The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-07-17

lives were lost In an accident which oc-
CURED about ESQ o'clock this evening
OIL the river bed near the ore docks OF
the Cleveland &c Pittsburgh Railway
Company. The ore handlers had Just
quit work for the day and were wait
Ing their turns. TO cross the branch OF
the river on tho fiat bottomed ferry boat,
which they had provided for their own
use. 4 number OF the men had crossed.
When the ferry reached the dock the
last time at least twenty men crowded
upon 1t. The boat which was about
thirty feet long and not more than four
feet wldo would carry safely not moro
than dozen persons. The stream Is
not wide, however. and the hurrylng
ore handlers had no thought OF danger.
The boat was pushed from the shore
and was being propelled across the
stream. When 1t was about half way
over It began TO sink. Then US the
men rushed 10 the side, Il turned over.
All the occupants were thrown into the
shore, alarmed at the capslzins OF the
little craft. at once threw HE preserv-
ers and planks to the unfortunate men,
but most OF them sank like lead. A few,
however, managed to swim ashore,
while one ur two were picked up by
tug. The first report OF the accident
placed the number OF dead at twenty
two. but that proved to have been an
exaGGeratlon. The life saving crew.
whose station Is near the scene of the
accident, was summoned at once and
the work OF recovering the bodies from
the river was begun. Within half an
hour seven corpses had been laid side
by side upon the dock, but the llfe-sav-
@rs continued the work. Three more
bodies have been recovered,
Stuck TO the Boat.
Richard Masten, chief engineer OF
the steamer Bessemer. which the men
had been unloading, was on the ferry,
when It overturned. He thinks there
must have been thirty or more men
on the frail craft. The boat was float
Ing all right. he says. until the steamer
Aragon, big orc CurTier, came down
the river. The swell from that vessel
caused 1t TO rock und the men became
alarmed. Many OF them rushed 10 the
side und Jumped overheard before the
boat capslZed. The wash from the Ar
aS9n carried them under the water and
several. OF them ,wGre drowned before
help could reach them.
The men struggled frlntically," said
Masten, ITO save themselves, but they
seemed puwerless When ] saw that
the boat was going over decided 10 stny
with II. That Is what saved my life.
let the boat turn over on me. anu by
putting my head above the water UNDER
meath II. escaped the swell OF the steam
er and came out all right
Two boys, Barnard Patton. aged 10,
and Martin Corrlgan, nged 1G. were In
the boat and both saved themselves by
swimming to the shore.
After the ten bodies had been taken
from the water, they We're conveyed TO
the morgue for Identification. None OF
the men drowned lived near the place
where the accident occurred. and al
though IA great crowd OF curiosity seek
ers had assembled, nobody who saw the
bodies rs they were taken from the river
was able to Identify single one OF them.
The Dead.
Following Is list OF the dead at the
morgue;
William Saunders.
August HASTEN.
Michael Lynch.
Fritz Bariel.
Chris Gerluch.
- Prokup.
Carl Bohrmeister.
Julius Erke.
Christ Gehren.
Charles kraus.
Edward Ryan.
Charles Spoerke.
Charles Suluen.
An unknown man at Hogan & Shear
er's morgue had not been Identified up
to midnight.
There were many pathetic scenes
about the morgue while relatives OF the
dead. men were Identifying the. 1t Is
believed at IL O'clock that all the bodies
have been recovered. though II Is possI-
bic that one or two victims may be add
TO the list yet.
William Buelow, II ,prrssman. went
down 10 the river to see the excitement,
fell on mn abutmcnt near the Detroit
bout landing and was drowned.
The river Is still being dragged for
more bodies.
.