Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-08-14

Bar Harbor, Me-, Aug. IA score Of
persons were killed Sunday by the col
lapse of the gang plank of the Mount
Desert ferry. Seventeen were drowned
and three died from the terrible expert
ence of immersion in the water and in
juries while struggling for life. The
dead are:
Mrs. William Murray of Brewer.
Irving Bridges of West Hancock.
Albert Colson of Levant.
Mrs. Alonzo P. Cakes of Bangor.
Miss Grace Sumner of Bangor.
Joseph Murphy of Old Town.
Mrs. Hollis W. Estey of Ellsworth.
Clifford Cushman of Corinth.
Miss Lizzie Ward of Bangor.
Charles w. Downs of Ellsworth
f. E. Sweetzer, travelling salesman,
Portland
Ora n. Lank of Danforth.
G. II. Bennett of Brewer.
Mrs. G. H. Bennett, Brewer
Mrs. Charles Stover, Ellswor tn.
Melvin McCard of Corinth
Mrs. A. Fl. Billings, Bangor.
Mrs. George Derwent, Bangor.
Miss Lewis of Hampden, Me-
Unknown woman, believed to be a
sales-woman for Boston publishing
house. The Maine Central railroad to-
day ran excursions to Bar HarEbor from
all sections of it's line in Maine, the at
traction being the warships which were
expected to-day. All the morning
long trains packed with excursionists
were rushing to Bar Harbor. The
train which left Bangor at 1926 con-
sisted of twelve cars jammed with peo-
pie. At Mount Desert ferry the ter
minus of the line. the train is left for
the boat, for an eight-mile sail to Bar
Harbor. The wharf, a slip or gang
plank, forty feet long and ten feet wide
led up 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
tieally, ran the length of the plank and
these were crossed by two-inch plank
ing. 1t is said that there was no sup
port 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 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
tie broken ends of the plank dropped
and 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
partially penned them in on three
sides and the boat lying at the wharf
closed the other end of the opening.
After the first moment of stupe-
faction the work of rescue began.
ANOP0o Gnu i1A0 p10o0I vols "C1O IHlOWu
to the crowd but in the panic the peo-
pie in the water clutched one another
and many sank thus in groups in
death grapple. Many were taken from
the water unconscious and were re-
vived with difficulty.
Doctors were summoned from all di-
rections, but it was half an hour be-
fore 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 Harbor.