Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-08-08
THE INQUEST.
Coroner Fields of Bar Harbor
Investigating the Disaster.
Testimony Shows that Slip Broke Un-
der Weight Of People.
Evidence in Line With the Information Already
Made Public.

Bar Harbor, Ne. Aug. The open
ing Of the coroncr's inquest into yes
terday's frightful accident at Noun
Desert Ferry. when 70 persons los
their lives ana 4 score Of more were
badly hurt, has brought to the surface
as it were--an especially keen interest
in the accidents course.
But interest does not lessen in the
least the feelings of horror and sadness
which spread over the entire commun-
ity when the news Of the disaster first
went forward. 4 night of anxiety was
followed by a day full of effort to de-
termine if any other lives had been
sacrificed and happily the suspense
was not long.
When daylight came the waters un-
der the wharf at the ferry We're care
fully inspected and as the tide receded
men wandered about in the mud III
search for traces of other victims
Divers were also at work in deer
places but the fears that the death list
was greater than indicated. last night
We're not realized
On shore there was no less an effort
made to relieve the sufferings of the
injured who had been cared for in a
nearby hotel. Several patients We're
sent to their homes and the several
cases given the most careful attention.
Only two persons are believed to be
on the dangerous list. tonight. Mrs
Brooks and Mrs. Melvin Davis, both of
H.
pneumonia.
Among the injured who We're sent to
their homes in special cars We're the
following:
Mrs. Mary Sweeney, Bangor, spine in
jured.
Miss Nora Mcnamara, Bangor, back
and chest.
Mrs. James Dunning, neck and spine
Miss Lillian Danelson, Brewer, ner-
vous shock.
Mrs. Mary Shortan. Bangor.
Mrs. George w. Weyler. Bangor.
George Southard, East Hampden
Eugene Radley. Bangor.
The railroad officials during the
early morning removed much of the
broken ferry slip and prepared the
The road chief engineer, Mr.. Dunn.
made an inspection of the vicinity and
fragments of the slip and secured sta
tistics for use later on. when the acci-
dent is officially Investigated.
From the hasty examination. yester-
day. it appeared that the only support
Of the gangway was the timbers. but
when the wreck was removed, today. it
was seen that the first cause of the
accident, apparently was the pulling
out of three 1-inch iron rods which ran
the length of the gangway. with bolts.
Apparently the nuts had pulled
through the 10-inch string piece. throw
ing all the strain on the wooden grid
ers. Then came the crash and the aw-
full death struggle.
The coroner's inquest was to have
begun early in the morning, but the
absence of a stenographer delayed the
proceedings until afternoon. and then
it proceeded slowly as testimony had
to be taken in longhand. Coroner d.
l.. Fields of Ellsworth. conducted the
inquest. John L. Bunker, Jr, of abr
Harbor, county attorney of Hancock
county, acted as clerk. Lawyer B. c.
<Nu'itoil VI DdISoI, WHO ulSllHSulSHeu
himself by his efficient work of rescue
as attorney for several of the
injured.
The first witness examined was Capt
II. n. Fairbanks of Bangor. He stood
beside the gangway near the outer end
of the wharf watching the people go
ing aboard and speaking to those he
knew. He said it was an orderly crowd
no unusual pushing, but the crush
of crowd of people all bent in the
same direction and anxious to board
the boat. A few may have jumped
over the chains at the side to reach the
slip quickly. but there was no rough
ness. Capt. Fairbanks said that an in
stant before the crash he heard a
slight noise above the rush of feet
which he now believes was caused by
the bolts pulling through the head
piece of the gangway. Then followed
the crash of the breaking timbers and
the fatal plunge.
Capt. Fairbanks wife and daughter,
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