St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-08-09
TWO TERRIBLE ACCIDENTS.

Bar Harbor, Me-, Aug. SIN the
rush and hustle Of transfer from an ex-
cursion train to steamer over ferry
slip at Mt Desert Ferry Sunday, an
even score Of excursionists went to their
deaths. Seventeen were drowned and
three died from the terrible experience
Of immersion in the water and injuries
While struggling for life.
1t was the worst accident remembered
in the history Of the state and especially
in the career Of the Maine Central road.
under whose auspices so many excur-
sionists had been brought here About
2OO of them, rushing from the train to
the poat which was to carry them to
Bar Harbor, were without an instant's
warning plunged into the water through
fatal trap. Penned in on three sides
by the pilng of the wharf and on the
fourth by the boat, they fought for a few
minutes, while a hundred or more ex-
cursionists stupefied, and failing at first
TO realize the enormity Of the tragedy
they were witnessing, looked down from
the wharf above
Inc Maine Central railroad ran ex-
curslons to Bar Harbor from all sections
OF Its line in Maine, the attraction being
the warships which were expected. All
the forenoon long trains packed with
excursionists We're rushing to Bar Har-
DOR The train which left Bangor at
o'zo consisted Of IL cars damned with
people. To Mt. Desert ferry, the ter
minus of the line, the train is left for the
boat Tor an eight-mile sail to Bar Har-
DOT. The trains run out onto the wharf
and 1t is but step from the train IN the
boat. The wharf Is owned by the Maine
central railroad and the boat Is a mart
Oh lts system. From the wharf a slim
or gang plank, 40 feet long and 10 feet
VIDE, led up to the boat. The slip was
hinged at the inner end. the outer end
Deihg supported by chains, by which it
was raised or lowered to suit the tide.
Inc wharf extends on both sides flush
with the end of the gang plank. The
plank was of wood. Five timbers 4x12
inches, set vertically, ran the length of
the plank, and those were crossed bv
tWo-inch planking. 1t is said that there
was no support for the plank between
the hinges at the outer end.
When the excursion train from Ran
gor arrived at the ferry there was a rush
for the steamer Sappho. The first few
passengers had crossed the gang safely,
and 1t is estimated that 200 people were
massed upon the plank. Suddenly thev
felt the plank give way beneath them
The long timber supporting the plank
broke in the middle. The hinges held I'M
one end and the chain the other. while
the broken ends of the plank dropped.
and struggling, screaming mass of hu-
mainly was plunged into the water. Is
rect below the wharf. A few chung to
the inclined sides of the plank, but at
least loo 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 outer end
of the opening.
After the first moment of stupefac-
ton 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 thus in groups in a death grapple.
Many taken from the water were I'M
conscious, and were revived with diff
Guilty.
The railroad officials during the early
morning removed much of the broken
ferry slip, and prepared the wharf for
the continuation of traffic. The roads
chief engineer Mr.. Dunn. made an in
spection of the vicinity and fragments
of the slip, and secured statistics for
use later on, when the accident is off,
cially investigated.
From the hasty examination Sunday
1t appeared that the only support of the
gangway was the tlmbers. but when the
wreck was removed yesterday it was
seen that the first cause of the accident,
apparently, was the pulling out of three
one-inch iron rods, which ran the
length Of the gangway, with bolts. APP
parently the nuts had pulled through
the 1O-inch stringpieces, throwing all the
strain on the wooden Orders. Then
came the crash and the awful death
struggle.