The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-07

Bar Harbor, Maine. Aug. Ga score
of persons were killed today by the
collapse of the gang plank of the Mount
Desert Ferry.
The Dead.
Mrs. VIM. Murray, of Brewster.
Irving Bridges. of West Hancock
Albert Colson. of Levant
Mrs. AlOnzo Cakes. of Oldtown.
Joseph Murphy. of OldtOwn.
Mrs. Hollis EStey, of Ellsworth.
Clifford Cushman. of COrinth.
Miss Lizzie Wood, of Bangor
Miss Louisa Bartlett. of Bangor.
Charles w. Downes, of Ellsworth
F. F. SweetZer, travelling salesman,
, Portland
Ora NJ. Lank. Danforth.
@. r. Bennett, Brewer. and a woman
believed TO be his wife
Mrs. A. III. Billings. Bangor
Mrs. c. 5. Slower, Ellsworth.
Mrs. George Derwent. Bangor.
Mrs. G.. X. Bennett. Brewer
Miss Lewis. Hampden, Maine
Unknown woman. belieyed to be a
saleswoman for a Boston publishing
house
Excursion to Warships.
The Maine Central railroad today ran
excursions to Bar HarbOr from all sec
lions of its line in Maine, the attract
ion being the warshipS which We're eX-
pected today. All the morning long
trains packed with excursionists We're
rushing to Bar HarbOr. The train
which left Bangor at S:25 consisted of
twelve cars damned with people.
At Mount Desert Ferry. the terminus
of the line, the train is left for the
boat for a eighteen mile sail to Bar
HarbOr. From the wharf a slip of
D
wide ran out to the boat the slip was
hinged at the inner end and was raised
or lowered TO suit the tide. The wharf
extends on both sides flush with the
end of the wooden gangplank- Five
timbers four by twelve inches set YER
tically ran the length of the plank, and
these were crossed by two-inch planks.
1t is said that there was no support
for the plank between the hinges at the
outer end.
: When the excursion train from Ban
gor arrived at the ferry there was a
rush for the steamer SapphO- The first
/ few passengers had crossed the gang
| plank safely and it is estimated that
( 200 people were massed on the plank
Suddenly they felt the plank give way
beneath them. The timber supporting
the plank broke in the middle The
hinges held up one end and the chain
the other, while the broken ends of the
plank dropped and struggling,
screaming mass of humanity was
plunged into the water fifteen feet be
low the wharf A few chung TO the
inclined sides of the plank, but at least
$50 were struggling in the water.
Penned In On All Sides.
The piling of the wharf partially
penned them on three sides. the boat
lying at the wharf closed the outer end
of the opening. After the first moment
of stupefaction the work of rescue be-
gan Ropes and life preservers were
thrown to the crowd, but in the panic
the people in the water clutched one
another and many sank thus in groups
in death grip.
Many were taken from the water I'M
conscious and were revived with DIM
Guilty. Doctors were summoned from
all directions but it was half an hour
before the first arrived The freight
house at the ferry was turned into a
morgue. the bodies being taken there
for Identification as fast as recovered
BY noon seventeen had been recovered
Three other persons were taken on
boad the Sappho and died on the way
to Bar Harbor.
The exact number of dead viii not
be known for some time yet. as a strong
tide sweeps under the pier. and some
: bodies may have been carried away by
il. A diver who was set to work with
out delay was engaged in his search
until o'clock. but only seventeen
bodies were found.
The coroner impaneled jury and the
inquest will begin in the morning
The awful nature of the accident was
not comprehended for at least a min
ute by those who were the last to leave
the train. although the scene changed
instantly from one of holiday gaiety to
death struggle. When the first mo-
ment of the calamity had passed,
panic seemed to seize those who were
safe. and they drew back from the edge
of the water. but for only minute. as
the cooler heads in the crowd. more
especially among the officers and crew
of the setamer. asserted themselves and
the work of rescue began.
Extent of Disaster Unknown.
! Eye-witnessee differ in their estimate
| of the number of people who were car
ried down with the plank, but it was
| the vanguard of the crowd which was
rushing from the train to the steamer.
/ Those who fell into the water last we're
mostly pulled out by main force, but
not a few were gotten out by Goats,
which were Immediately manned
There was will excitement On iand,
| for each excursonlst was rushing in
| and out among his o. her neighbors in
quest of relatives and friends. In the
hurry and hustle of alighting from the
/ train husbands, wives. parents and
children had become separated, and
separation at that moment meant
| heart-breaking suspense. Mrs Estey,
one of the victims. was one of those
who, while only apart from her hus-
band a few feet, lost her life, while MIR.
Estey was saved, although thrown into
| the water.
| In the course of the next half hour
several bodies We're recovered and were
taken to the nearby freight house and
laid out awaiting Identification. 1t
was a gruesome sight and a pitiful one,
as identificationS were made. The
steamer Cymbria came from Bar Har-
hor with four physicians. and { spe-
cial train was hurried from Bangor
with physicians and nurses.
Relief For Sufferers.
President Wilson of the Maine Gen.
trail railroad was near at hand when
| the disaster occurred, and he gave or
| ders to spare no exertion in relieving
! the distress. Many persons had been
| mi in tho ct On -hp edge of