The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1896-07-22
A FRlGHTFUL ACCIDENT.
Nearly Score of Workmen Are
Drowned at Cleveland.
Net Death While Crowded Together ir a
Boat on Their Way Home-All the
Victims We're Ore Handlers
and Mostly Foreigners.

CLEVELAND, July 1.-THE most
appalling disaster which has occurred
in Cleveland except the viaduct horror
last winter, when loaded street car
plunged 100 feet into the river, oc-
Cured last night at o'clock. While a
flat-bottomed ferry boat loaded with
between 40 and so laborers was cross
ing the old river channel it was cap
sized and all the men thrown into the
channel and between Is and 90
drowned, IA bodies having already been
taken from the water.
The accident was due to a panic
among the men on board. The boat
was loaded so that the gunwale was
only three inches above the water, and
a 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 out.
They were all members of gang of
ore handlers and were going to their
homes. The scene in the river as de-
scribed by the men on tug and the
steamer Langdon, which were passing,
was one of wild struggle for life. Men
grappled each other and went down in
the fierce embrace.
Lines and life preservers were
thrown from both vessels and many
were pulled aboard. Others of the un-
fortunates were rescued by small boats
and some swan ashore. The life saw
| ing crew was summoned and the work
| of searching for bodies at once begun.
| Within short time fourteen of the un-
fortunates were 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 missing 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 cer-
tain amount per trip on the ferry and
the more who got on, the less it cost
tho passengers. The men mostly lived
on Guage street and Selden avenue,
| WulCu lCcLu lONh w OllC UOSNSi anu JllS
scenes there were heartrending Men,
women and children ran about scream
ing and praying, aad the disorder
which prevailed made it impossible to
get Ineligible stories from even those
who were rescued. The men were all
Germans and Poles and their families
cannot speak English.
An immense crowd soon gathered on
the banks of the river, watching the
work of the boats conducting the
search for bodies. Among the specta.
tors was William Benlow, pressman.
In moving about he lost his footing,
fell into the river and was drowned.
The work of identifying the corpses is
proceeding slowly, owing to the bodies
having been taken to various morgues
The undertakers almost came to blows
in the mad rush to gain possession o.
the bodies, and the police had to inter
fere in the interests of decency. Fol
lowing are the names of the bodies 81
far identified:
Charles Sprocke, married; leaves seven chill
| dren
William Saunders, married; leaves one child
August Ka stem, married.
Michael Lynch.
Fritz Bartelt
Charles GeriLch, married
- Prokup single.
Charles Bohrmester, married.
Julius Erske, married.
Chris Gehren married,
Unknown man at Gallaghers morgue.
Unknown man at Hogan s. Sharer's morgue
Charles Krausa widower; leaves three chill
| dren.
Edward Ryan, married
Among those rescued was Richard
Martin, engineer of tte new steamer
Sir Henry Bessemer, which was lying
at the ore docks. When he saw thu
boat was turning he jumped, but wal
caught under the craft when it turned
over and, working bis way underneath
the boat, getting air by rising in thu
overturned craft, he managed at las
to dive clear of the wreck and, swim
ming to his own vessel, was hauled
aboard. He was the only passengeI
on the boat who was rot an orS