. where the younger people were
dancing. Just then some heavy clouds COW
cred the sky, then came squat OF wind
driving everything before it. The boat
hands, anticipating a shower, had let down
the canvas curtains, which are attached to
the hurricane deck of the barge, and fast
ened them down TO the port side. This
prevented the wind from blow
ing through, and as one strong gust
struck the barge, it lifted the stars
board side of the hurricane deck GEAR from
its fastening and supports, and forced II
and the posts and partitions in the center
over TO the port side. As it pushed
over the end of the deck nearest the
dock to which the barge was fas-
women and children who han crowded over
to that side of the barge III an effort to es-
cape. In Il moment the air was rent with
shrieks and agonizing cries of the
poor victims whose lives were
being crushed out and limbs
broken. 1t was in the midst of terrible
thunder storm, and the waves ran nigh.
The scene was heart-rending in the eX-
IRENE. The officers, deck hands and other
men on the steamer lost no time in reach
ing the barge and doing al in their
power to rescue all whom they could from
the wreck. Willing hands from the Grove
and neighborhood were soon at work and
in fifteen minutes the fallen deck was raised
sufficiently to allow those who were alive
and uninjured to crawl out, and the injured
to be assisted from the barge. 1t had
been hoped that none had been killed, but
the lifelesS bodies Of fourteen We're 10 be
seen lying near the gunwale. Women,
children and even strong men ,wept pit
eOusly as they looked upon the dead or dy
ing. OF the dead bodies those who
were recognized were as follows:
LIZZIE SCHMANT. nine years.
Mrs. PAULINE PRINz, thirty-tive years.
HOFFMAN. a man of thirty-hve.
MINNIE GOETZ, sixteen years.
Mrs. LIPENFINGER.
MATTE KAUTZ four years.
The pilot of the barge whose name could
not be ascertained, was also killed.
Among the injured are: Charles Held,
Mrs. Henry Isselmann, Mrs. thinner
man, ffty-six years old. The
wounded We're carefully carried aboard
the Crystal Stream, which conveyed them
around Oyster Bay village, distance of
six miles, where they We're attended by
Drs. Fuller. Frye, Stanswick, Stewart and
Whitney. The steamer then returned
here and carried another load to Oyster
Bay, and again u third load. In the
meantime arrangements We're be
ing made by committee of
train to carry the excursionists to Brook
.yn. A number took the train which left
Oyster Bay at sos for Long Island city.
Others, among them some of the most seri-
ously injured, remained on the Crystal
Stream which left for Brooklyn
at about 100
The bodies of the fourteen dead We're laid
in a row on the deck of the Inflated barge
and were covered over with tar
paulins to await the arrival of the cor
oner from Huntington. The place where
the disaster occurred is at the head of Cold
Spring harbor, not far from Laurelton, and
is fauorite picnic ground. The falling of
the deck of the barge and the sad result
that followed are, it is csaid, due to
the entire rotten condition of the supports.
Many of the excursionists carried home
with them pieces OF the center posts, which
show that they We're perfectly rotten at the
core. The barge itself is said to be unsafe
in other particulars.