The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-08-09
DISASTER ON LAKE GEORGE.
THE YACHT RACHEL SUNK AND NINE
OF THE PARTY DROWNED.
An inexperienced Pilot Permitted TO
Take Charge of the Boat Which ne
Ran on an Old Pier and stove n Big
Hole in Her Bottom.

LAKE GEORGE. n. Y. Aug. 4.-The
steam yacht Rachel sunk last night
with twenty-nine guests on board. Such
was the startling news that went ringing
through Lake George this morning. and
10 it was added the information that
nine had been drowned and twenty
saved. The pretty little steamer
Rachel was chartered by a party of
guests of the Fourteen Mile Island hotel
TO convey them to the Hundred Mile
Island house where a dance was in prog
ress. Hannibal Allen, the proprietor and
Mrs. Allen accompanied them Mr. Phil
lips manager OF the Pearl Point hotel
in whose charge the Rachel was. allowed
Pilot Barber to go to his home in the
afternoon as he was sick Engineer
Brisbin was ordered 10 get up steam at
an early hour in the evening, and pro-
coed to the Fourteen Mile house for the
above mentioned purposes. Claude
Granger was ordered in charge of the
boat by Mr.. Phillips He is not an
experienced pilot, although familiar with
that part Of the lake where he has been
employed two seasons.
The boat left Fourteen Mile island at
about O'Clock in the evening. The night
was very dark and plotting was unsafe
except when aided by the trained eye of a
well Informed boatman. Granger got too
far off the channel when going past the
old piers that support the original dock
south Of the One Hundred Mile house
and stove a large hole in the bottom of
the boat. The Rachel sank quickly. 1t
was only few seconds before she went
down. In fact. the passengers scarcely
knew what had happened before the boat
filled with water and sank The ladies'
on board were laughing and singing. II
was nearly 10 clock. Instantly the scene
changed The boat sank so rapidly that
no time was siven to the Inflated pleas
ure seekers to utter a prayer. Some of
the passengers were caught under the
shade deck and died quickly. 1t seemed
hours before help arrived. though a dozen
men were on the water In row boats
almost before the smoke stack of the
Rachel sank from sight.
That so many lives should be lost at
such an early hour of the night and
within speaking distance of the land
where two large hotels are located. can
only be accounted for but by the fact
that the night was unusually dark and
the boat sank so rapidly.
1he rescued passengers We're taken
ashore and a count of their number
taken At first il was reported that only
three were drowned then the number
increased to five. then seven, and finally
nine. The names of the drowned are:
Miss HATTIE L. HALL, Brooklyn.
Ny
Miss EDITH HARDING. Hoboken.
n. j.
Miss BERTHA BENEDICT. Montclair.
y. J.
Miss HENRIETTA NJ. BARTON. Jer-
sey City n. J.
Mrs. J. II MITCHELL. Burlington. VT.
FRANK G. MITCHELL, ten years
old. son Of Mrs. Mitchell
Miss LIZZIE COROLLEY
Miss CLARA BLACK. Burlington, VT
Miss LIZZIE CLARK, Bridgeport.
Conn.
One result Of this accident Is to show
how necessary is the legislation which
was attempted a few winters ago by
gentlemen interested I'm Lake George
navigation. who attempted TO have a
law passed that would prohibit pilots or
engineers from having charge of steam
boats on Lake George unless they could
pass a satisfactory examination before a
board OF experts. Also to have boilers
tested regularly Last nights experience
is no exception. as IL is customary all
over Lake George for novices to run en-
gines and pilot boats. Mr.. Sherman
the owner. however has always been
extremely cautious and never knowing
~ permitted anything Of the kind on
his boats. ~