The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1891-08-13
A HARB0R CRASH.
TERRIBLE DISASTER ON AN
EXCURSION BARGE.
IA KILLED AND 80 INJURED.
A Squat Lifted the Hurricane
Deck and Dropped it on the
OrOwd-Frightful Scenes
When the Crash Came.


NEW York, Aug. l3.-Tourtecn persons
were killed outright and thirty more
were injured at Cola Spring Harbor aU 4
o'clock last evening.
They were just clearing the dock on at
excursion barge to return to Brooklyn
when the vessel was struck by n heavy
suuall 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 ExcItemrut.
All was excitement and confusion;
women and children were running about
and screaming with fright. The sky was
dark and threatening, aud a heavy sea
was running when the upper deck of the
barge fell with a crash upon the crowd
beneath. Fourteen persons lay dead upon
the deck when the wrcckage was cleared
away and upward of thirty moro 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 ExcurslOnists on Board.
The excursion was sent out by tho
big dry goods house of Kavser of Brooklyn
for the benefit ol its employees, but many
other persons took advantage OF the ex-
cursiou to 20 along. In all there were
about GOO persons, nearly all of whom
are residents O. Brooklyn and Williams
burgh. The excursion mad two barges,
which belonged to Mild's Excursion
Company, and were towed by a large
tas. THO croursiou parity left BROOKLYN
early in the morning aud arrived az
Cold Spring harbor about noon.
The boats had barely put OIL from the
dock on the return trip when the aoci.
dent happened. Among the killed was
the pilot of the barge. Waeu the CON
fusion had suhsidcd 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 a
jury and, after an examination, permit.
ted the removal Of the bodies. The jury
in It's verdict strongly ceusured the
owner Of tho excursion barge Tor care
lessness, as The vessel was found to be H'
rotten as punk aud totally u~nseaworthy,
The bodies Of the people whose lives
were lost were brought to the foot Of
South Fifth street, Brooklyn, on the
steamer To chester. Ambulauces were
in waiting and the bodies of IA men,
women and children were carried TO the
Fifth Precinct station house.
Che Death Roll.
The following have been identiaodi
Mrs KATE FALLER, aged Az, aud her z
y~ear-old daughter Kate.
MISS GoETz, aged IS.
RoBERT S%HULER, pilot of barge.
KATE kANrz, aged 4.
LIZZIE S~CHRENAUT, aged 8.
PAULINE PRINCE, aged %.
MRS, LIvEIBINK, aged 80.
J. HOFFMAN,
story of an Eye WItnoss.
Charles Wetzlein, of No. "a johnson
avenue, was on tho lower deck Of the
barge when the crash came.
"rhere Was a stroke of Lightning" he
said, "and then there came such a violent
gust Of wind that the boat swayed back
and forth. There was n crash and / hearC
women and children s~hr.ekiug. Many o.
the excursionists dropped into the water
when tho barge went over on one sid,
and the boat looked as though she wal
gong to capsize.
"IAe brukemen and the railroad peo
pie acted like brutes. They wanted t,
be paid Tor everything, and many peopl
who hadn't ny money had TO foil bacl
aud set home as well as they could."