The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-08-20
LIVES CRUSHED OUT.
Picnic Barge Caught in = Squall ON
Long Island SOund-The Hurricane
Deck Blown Down sixteen Persons
Killed and Many Iniure


Long Island sound-The Hurricane
Deck Blown Down sixteen Persons
Killed and Many Injure,.
New YORK. Aug. i3.-Sixteen people
met death in one of its most horrible
forms at Cold Spring grove Wednesday
afternoon. Their lives were crushed
out of them. Twenty others, and per-
haps more. were injured. some Of them
fatally. They were members of an ex-
cursion party composed of the en-
ployes Of Theodore kayser. dry goods
merchant Of Brooklyn. +. D., and
their friends. They left Brooklyn in the
morning on the steamer Sylvan Stream
and the barge Republic During the
four hours trip to the grove they
danced and sang. They ate their
lunches in the grove and had reem-
barked and were about to start on
their return when mighty squall
Of wind struck the barge, raising
one portion of the roof and dashing
it down on the other. crushing to
death the people beneath it. On
the steamer and barge were about 500
men and women and as many children.
A panic ensued and there was wild
rush for the dock. All the reports of
the catastrophe agree that it could not
have occurred had the barge been .
vessel of proper strength. Its timbers
are reported to have been rotten,
and they parted, where others would
have withstood the force Of the
squall.
nlo NJ, Fl,a NSc$a
prepared to start home. There was
suspicious blackncss in the heavens and
the wind came in gusts, which the
weather-wise did not like. The steam
er's pilot. fearing to be caught at the
dock by the storm. hurried the people
aboard. Before the hawsers were
thrown off the rain began to
fall in torrents, and the wind
had increased to hurricane. The
lightning became intense in its brill
liancy and the thunder peals were deaf
ening. Women became frightened and
the boats crew had difficulty in main
tanning order As soon as the barge
was freed from its lashing the
homeward journey began. The
steamer had hardly begun to
move when a binding flash of
lightning. accompanied by a crack Of
thunder occurred. At the same in
slant the hurricane deck of the Re-
public collapsed 1t lifted straight up
in the air and fell with an awful crash.
The deck was packed with people, and
down on their unprotected heads it
| came with terrific force. crushing life
and all semblance of humanity out of
| the unfortunate ones short time be-
fore SO full of happiness. Then the
cyclone was gone and nothing was left
behind but the shrieks of the wounded
and the groans of the dying.
Almost the whole upper roof of the
barge was blown off and the two poles
or masts lay across them, pinning down
all who sat or stood on that side. This
was the side where almost all the peo-
pie were being sheltered from the rain.
A pitiful cry from the hundreds inn
prisoned beneath the debris arose.
Mothers were shrieking for their
children, and children, mangled
and crushed, were beseeching
with their feeble voices to
be released. The confusion was
we'll nigh indescribable. So quickly
had the cyclone swept over the barge
that not soul realized what had hap
pened until the great mass Of fsplintered
wood came laundering down. One man
in q white flannel suit was pinned
down by heavy timber which lay
across his chest. By q tremendous
effort he freed himself, and was
7 a. hot
ised safety when he stumbled against q
support and loosened it. The heavy
piece of wood struck him on the head
and he was thrown into the water. He
sunk instantly. Almost at the same
moment a 5-year-old child, bright,
fiaxen-haired little thing, reached for
ward crying, Papa. papa" She would
have fallen overheard. too, but was
sei7ed by the skirts by woman whose
face was covered with blood. The little
one was drawn back and saved. A
dark k-haired woman about 80 years OF
age was under great load of debris.
She was groaning feebly. but when
they got her out she was dead Her
face was shockingly distigured and
both arms were broken.
The work of clearing .way the de-
bris was begun at once. 4 horrible
task it was. for in the mass of twisted
iron and broken wood arms and legs
were entangled. As soon as the bodies
were extricated they were wrapped in
canvas and placed on board the steam
er. 1t was sickening sight Women.
young girls and children seemed to be
the principal victims The pilot OF
the Crystal Stream, Robert Schuler,
was instantly killed at his
post Of danger. A number of the sum
mer boarders and yachtsmen from the
craft in the harbor and few brave
men on the steamer rushed to the as.
sistance of the stricken eNcursionists.
When the injured were released they
disappeared, and it was next to impos.
sible to find them Few escaped with
out cuts or bruises.
Coroner s. II. Rodman, of Hunting.
ton, held an inquest aboard the barge
and. while withholding verdict, gave
pei mission for the bodies to be re
moved to Brooklyn. An examination
of the two masts which practically die
all the damage shows that they were
rotten to the core. A child could hav.
broken them with good blow. Hal
way up they We're sheathed will
brass, probably to hide their tru'