The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-08-18
AN EXCURSION HORROR.
Hundreds Crushed andsr the Failing
Deck Of q steamer.

DOCK Oh .Stehhner.
OYSTER BAY, Long island, August
| 12.-Fourteen persons were killed out
right and thirty were injured at Cold
| Spring Harbor at A o'clock this after
noon. An excursion barge was just
clearing the dock on her returnfto Brook
lyn, when the vessel was struck by q
heavy squall end was dashed with great
force against the dock. 1T was in the
midst OF a terrible thunder storm aud
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. AL
was excitement and confusion. Women
and children became panic stricken and
were running about the boat screaming
wildly. The sky was dark and threaten
ing. The sea was feariuily wild.
Before the unfortunate people could
realize their great danger the upper de:k
| of the barge came down with a frightful
crash upon the surging crowd beneath.
When the rescuers set to work and the
wreckage was cleared away a terrible
sight met the gaze of those who were
laborlng with desperate energy to save
the unfortunate people. Fourteen per-
sons lay dead on the lower deck and up
ward OF thirty were more or less severe
lY Injured, and their heart-rendering
means aud calls tor assistance lent addi-
tional horror to the terrible scene. Some
of those on the barge are supposed to
have fallen into the water, but at Q
O'Clock tonight no bodies had been
washed ashore or recovered.
The names OF the killed and injured
have not been learned. Most of them
were strangers to each other and had
no friend with them by whom they could
be at once identified.
The excursion was sent out by the
large dry goods house ofKaiser ofBrook.
lyn, for the benefit of its employees, but
many other persons took advantage of
the excursion to 60 along. Nearly all
are residents OF. Brooklyn and William
burg. There were two barges and three
more tOwed by a large tug called the
Crystal Spring. They left Brooklyn
early this morning and arrived at Cold
Springs Harbor at about noon. The
barges were mOOred TO Dennisons dock,
the excursionists had q picnic at Cold
Springs grove. The boats had barely
left the dock when the accident took
place. Among those killed was the pilot
of the barge. When the confusion had
somewhat subsidized, the superinten dent
OF Kaiscr's large establishment made ar
rangements for sending the killed and
injured to their homes In Brooklyn. He
telegraphed for a special train OF the
Long Island Railroad and it left Cold
Springs Harbor at 1880 p. m.
OF the dead eight are women, four
children and two men. The boat hands,
anticipating n shower, had let down the
canvas curtains which are attached to
the hurricane deck Of the barge and fast.
ened them down on the port side. This
prevented the wind from blowing through
and as n strong gust struck the barge
it lifted the starboard side of the hurri-
cane deck clear from its fastenings and
supports and forced it, and the posts and
partitions in the centre, over to the port
side. AS it pushed over the end of the
deck nearest the dock to which the barge
was fastened, 1t dropped down upon
hundreds OF women and children who
had crowded over to that side of the
barge in an effort to escape. In q mo.
ment the air was rent with the screams
and agonizing cries Of the poor victims
whose LIVES were being crushed out and
limbs broken. The scene was heart
rendlng in the extreme, and the excite
ment caused by the friends and relatives
of those on board who were on the
steamer only added to the pandemonium
which prevailed. The officers, dock
hands 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 were also 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. All of the dead had the live 8
crushed out of them by being caught be.
tween the edge of the fallen deck and
the guard rails.