Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-08-13
CRUSHED TO DEATH
Terrible Disaster on an Ex-
cursiOn Barge.
IA KILLED AND 80 INJURED
A squall Lifted the Hurricane Deck and
Dropped It on the Crowd


Trip-There We're 600 Excursionists ON
Board from BrOoklyn-FrIKhtful Scenes
When the Crash OAme-The Coroner
Says the Vessel Was Trustworthy.
NEW York, Aug 1S.-Fourteen persons
were killed outright and thirty more
were injured at Cold Spring Harbor at
o'clock last evening.
They were just clearing the dock on an
excursion barge to return to Brooklyn
when the vessel was struck by a heavy
squall and dashed against the dock. It
was in the midst of a terrible thunder
storm, the waves ran high, and some
people think that the mast of the barge
on which the people were killed was
struck by lightning. This Is not known,
however.
There Was Great Excitement.
All was excitement and confusion;
women and children were running about
and screaming with fright. The sky was
dark and threatening, and a heavy sea
was running when the upper deck of the
barge fell with crash upon the crowd
beneath. Fourteen persons lay dead upon
the deck when the wreckage was cleared
away and upward of thirty more were
severely injured. Others are supposed to
have fallen into the water, but up to 8
o'clock no bodies had been washed ashore
or recovered.
600 Excursionisks on Board.
The excursion was sent out by the
big dry goods house of Kavser of Brook lyn
for the benefit of its employees, but many
other persons took advantage of the ex
cursion to go along In all there were
about 900 persons, nearly all of whom
- D. r1r,, Nd
burgh. The excursion had two barges,
which belonged to Mild's Excursion
Company, and were towed by a large
tug. The excursion party left Brooklyn
early In the morning and arrived at
Cold Spring harbor about noon.
The boats had barely put off from the
dock on the return trip whom the aooi-
dent happened. Among the killed was
the pilot of the barge. When the con-
fusion had subsidized the superintendent
of Kayser's establishment sent the killed
and wounded to their homes in Brook
lyn by special train.
The Vessel Was Rotten.
The coroner Immediately summoned
jury and, after an examination, permit
ted the removal of the bodies. The jury
in its verdict strongly censured the
owner of the excursion barge for care
lessness, as the vessel was found to be as
rotten as punk and totally trustworthy.
The bodies of the people whose lives
were lost were brought to the foot of
South Fifth street, Brooklyn, on the
| steamer Rochester. Ambulances were
| in waiting and the bodies of IA men,
| women and children were carried to the
| Fifth Precinct station house.
The Death Roll.
The following have been identified:
MRS. KATE TALLER, aged 4O, and her T.
year-old daughter Kate.
| Miss GoETZ, aged IL.
ROBERT SHULER, pilot of barge.
| KATE KANTZ aged 4.
| LIZZIE SCHRENAUT, aged g.
| PAULINE PRINCE, aged so.
MRS. LIvEREINK, aged ~.
| j. HOFFMAN.
| Story of AN Eye Witness.
Charles Wetzlein, of No. "a Johnson
| avenue, was on the lower deck of the
| barge when the crash came.
"Thsre was stroke of lightning" he
said, land then there came such violent
gust of wind that the boat swayed back
and forth. There was a crash and heard
women and children shrieking. Many of
the excursionists dropped into the water
when the barge went over on one side
and the boat looked as though she was
going to capsize.
"The brakemen and the railroad peo-
Pile acted like brutes. They wanted to
be paid for everything, and many people
who hadn't any money had to fall back
and get home as we'll as they could"