The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-07-27
Ran ON THE BRIDGE.
The Squa1l Caused Some
Excitement On Board St.
Peters Parish Ex-
CurSion.
LUCKILY NO ONE INJURED
The Presence of Mind of the Priests
Assured the Excursionists-
I A Financial Success.

The excursion Of St. Peters r. c.
Church to Raritan Beach. yesterday, was
great success In atten dance and financi-
ally, and mirth and music was plentiful,
but it had an incident that will make It
long memorable among the Pensioners.
Two Of The three barges colllded with
the Baltimore and Ohio Bridge over the
Raritan River, and many women and
children and some men were panic
stricken, but no one was seriously hurt.
The excursion was under the patronage
OF st. Peters Sodality Lyceum, and was
for the benefit OF the orphans OF st.
Peter's parish. The Rev. Fathers John
H. Finnegan, Michael Cunningham,
William Cannon, Joseph Zeigler and
Joseph Busam of ST. PETERS College went
along. The Rev John HArpes, the rector,
saw the excursion off. The attendance
is estimated by Patrick Buckley of No.
l31 Morris street. the chairman OF the
Committee OF Arrangements. at $500.
The excursion fleet consisted of the tug
| Idlewild of the Myers Excursion Com
pany. aud the Leonard Richar DIS, owned
| and sailed by the Kiernan Brothers i, and
| the barges Coxsackie, Columbia aud Sus-
| quehanna of the Myers excursion line.
A PLEASANT ST ART.
The start was made AT about ten
| O'Clock. Professor Holden's Orchestra
| furnished the best of music, and there
| was enough of light refreshments aud
| eatahles for all. Everything went mer-
rily and smoothly until the feet drew
near the Baltimore aud Ohio bridge. The
| passage through the lower draw bridge
| was made all right.
| A AsoUALL DID IT.
| But just AS the Baltimore & Ohio
| bridge was reached shower ard heavy
| wind struck the boat. The canvass cur
| tains on the barges were dropped to keep
| out the rain and the squall fell upon the
| bulky craft with great force. After the
Idlewild and the Richards, which were
| using 100 feet of hawser. had steamed
through at the right side of the open
draw. the CoxsacEie on the left
and the miodle barge, the Col
| UNI bia, were blown against the
| breakwater. the wed0e-pointed structure
of the bridge on which the drawbrIdge
| swings. The boats were moving slowly
| and the force was not great. But il was
| sufficient TO cause screaming and
stampeoing among the excursionists.
| The hind end of the barges swung arouad
| before the south channel of The draw
bridge. The wind was terrific, Benches
and chairs were blown over The gaug
planks between the b trges were broken
as tue boats bunked together. Mrs. Pete r
| Cassidy was upon one of them as i5
| broke. Her husband grasped her hand
aud pulled her back upon the Cox 4aekie
| Miss Kieruan, a daughter of Captain
| kiernan of the Leonard Richards. was
crossing from the CoXsackie to the
| Columbia on gang plank broke. She
reached the boat with the assistance of
| outstretched hands, and then tainted.
Other women tainted aud became
hysterical. Prof. Holden made his
| orchestra play lively air, and the
Rev. Father Finnegan. the direo-
tor of the excursion, and the other priests
did all they could to quiet the panic
stricken women and children. The alarm
subsidized in a few minutes when it was
evident there was no immediate danger.
FAST ON THE BRIDGE
| The CoxsRckie's bow laid upon q pro-
jection OF the breakwater which lifted
the bow two or three inches. The CO.
lumbia's bow was damaged, but the boat
men did not consider iG dangerous.
The tug G. A. Robertson, which the ex-
| cursiou tugs had saluted as they passed
her at South Amboy. steamed up and
gave assistance in pulling the Coxsackie
from the breakwater. In half an hour
the barges were ready to proceed.
Father Finnegan decided to return with
out landing at Raritan Beach. which was
only about thirty minutes sail distant,
but it was then nearly four O'Clock. Fn6
return trip was made without annoying
incident. 1t took some time to quiet the
nerves of the ladies who had been most
alarmed, but under the influence OF
music the pleasant sailing aud the
oound-to be jolly young men. even the
| most hysterlcal became calm and the
| excursionists landed at the foot OF Nor
ris street at half-pasb seven o'clock in
good spirits.
A RJG PROFIT
The excursion will probably net s., 900
for the orphans. Nearly all the refresh
ments sid were contributed.
The Committee OF Arrangements were
Patrick Buckley, Chairman; PATRICK J.
Lillis, Secretary; Rev. j. Harpes. S. j.,
Treasurer. and Messrs. Thomas r.
Rooney, Patrick Lee. John Madden aid
The Misses Alice Connolly and A. Bray.
The officers of the excursion were:-
Floor Manager, Thomas f. Rooney;
Assistants. Patrick j. LiIlis, James j.
Fitzpatrick aud John j. Chambers.
Floor Committee. L. Andersack, VIM.
Clarke. john F. Murphy, VIM. Corliss.
VIM. j. Caluon, John Graham. r. +.
Lee. e. A Barry, James Corrigan. L. p.
Connolly, Thomas Doyle, William Har-
ney. Thomas J: Lillis. John Callahan,
P. J. Conboy. John Clinton. I. j. Con-
molly, James Clarke, William Donelon.
Joseph f. Kelly. Joseph p. Moran, Jos.
A. Martin. John Macklin, Jehn Nugen5,
William O'Brien, Jonn j. so mers, g. A,
Logan, E. McGerr. Jonn Martin
William Moffatt, James F. O'Keefe
John f. Rooney. John j. Walsh. James
Fallon, ]. S. Ferris, +. Msehan, Ed. Nc
Cabe, r. O'NeiIl, James A. RoneD, v. S.
Wasilewski. Thomas DonneIly and
Thomas Callahan. Reception Commit
! tee, Chairman, Michael Cassidy and
Michael Gibbons of 81. Peters T.. A. B
society, John Nugeat aud Thomas Brod-
erick OF St. Vincent de Paui's, Joan
Condor and William Gregory, of ST.
Peter's Sodality Lyceum.
Boatmen say the accident at the bridge
was the result of not having pilots on the
0arges.
AND ONLY MARRIED THREE NEEKS.