St. Paul daily globe., 1891-08-13
Rotten Supports Give Way in
a Storm, and Consterna-
tion ReignS.
The Awful Change From Joy
to Sorrow Makes Strong
Men Weep.
New York's Prayer for Rain
Is AnsWeped--Dying
Infants.


sons-eight women, four children and
two men-lost their lives. The steamer
| CRYSTAL Stream with the barge Republic
| in tow, and having aboard about 500
| adults and as many children on the eX-
cursion of the employees of Theodore
Kayser, dry goods dealer of No. 1917
Graham avenue, Brooklyn, E. D., ar
rived at the Cold Spring dock about
o'clock, having LETT South Sixth
street. Brooklyn, E. D.. at 1880 O'Clock
this morning. At half past three the
last whistles for all to get aboard were.
blown by the steamer, and at 3: :45 every
body 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
covered the sky; then came squall, the
wind driving everything before it. The
boat hands, anticipating shower, had
let down the canvass curtains which are
attached to the hurricane 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 it lifted the StarbOard
side of the hurricane deck clear from its
fastenings and supports and forced it
and Il posts and partitions in the cen
ter over to the port side. AS it pushed
over the end of the deck nearest the
dock to which the barge was fastened
dropped down upon the hundreds of
women and children who had crowded
over to that side of the barge in an et-
fort to escape. In moment the air was
Rent With Screams
and agonizing cries of the poor victims
whose lives we're being crushed out and
limbs broken. 1t was in the midst of
terrible thunder storm, and the waves
ran high. Some persons think that the
mast of the barge on which the people
were killed was struck by lightning.
But this is not known. All was excite
ment and confusion. Women and chill
dren became panic stricken, and were
rnnning about the boat screaming wild
Iy. The sky was dark and threaten ming,
and the sea was fearfully wild. The
scene was heart1rending in the ex-
treme, and the excitement caused
by the relatives and friends of those
on the barge, who were on the steamer,
only added to the pandemonium which
prevailed. The officers, deckhands and
other men on the steamer lost no time
in reaching the barge and doing all in
their power to rescue all whom they
could from the wreck. Willing hands
from the grove and neighboring places
we're soon at work, and iD fifteen mill
utes the fallen deck was, raised Sqtf-
ciently 10 allow all 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 were seen to
be laying near the gunwale. All had
the lives crushed out of them by being
caught between the edge of the fallen
deck and the guard rails. Those who
knew no friend of theirs was missing
hurried away to make room for the hun
dreds who saw friend or relative dead
! or injured. Women and children, and
even strong men wept piteously as they
looked upon the dead or dying, The
following persons were recognized
among the
Dead and Dying:
LIZZIE ScHAMANT, nine years, of PA briggs
treet.
Mrs. PAULINE PRINz thirty-fve years, of -
briggs street.
= HoFFMAN, man of thirty-five, residing
at Graham avenue and Scholes street.
MINNIE GoETZ, sixteen years, OF Stagg and
Even streets.
Mrs. L1pENFINGER I06 Graham avenue
KATIE KAUTzE, four years, 152 Graham av-
enue.
KATIE KAUTz, four years, 1872 Graham ave-
nue..
WILLIAM HOFFMAN,, captain of the Crystal
Stream.
ROBERT SCHUYLER, pilot of the barge.
AMELIA LANDGRAF. 101 Stagg street.
MARY SCHAFF, 199 Graham avenue.
MINNIE ScHEULLIE, 152 Graham avenue.
ANNE VoLTZ, Graham and Boerum ave nue..
AMELIA WAGNER, Green Point
EMMA We'll, 455 Manhattan avenue,
Mrs. PAULINE PRINZ, briggs street.
Mrs. ANTHONY LEPENFINGER, 196 Graham
avenue
MINNIE GoETz Stagg and Evan streets.
LOUIS KURTz ia Montrose avenue.
The pilot of the barge, whose name
could not be ascertaiped, was killed.
He W in the pilot house when the
wind threw. the deck over. He was
thrown over and fell between the deck
and the boat.
Among the injured are: Charles
Held, 231 Johnson avenue, arm broken
and other bruises. Mrs. Henry IsSel-
man, No. 1O6 Skillman avenue, foot
broken and other bruises. Mrs. Zerr-
man, ffty-six years old, of No. 1l0 Jack
son street, seriously hurt in the chest
and side of head. 1t is feared that
her injuries will prove fatal. She
was taken home by her daughter.
The wounded were carefully carried to
Oyster Bay village, distance of six
miles. where they were attended by
Drs Fuller, Frye, Stanswick, Stewart
and Whitney. The steamer then re-
turned here and carried another load to
Oyster Bay, and again a third load. In
the meantime arrangements were being
made by the committee of the excursion
for special train to carry the eXcur-
sionists to Brooklyn. A number took
the train which left Oyster Bay at 6:03
for Long Island City. Others, among
them some of the most seriously injured.
remained on the Crystal Stream, which
left here for Brooklyn later. The
bodies of the fourteen dead were laid in
a row on the deck of the ill-fated barge,
and were covered over with tarpaulins,
to await the arrival of the coroner from
Huntington. The place where the dis
aster occurred is at the head of Cold
Spring harbor, not far from Laurelton.
and is favorite picnic ground. The
falling of the deck of the barge, and the
sad results that followed, was, IL is said,
due entirely to tine rotten condition Of
the supports, which were perfectly rot
ten at the core.
what Survivors Say.
Mrs. Schammant, whose daughter,
Lizzie, was among the killed, says that
she was standing at the rear end OF the
barge, her sister being about the middle
with the little girl. She saw the
storm coming, and was trying to get to
shelter when a cyclone came and