Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-07
SCORE OR MORE DROWNED.
Gang Plank Breaks With Party Of
ExcursiOnists at liar Uarbor.

"A score OF persons were drowned yester-
day by the collapse of. the gang plank of
the Mount Desert ferry, at Bar Harbor.
Me- Fully 80 persons were suddenly
thrown into the water. and for few mo-
nents ii appeared as IL half Of them would
be drowned.
Following is a list of those known TO be
dead: Mrs. William Murray OF Brewer.
Irving Bridges Of West Hancock. Albert
Colson of Levant, Mrs. AlonZo y. Oakcs OF
Bangor, Miss Grace Summer of Bangor,
Joseph Murphy of Oldtown. Mrs Hollis W.
Estey OF Ellsworth, Clifford Cushman Of
Corinth, Miss Lizzie Ward of Bangor
Charles w. Downes of Ellsworth. F. n
Sweetser, travelling salesman, Portland,
Me; Ora NJ Lank Of Danforth. G. II. Ben
nett of Brewer, Mrs. q. IL. Bennett II
Brewer, Mrs. Charles Slower of Ellsworth,
Melvin McCard Of Corinth. Mrs. A II. Bill
irgs of Bangor, Mrs. George Derwent of
Bangor, Miss Lewis of Hampdeu. Me; UNI
known woman. believed To be a saleswo-
man for Boston publishing house.
The Maine Central railroad ran eXcur-
sions to Bar Harbor from all sections Of
Its line in Maine, the attraction being the
waFships, which were expected. All the
morning long trains packed with eXcur-
Sic nists Were rushed 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, Cor an
eight-mile sail to Bar Harbor.
From the wharf slip, or gang-planlS
forty feet long and ten feet wide, led up to
the boat The slip was hinged at the inner
end. the outer end being supported by
chains, by which il was raised or lowered
to suit the tide. The wharf extends on
both sides flush with the end of the wooden
gang plank. Five umbers, four by twelve
inches, set vertically, ran the length Of the
plank, and these were crossed by twO-inch
pianking. 1t is said that there was no sup
port for the plank between the hinges at
the outer end.
When the excursion train from Bangor
arrived at the ferry, there was rush for
the steamer Sappho. The first few pas
sengers had crossed the gang-plank safely.
and it is estimated that 2D0 people were
massed upon the plank. Suddenly they
felt the plank give way beneath them The
long 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 a struggling,
screaming mass of humanity was plunged
into the water, fifteen feet below the
wharf.
A few chung to the inclined sides of the
plank, but at least $50 were struggling in
the water The piling of the wharf par
TALLY penned them in on three sides and
the boat lying at the wharf closed the
outer end of the opening.
After the first moment of stupefactiop,
the work of rescue began. Ropes and life
preservers were thrown to the crowd, but
in the panic the people in the water
Clutched one another, and many sank Tins
in groups in a death grapple. Many taken
from the water were unconscious, and
were revived with difficulty. Doctors were
summoned from all directions. but ii 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 board the
Sappho, and died on the way to Bar Har-
Dor.