, 1891-08-13
FRIGHTFUL DISASTER.
Terrible Accident on Board an
Excursion Barge.
Heavy Winds Cause the Upper
Deck to Give Way.
Which Falls on a Struggling
Mass of Humanity.
Fourteen of the Pleasure Seek
ers Lose Their Lives.
Stories of the Disaster Told BY
Eye Witnesses.

hlNEOLA, IL. l., Aug. l2.-The en-
ployes of Theodore Kaiser of Graham
avenue, Brooklyn, went on an excursion
to Laureltou grove, Cold Spring hsrbor,
today on the steamer Crystal Stream and
the barge Republic. There were 800
persons crowded together on the upper
deck of the barge. Suddenly a heavy
squall struck the barge and the upper.
deck gave way. pinioninR about fifty
persons. Fourteen persons were Instantly
killed and twenty or more wounded.
The injured were taken to Oyster bay for
treatment.
Eight women, four children and two
men were killed. Just before leaving the
Cold Springs harbor dock for the return
trip, after all the passengers were aboard,
a squall came up. The boa hands, an
ticidating a shower. let down the canvas
curtains which are attached to the kurri-
can deck OF the barge and fastened them
down to the port side. This prevented
the wind from blowing through, and as
one strong gust struck the barge 1t lifted
the starboard side off the deck from its
iastenings and supports and forced it over
to the top OF the port side. As it was
pushed over the end of the deck near.
est the dock to which the barge was
fastened it dropped down upon hundreds
of women and children who had crowded
over to that side OF the barge in an effort
to escape. In a moment the air was rent
with screams and agonizing cries OF vic
TINS whose lives were being crushed and
limbs broken. 1t was in the midst of a
terrible storm and the waves ran high.
Some persons think the mast OF the barge
was struck by lightning, but this is not
known.
The officers, deck hands and other men
on the steamer which had the barge in
tow lost no time in reaching the barge
and doing all in their power to rescue all
they could from the wreck. Willing
hands from the grove and neighboring
places were soon at work. and 10 fifteen
minutes the fallen deck was raised sufi-
GENTLY to allow all those who we're alive
and un%iniured to crawl out and the in
iured TO be assisted from the barge. 1t
had been hoped that none were killed, but
the liieless bodies of fourteen were seen
lying near the Runwale. All had their
lives crushed out bv being caught between
tie edge of the fallen deck and the guard
rails. Women, children and even strong
men went piteously as they looked upon
the dead or dying.
OF the dead bodies, those recognized
were as follows: Lizzie Schamant. Mrs.
Pauline Prinz, Mrs. Hoffman, Minnie
GOetz. Mrs Lipenfinger and Katie
Kautze, The pilot of the barge, whose
name could not be ascertained, was also
killed. He was In the pilot house when
the wind threw the deck over. He was
thrown over and fell between the deck
and boat.
Among the injured are: Charles Held,
Mrs. Henry Isselmann, Mrs. hermann.
The wounded were carefully carried aboard
the steamer, which conveyed them to
Oyster Bay village. a distance of six
miles, where thew were attended by
physicians. The bodies OF the dead we're
laid on the deck of the barge to await the
arrival OF the coroner.
The place where the accident occurred
is at the head of Cold Springs harbor,
and is a ~favorite picknicking ground. The
falling and sad results are due entirely, it
Is said, to the rotten condition of the
supports of the deck. Many excursionIsts
carried home with them pieces of the
centre posts which show that they were
perfectly rotten at the core. The barge
itself, it is said. is unsafe in other
particulars.
Mrs. Schamant. whose daughter Lizzie
was among the killed. says she was stand
ing at the upper end of the barge. She
saw the storm coming and was trying to
get to shelter when the cyclone came and
ripped the top OF the barge off and a
minute later she saw her daughters legs
sticking out from between the guard rail
and the edge of the deck. She could
hear her screaming. but could not help
her. She does not know what became of
her sister, who was standing near her, and
feared she was also killed.
George Peters, who was slightly injured,
said: Everybody had gone on board the
barge and steamer and they were Just pre-
pairing to cast off the hawsers by which
the barge was fastened to the dock when
the cyclone struck the barge and threw it
over to one side. They had rolled down
the canvas on one side to protect those on
board from the rain which was commenc-
ing to fall, when a fearful gust of wind
lifted tho roof off and carried it, with the
pilot house and everything else, over
against the side nearest the dock. A
number of people we're crushed between
the edge ofthe roof. which dropped down
wnen the supports were broken, and |
think most OF those who we're killed had
their lives crushed out In that wav. as
sisted a humble of women and cbildrsp
to get from under the deck. mayer vii.
messed such a terrible sight"
Other accounts of the accident are s,mi
lar to the foregoing. When the snec;a,
train carrying the survivors home reached
Brooklyn a crowd of 2, 900 gathered at the
depot, anxiously awaiting news of those
near and dear to them.
The coroner's Jury this evening viewed
the bodies Of the dead and gave a permit
Tor their remsyal to Brooklyn,