The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1899-08-10
DROWNED IN A TRAP
Two Hundred Persons Thrown
Into the Water.
FERRY HORROR At MOUNT DESERT
The Loss of Life Not Fully Known,
hut Seventeen Dead Bodies Have
Already Been nRecovcrcd-Many
Were Seriously Injured.

BAR HARBOR, Me-, Aug. with
the lightest of hearts, amid laughter and
exchange of merry comment, for so many
of them were known to each other, near
ly score of eXcursionists ran to their
death ut Mount Desert ferry yesterday.
The catastrophe was flightful in the eX-
ueme, for ii came when scores of per-
xls, young I old, were penned into
rap, to csc from which they fought
9th desper IN against great odds. 1t
vas the We accident remembered in
the history @ he state, and especially in
the career of sc Maine Central road, un-
der whose auspices so many eNcursionists
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
any warning plunged into the water
through fatal trap. Pcnned in on three
sides by the piing of the wharf and on
the fourth by the boat, they fought for a
few minutes, while 100 or more excur-
sionists, stupefed and failing at first to
realize the enormity of the tragedy they
were witnessing, looked down from the
wharf above.
The Maine Central railroad yesterday
ran excursions to Bar Harbor from all
sections of its line in Maine, the attrac-
tion being the warships which were ex-
pected there. All the forenoon long
trains packed with excursionists were
rushing to Bar Harbor. The train which
left Bangor ct S:25 consisted Of IL cars
jammed with people. At Mount Desert
ferry, the terminus Of the line, the train
n left for the boat for an eight mile sail
10 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 a part of its system. From the
wharf a slip or gangplank 40 feet long
and 10 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.
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 gangplank safe
Iy, 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 the broken ends of the plank drop
ed, and a struggling, screaming mass OF
humanity was plunged into the water IL
set below the wharf A few clung tt
he inclined sides of the plank, but a
sast $50 w0re struggling in the water
he piling OF the wharf partially pennet
hem in on three sides, and the boat lyint
ut the wharf closed the outer end of thu
opening. After the first moment of stu
pefaction the work of rescue began
Ropes and life preservers were thrown t.
the crowd, but in the panic the people il
the water clutched one another, anC
many sank thus in groups in dealt
yrapple. Many taken from the waite
were unconscious and were revived will
litficulty. Doctors were summoned from
Ill directions, but it was half an hou
before the first arrived. The freigh
house at the ferry was turned into
norgue, the bodies being taken there 70
identification as fast as recovered. b.
noon II had been recovered. Three othe
persons were taken on board the Sapph
and died on the way to Bar Harbor.