The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-08-07
A HORROR IN MAINE
Nearly a Score Of Excursion
lists Drowned by a
Piers Collapse.
200 THROWN INTO WATER
OUGHT WITH TERRIBLE DESPER-
-AIION TO ESCAPE,

Penned Into Trap-A Hundred Other
ExcurstOnists Witness tho Death
Strugglcs-Seventeen Bodies Were Re-
covered-Three Persons Die from the
Shock-Accident the Worst Remem-
bercd In States History.
Bar Harbor, Me-. Aug. 6.-With the
lightest OF hearts. amid laughter and
exchange of merry comment for so
many of them were known to each
other, nearly score Of excursiouists
on their way to visit the ships Of Samp-
| sons squadron ran to their death at
| Mount Desert ferry to-day. The catas-
| trophe was frightful in the extreme, for
1t came when scores Of persons, young
| and old, were penned into q trap to es-
cape from which they fought with des-l
peration against great odds. 1t was the
worst accident remembered in the his
tory OF the state and especially in the
career of the Maine Central road, under
whose auspices SO many excursionists
had been brought here.
Two hundred Of them, or about that
number, rushing from the train to the
boat which was to carry them to Bar
Harbor, were, without an instants
warning, plunged into the water
through a fatal trap. Penned in on three
sides by the piling of the wharf, and
on the fourth by the boat they fought
for few minutes while hundred or
more execursionists, stupef1ed, and fail
ing at first to realize the enorrf1ity Of
the tragedy they were witnessing, look
ed down from the wharf above. The
Maine Central railroad to-day ran ex-
cursions to Bar Harbor from all sections
of it's line in Maine, the attraction be-
ing the warships, which We're expected
to-day.
All the forenoon long trains packed
with excursionists were rushing to Bar
Harbor. The train which left Bangor
at 8:25, consisted of twelve cars jammed
with people. AT Mount Desert ferry,
the terminus Of the line, the train
is left for the boat, for the sail
to Bar Harbor. The trains run out on
to the wharf and it is but a step from
the train to the boat. The wharf Is
owned by the Maine Central railroad
and The boat Is part of it's system.
From the wharf slip or gang plank,
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 it was ,
raised or lowered to suit the tide. The
wharf extends on both sides flush with
the end of the gang plank. The plank
was Of wood. Five timbers four by
cat xyortica1Iu the
length of the plank, and these were
crossed by two-inch planlxs. It 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
rush for the steamer Sappho. The hrst
few passengers had crossed the gang
plank safely and it Is estimated that 2OO
people were massed upon the plank.
Suddenly they felt the plank give way
beneath them The long timber sup
porting 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
into the water, fifteen feet be-
low the wharf A few clung to the in
,lined sides of the plank, but at least 15O
were struggling in the water. The pill
ing of the wharf partially 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 stupefac-
ion the work Of rescue began. Ropes
and life preservers were thrown to the
,rowd but in the panic the people in the
water clutched each other and many
,ank thus in groups In death grapple.
Many taken from the water were un-
conscious and were revived with difficult
" Doctors were summoned from all
directions, but it was half an hour be-
ore the first arrived. The freight house
It the ferry was turned into a rnorgue
he bodies being taken there for identif1
alton as fast as recovered. BY noon
eventeen had been recovered. Three
ther persons were taken on board the
,appho and died on the way to Bar
Iarbor. The positive Identification are
s follows:
Mrs William Murray of Brewer.
Irving Bridges of West Hancock.
Albert Colson Of Levant.
Mrs. Alonzo P. Oakes of Bangor.
Miss Grace Summer of Bangor.
Joseph Murphy OF Oldtown.
Miss Lewis of Hampden, Me-
Mrs Hollis w. Estey of Ellsworth
Clifford Cushman Of Corinth.
Miss Lizzie Ward of Bangor.
Charles w. Downes of Ellsworth.
f. E. Sweetser travelling salesman, OF
ortland.
Ora M. Lank of Danforth.
G. H. Bennett of Brewer.
Mrs G. H. Bennett Of Brewer.
Mrs. Charles Slower of Ellsorth.
Melvin McCard of Corinth.
Mrs. A. S. Billings Of Bangor.
Mrs. George Derwent of Bangor.
The exact number Of dead will not be
nown for some time yet, as a strong
de sweeps under the pier, and some
odies may have been carried away by
A diver, who was at work without
clay, was engaged in his search until
o'clock but only seventeen bodies were
und.