Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-07-05
A Steamer Sunk at .Bever|y---Loss Of
Life Thought to Be Nearly 80.
Hampton Beach, H., Swept Many
Lives Lost and Hundreds Injured.
THE BEVERLY DISASTER.

Beverly, Mass, July 4.-The small
excursion steamer Surf City with
about 60 passengers on board while
half way over from Salem Willows. to
her wharf here, distance of about 2
miles, was struck by a sudden squall,
about O'Clock tonight, and capsiZed.
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 at dark, and as it
known that many rushed into the
cabin before the squail, it is thought
that twice as many are still confined
there. AS one or two OF those taken
ashore are in a critical condition, it
appears likely that the list of dead
may reach a score.
The following bodies We're recovered
from the wreck:
Mrs. Catherine D. Weber, % years
old, of Beverly.
Miss Grace Smell. 13 years old, dauGh-
ter Of Arthur Smell of Beverly.
The 3-year-old son Of John Kennedy
of Beverly.
Miss Myra B. Fegan.
Miss Lille j. Conant of Danvcrs and
her 5-year-old brother, Herbert II.
Conant.
Late this evening, the body of Miss
Nellie CROSBY was recovered.
OF those rescued, Miss Bertha Lovett
of North Beverly; Hazel Hersey, l.
year-oId. Beverly: Miss Emerson Of
Daivels. and an unknown 2-year-old
girl are still in a critical condition.
Otto Carr, the fireman, was Also badly
scalded.
The Surf City is Il small steamer.
with two decks and has been making
short trips in Massachusetts bay for Il
number of years. This year. she was
put on the Bakers Island Line, max
ing q dozen trips a day from this city.
stopping at Salem Willows. She came
up from Bakers Island about o'clock.
and left Salem Willows at COS.
Capt Dalby, her commander, saw
signs of a squall as the boat left the
Willows. but thought he could make
his wharf here before it struck. 1t
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 thund "
which followed the lightning flash ana
the fearful whirlwind. the little steam
er carcened over to the Starboard ami
went down, all SO suddenly that her
commander had the greatest diilienlty
in getting out of the pilot house. The
boat sank in about Il feet of water, her
hurricane deck being loosened in the
gale While all those on board We're
either dead or into the wind beaten
waters of the bay or struggling des-
pera tely to get from under the decks
or ont of the cabin
The steamer was seen to 50 down by
persons on both sides of the hay, aud
boats Immediately put out 10 the
wreck, reaching her in n few minutes.
Those in the water We're quickly hauled
aboard some being taken to the Bev-
erly shore. while others We're taken TO
Salem. This scattering of the sur
vivors led to the greatest confusion ana
for a long time, tonight. it was difficult
from the conflicting stories to ascertain
just how many persons were on the
boat.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
rescuers worked hard and well, there
were those to whom aid came too late.
With the living were drawn into the
boats a number OF dead, including the
bodies of two little children. Some Of
the bodies were taken to the undertake
ing rooms at Salem and others to Bev-
erly.
The young yachtmen of the Juvc-
nile Yacht Club saved more than half
and every boat at the club was utilized.
Others from the wraves worked fully
as hard and every effort was made to
get the mass of struggling humanity
to the shore. The work of rescue was
on board We're women and their
screams could be heard for miles.
Many chung to the top of the hurri-
cane deck and supported themselves
until the boats came, while others
grasped the nagstaffs and even the
smokestack. The suspense before the
first boat came was awful, for though
seemed eternity to those in the seath-
ing waters.
Darkness closed down on the i'll
fated boat, with the tide rising rapidly
about the smokestack and it is hardly
probable that any more bodies will be
found before tomorrow morning
Nearly all those on board are believed
to have come from this side of the bay.
and tonight there is wild scene ah0i
the city looking for the missino
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