The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-13
Fourteen Excursionists Crushed to
Death and Several Others
Badly Injured.
They We're Employees Of q Large
Concern and Had Been
Picnicing.
A Sudden squall Came Up and tho Rotten
Timbers of the Barge Gave Way
With Fatal Results.

OF IneOdOre Kaiser, or Graham avenue.
Brooklyn, went on an excursion to Laurel
ton Grove. Cold Spring harbor. to-day, on
the steamer Crystal Stream and the barge
Republic. There we're 800 persons crowded
together on the upper deck of the barge.
Suddenly heavy squall struck the barge
and the upper deck gave way, pinioning
about fifty persons. Fourteen persons
were instantly killed and twenty or
more wounded. Eight women, four chill
dren and two men arc killed. just
before leaving Cold Spring Harbor dock
for the return trip, after all the passengers
were aboard. the squall came up. Tho
boat hands, anticipating a shower, let down
the canvass curtains which are attached to
the hurricane deck of the barge and fast
ened them down to the port side. This
prevented the wind from blowing through
and AS ono strong gust struck the barge it
lifted the 'starboard side of the deck from
its fastening supports and forced
it over on top the port side. As
it pushed over the end of the deck to the
dock to which the barge was fastened it
dropped down upon hundreds of women
and children who had crowded over to that
In moment the air was rent with the
screams and agonizing cries of victims
whose lives were being crushed and their
limbs broken. 1t was in the midst of a
terrible storm. and the waves ran high.
Some persons think the mast of the barge
was struck by lightning, but this is not
known. Officers, deck hands and other
men on the steamer which had the barge in
tow lost no time in reaching the barge and
doing all in their power to rescue all they
could from the wreck.
Willing hands from the grove and neigh
boring places were also 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 we're seen
lying near the gunwale. All 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. OF the dead
bodies those recognized were as follows:
Lizzie Schamant, Mrs. Pauline Prinz, Hoff-
man. Minnie Goetz, Mrs. Lipeninger, Katie
Kautze, Robert Schuler. Amelia Landgrat,
Mary SchrRff. Minnie Sohaullein, Annie
Yoltz, Amelia Wagher, Emma WE'LL Louis
Ku'tz. The pilot of the barge, whose
name could not be escertained, was also
killed. He was in the pilot house when the
wind threw the deck over. lie was thrown
over and fell between the deck and the
boat. Among the injured are Charles Held,
Mrs. Henry lsselmain, Mrs. Hermann.
The wounded were carefully carried aboard
the steamer, which conveyed them to Oys-
ter Bay village, distance of six miles,
where they were attended by physicians.
The bodies of the dead were laid on the
deck of the barge to await the arrival of The
coroner.
The place where the accident occurred ia
at the head of Cold Springs harbor, and is
favorite picnioing ground. The falling
of the deck and sad results are due entirely,
1t ls said, to the rotten condition Of the
supports of the deck. Many excursionists
carried home with them pieces of center
posts which show that they were perfectly
said, is unsafe in other particulars.
Mrs. Schamant, whose daughter Lizzie
was among the killed, says she was stand
ing at the upper end of 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
saw her daughters legs sticking out from
between the guard rail and edge of the deck.
She could hear her screaming, but could
not help her. She does not know what be-
oame of her sister, who WAS standing near
her, and fears that she was also killed.
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 a
cyclone struck the barge and threw it over
to one side. They had rolled down the
canvas on one side to protect those on board
fl lom rain, which had commenced to fall,
when a fearful gust of wind lifted the roof
off and carried it, with the pilot house ana
everything else, over against the nearest
dock. A number of people were crushed
by the edge of the roof. which dropped
down when the supports were broken. and
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 collapsed roof. never
Witnessed such a terrible sight,"
Other accounts of the accident are simi-
lar to the foregoing. When the special
train carrying the survivors home reached
Brooklyn crowd of 1000 gathered at the
depot anxiously awaiting news of those
near and dear to them. The coroner's iury
this evening viewed the bodies of the dead
and gave permit for their removal to
Brooklyn.
Woman and Diamonds
DENVER. Aug. 12.-Friday Marie Bebees,
of this City sent to n prominent ievalrv