The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-07-05
1 SAD FOURTH. 0R.JULY.
10 a Party Of E1oursionists at Bav-
/, erly, Mass. /
BOAT oAps1zrD. A scoaE LOST.

The Little Excursion Steamer Sur.
CITY Carried About Sixty Persons
When struck by . Sudden squall
Rescuers save Forty or the Victims
Beverly, Mass, July 5.--Ths small
excursion steamer Surf City, with
about 60 passengers on board, while
half way over from Salem willows ia
her wharf here, q distance Of abou,
two miles, was struck by sudden but
terrific sQuall about O'Clock last night
and caDsized. OF those on board a
large majority are believed to have
been rescued by boats from both the
Salem and Beverly shores, but no less
than seven bodies have been recovered;
and as It Is known that many rushed
Into the cabin before the squat Il, ID
thought that twice as many are stiIl
confined there. AS one or two of those
taken ashore are in critical condition,
1t appears likely that the least Of dead
may reach a score.
The following bodies were recovered
from the wreck: Mrs. Katherine D.
Weber, Is years Of age, Beverly: Miss
Grace Smell, 10 years, daughter Of Ar
thur Smell, Beverly; 3-year-old John
Kenney Beverly; Belle Fegan, 16 years
old, Beverly: Miss Lille Conant, 1e.
Danvers, and her 6-year-old brother
Herbert.
OF those rescued Miss Bertha Lovet.
Of North Beverly, Hazel Hersey, year
old, Of Beverly, Miss Emerson Of Dam
vers. and an unknown 2-year-old girl
are still in q critical condition. Otto
Carris, the fireman, was badly scalded.
Captain Daily saw signs of a squat
as the boat left the Willows, but
thought he could make his wharf here
before 1t struck. He had just reached
the Beverly bar when the storm struck
the boat, and at the same time a
lightning bolt struck the beacon at the
end Of the bar.
Amid the terrific din of the thunder
which followed the lightning flash, and
the fearful whirlwind, the little steam
er careened over to starboard and went
down, all so suddenly that even the
commander had the greatest difficulty
in getting out of the boat. The boat
sank In about is feet Of water, her
hurricane deck being loosened in the
gales, while all those on board were
either thrown into the water of the bay
or struggled desperately from getting
from under the decks or out of the
cabin.
The steamer was seen to go down by
persons on both sides of the bay, and
boats Immediately put out to the
wreck, reaching her in a few minutes.
Those In the water were quickly haul
ed aboard, and with the living were
drawn into the boat a number Of dead,
including the bodies of two little chill
dren.
The scene while the work Of rescue
was going on was fearful one, as over
half of those on board were women,
and their screams could be heard for
miles. Many chung to the top of the
hurricane deck and supported them
selves until the boats came, while
others grasped the flagstaffs and even
the smokestacks. The suspense before
the first boat came was awful, for
though the time was but few minutes
1t seemed eternity to those in the seeth-
ing waters.
Nearly all those on board are be-
lieved to have come from this side of
the bay, and last night there was a
wild scene about the city looking for
the missing. In most cases they turn
ed up, but at late hour a dozen or
more were unaccounted for.