Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1896-07-18
OVERCROWDED
Flatbottom Ferry Boat Capsizes
in the River at Cleveland.
The Most Appalling Disaster Since
the Viaduct Horror Last Winter.
1t Wos Loaded with Laborers at the Time
between Fifteen and Twenty Persons
Drowned Fourteen Dead Bodies
Have Becn Found SO Far.


CLEVELAND. July l7.-Thc most ap-
palling disaster which has occurred in
Cleveland except the Viaduct horror.
last winter, when loaded cur plunged
100 feet into the river, occurred Thurs
day at three O'clock. While the fiat
bottomcd ferryboat, loaded with be-
tween forty and fifty laborers, was
crossing in the old river channel, it
was capsizcd and all the tncn throw.
into the channel and between fifteen
and twenty drowned, Ia bodies having
already been taken from the water.
The accident was due TO panic among
the men on board. The boat was
loaded so heavily that the guuwalcs
was only three inches above the water,
and passing tug made waves which
came into the boat. At once there
was rush TO the other side and the
boat went under and spilled the men.
They were all members of n gang of
ore handlers and were coming to their
hCmcs The scene in the river, as de-
scribcd by the men on the tug and the
steamer Langdon, which were passing,
was one of "a wild struggle for life
Men grapplcd each other and went
down in fierce embrace. Lines and
life prcscrvers were thrown from both
vessels and many were pulled aboard.
Others of the unfortunates were res
cued by small boats and some swan
ashore. The life saving crew was sum
moncd and the work of searching for
bodies at once began. Within short
nf tln fOrtrn
brought to shore and taken to the
morgue for identification. Those who
escaped scattered in every direction
and it is uncertain just how many lives
were lost: but 20 men are reported miss
ing and the dragging of the channel is
still in progress. The crowding of the
boat was due to the fact that the ore
gangs pay just so much II trip on the
ferry and the more that got on the less
the cost to the passengers. The men
mostly lived on Guage street and Sell
den avenue, which lead down TO the
docks and ship yards and the scenes
there are indcscribablc. Men, women
and children were running about
screaming and the disorder which pre-
vailed made it impossible to get intelli
gent stories from even those who were
rescued and have returned home. The
men were all Germans or Poles and
their families can not speak English.
BY IL o'clock Thursday night IA bod
les had been recovered and taken to
the various morSucs. There was an
immense crowd soon gathered on the
bank of the river, watching the work
of the boats conducting the search.
Among them was VIM. Benlow, press
man. In moving about he lost his
footing, fell into the river and was
drowned. The work of Identification
is proceeding slowly, owing to the bod
les having been taken to various
morgucs. The scenes enacted by the
were disgusting in the eX-
treme. They almost came to blows in
their anxiety to gain possession of the
bodies and the police had to Interfere
in the interest of fdecency, and threaten
to arrest them.
CLEVELAND July ,17.-At daybrenk
Friday the crew of the fire tug Clevc-
lander returned to the old river bed to
continue the search for the bodies of
the men drowned by the capsizing of
the ferry yhoat Thursday night. When
Capt. Motley and the lifc-saving crew
quit at II. M, after a diligent search
of five hours, in which 10 bodies were
hauled to the surface, the crew of the
Clevelander took the life-savers' ap-
paratus and continued the search un-
til $50 a. III. 1t was resumed after
breakfast.
An hour after daybreak the streets
and bypaths leading to the scene of
the horror were packed with steady
st ream of humanity. While hundreds
came out of curiosity, in the great
throng, however, were many anxious
relatives of the missing. At nine
o'clock the adjoining docks were lined
with thousands of people watching the
search. The decks of the steamers
Bessemer and Wolf were filled to over
flowing. 1t was estimated that nearly
10000 people assembled to watch the
search.
Four boats, each containing two men,
glided about, trailing line attached
to graphing hooks.
When the ill-fated scow was righted,
hats, caps and dinner pals. foated
from underneath. There were still
three bodies missing at noon.
American Fiint Glass Convention.
ALTON. H., July 17.-The American
flint glass convention finished its work
here Thursday night and adjourned
One Of the most important acts of the
meeting was the adoption Thursday OF
a resolution favoring union with the
Green Glass Workers association.
Pittsburgh was chosen as the next
place of meeting. President w. j.
Smith was reelected.
Voorhees, Health Improving.
WASHINGTON, July 17.-Word receiv-
ed Thursday from Senator Voorhees,,