The Globe-republican., 1891-08-19
CRUSHED TO DEATH.

CHOSHeO TO DEATH.
Part of the Deck Of . Barge Falls ON I
| Merry Making Party During . Storm
Fourteen Killed aud Many Seriously
Hurt.
COLD SPRING HARBoR, L. l., Aug. Is
"A terrible disaster occurred here YES
terday afternoon, by which fourteez
persons-eight women. four childrez
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 an excursion of the EN-
ployes of Theodore Kayser, dry good.
dealer, of Graham avenue. Brooklyn
arrived at the Cold Harbor dock about
o'clock, having left South Sixth
street, Brooklyn, at 1890 in the morn.
ing. About $3.50 o'clock the last
whistles for all to get aboard were
blown by the steamer and at S:4>
everybody 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 every.
thing before it.
The boat hands, anticipating a
shower, had let down the canvas cur.
tains which are attached to the hurri-
cane deck of the barge and fastened
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 hurri.
cane deck clear from its fastenings and
supports. and forced it and the posts
and partitions in the center over the
port side. As it pushed over, the end
of the deck nearest the dock to which
the barge was fastened 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
moment the air was rent with shrieks
and agonizing cries of the poor victims
whose lives were being crushed out and
limbs broken.
The officers, deck-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. and 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 had been
killed, but the lifeless bodies of four
teen were seen to be laying near the
gunwale. All had had the life crushed
out of them by being caught between
the end of the deck and the guard rails
Women and children and even strong
men wept piteously as they looked upon
the dead or dying. OF the dead bodies
those who were recognized were as fol-
lows:
Katie Kautze, years; William Hoff.
man, captain of the Crystal Stream;
Robert Sculler, pilot of the barge;
Amelia Landgraff, Mary Schaff, Minnie
Schullen. Annie Voltz, Emilia Wagner,
Emma We'll, Mrs. Pauline Prinz. Mrs
Anthony Lepnefinger, Minnie Goetz,
Lizzie Schamant, 9 years old; Louis
Kurtze. Among the injured are:
Charles Held, arm broken and other
bruises; Mrs. Henry Isselman, foot
broken and bruises; Mrs. Zimmerman,
So years old. 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
aboard of the Crystal Stream, which
conveyed them around to Oyster Bay
village. distance of six miles, where
hey were attended by physicians. In
the meantime arrangements were being
made by the Committee of the excur.
sion for special train to carry the ex.
cursionists to Brooklyn. A number
took the train which left Oyster Bay at
6 o'clock. Others, among them some of
the most seriously injured, remained on
the Crystal Stream, which left here for
Brooklyn at about 7:3O o'clock. The
bodies of the fourteen dead were laid
in a row on the deck of the Inflated
barge and were covered with tarpaulin
to await the arrival of the coroner from
Huntington.
The place where the disaster 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 are. it is said. due entirely to
the rotten cond ition of the supports.
The news of the accidents had pre-.
ceded the trains arrival and Brooklyn
was besieged by crowd of not less than
1000 people who were friends or rela-
tives of those who had gone away on
the excursion in the morning Every.
one was asking those who left the train
whether those belonging to them had
escaped. Others, mostly men. looking
for wives and children, were crying as
they asked for their children. whom
they had heard were killed or injured
a "BliNO TIGER"
Georgia Legislators Placed In y Very Pc