The morning call., 1891-08-13
STRUCK By SQUALL
Terrible Disaster on Long
Island Sound.
Fourteen Persons Crushed to Death and
Many Others Injured
Collapse of the Hurricane Deck Of 8 Barge
Crowded With EXCurSlOniStS-LiSt
Of the Killed.
EIeoial TO THE MORNING CALI

M1NEoLA Nong Island), Aug. 12.-The
employees of Theodore Kaiser of Graham
avenue, Brooklyn, went on an excursion to
Laurelton Grove, Cold Spring Harbor, to-
day, on the steamer Crystal Stream and the
barge Republic. There were 500 persons
crowded together on the upper deck of the
barge. Suddenly heavy squall struck the
barge and the upper deck gave way, pin
ioning about fifty persons.
Eight women, four children and two men
were killed.
Just before leaving Cold Spring Harbor
Dock for the return trip, after all the pas
sengers were aboard, a squall cameup. The
boat-hands, anticipating shower. 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 pre-
vented the wind from blowing through, and
as one strong gust struck the barge it lifted
the starboard side of the deck from the
fastenings of the supports and forced it
over to the top of the port side. AS it
pushed over the end of the deck nearest the
dock to which the barge was fastened
children who had crowded over to that side
of the barge in an effort to escape.
In a moment the air was rent with the
screams and agonizing cries of the victims
whose lives We're being crushed out and
limbs broken. 1t was in the Dlidst of ter
rible storm and the waves ran high. Some
persons think the mast OF the barge was
struck by lightning, but this is not known.
THE WORK OF RESCUE.
10 n4JI.a l. a. 4 II.
the steamer which had the barge in tow
lost no time in reaching the barge. and do
ing all III their power to rescue all they
could from the wreck. Willing hands from
the grove and neiehhoring places were soon
at work, and in fifteen minutes the fallen
deck was raised sufficiently to 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 were killed, but the lifeless bodies of
fourteen persons were seen lying near tho
gunwale. All Of them had their lives
crushed out by being caught between the
edge of the fallen deck and the guard rails.
Women, children and even strong men wept
piteously as they looked upon the dead or
dying.
The wounded were carefully carried
aboard the steamer. which conveyed them
to Oyster Bay Village, a distance of six
miles, where they were attended by physi-
clans. The bodies of the dead were laid on
the Coroner.
CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
The place where the accident occurred is
at the head of Cold Springs Harbor and is a
favorite plcknlcking ground. The falling
Of the deck and the sad results are due en-
tlrely, 1t Is said, to the rotten condition of
the supports of the deck. Many of the eX-
curSionists carried home with them pieces
of the center posts, which show that they
were perfectly rotten at the core. The
barge, itself, 1t 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 hf 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 minute later
she saw her daughters legs sticking out
from between the guard-rail and the edge or
the deck. She could hear her screaming,
but could not help her. She does not know
what become of her sister, who was stand
ing near her, and she feared she was also
killed.
TERRIBLE SIGHT.
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 can
vas on ono side to protect those ON board
from the rain, which commenced 10 fall,
when gust of wind lifted the roof off and
carried it, with the pilot-house and every
thing else, over against the side nearest the
dock. A number of people were crushed
between the edge of the roof, which dropped
down when th- supports were broken, and
L think most of those who were killed had
their lives crushed out in that way. l as
sisted number of women and children to
get from under the deck. / never witnessed
such terrible sight"
Other accounts of the accident are similar
to the foregoing. When a special train,
lyn, crowd of 1000 persons gathered at the
depot anxiously awaiting news OF those near
and dear to them.
KILLED AND INJURED.
Following is a list of the dead:
SCHAMANT, LIZZIE.
PRINZ. MRS. PAULINE.
HOFFMAN,, -.
GOETZ, MINNIE.
LIPENFINGER, MRS.
KAUTZE. KATIE.
SCHUYLER, ROBERT.
LANDGRAF, AMELIA.
SCHAFF, MARY.
SCHAULLEIN, MINNIE.
VOLTZ ANNIE.
WAGNER, AMELIA.
WE'LL, EMMA
KURTZ, LOUIS.
The pilot OF the barge, whose name could
not be ascertained, was also killed He was
III the pllot-houSe, and when the wind
threw the deck over he was thrown over and
fell between the dock and the boat.
THE INJURED.
Among the injured are:
HELD, CHARLES.
lSsELMANN, Mrs. HENRY.
HERMANN, Mrs.
The CorOner's jury this evening viewed
the bodies of the dead, and gave a permit
for their removal to Brooklyn