The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-08-07
Mt. DESERT HORROR
Score Of Persons Drowned by the
Breaking Of a Gang Plank.
A HUNDRED AND,P1FTY PEOPLE

Prccipitntcd Into thcvRtcr, and Many
sank Beneath the waves while
Clutching Each other in Death
Gropple-An Were ENcursionists.
Bar Harbor Ne, Aug. IA score
of persons were killed yesterday by
the collapse OF n ganCplank OF the
Mount Desert ferry Seventeen were
drowned and three died from the ter
rible experience of immersion in the
water and injuries while struggling for
life
Following is a list Of the dead so far
as now known: Mrs. William Muir
ray, Of Brewer; Irving Bridges, West
Hancock; Albert Colson, Levant; Mrs
Alonzo p. Oakes, Bangor; Miss Grace
Summer, Bangor; Joseph Murphy old
town; Mrs. Hollis w. Estey, Ellis
worth; Clifford Cushman, Corinth;
Miss Lizzie Ward, Bangor; Charles w.
Downes. Ellsworth; +. r. Stweetser,
travelling salesman, Portland; Ora NJ
Lank, Danforth; Mr. and Mrs. G.. II.
Bennett, Brewer; Mrs. Charles Stover,
Ellsworth; Melvin McCard, Corinth;
Mrs. A. II. Billings, Bangor; Mrs.
George Derwent, Bangor; Miss Lewis,
Hampden; unknown woman, believed
to be a saleswoman for a Boston pub
fishing house.
The Maine Central railroad ran ex-
cursions to Bar Harbor from all sec
tions of it's line in Maine, the attrac-
tion being the warships, which were
expected yesterday.
All the morning long trains packed
with excursionists were rushing to Bar
Harbor. The train which le Bangor
at S:25 consisted of ~ cars jammed
with people. At Mount Desert ferry,
the terminus of the line, the train is
left for the boat, for an eight mile
sail to Bar Harbor. From the wharf
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 1t 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 vertically ran the
length of the plank, and these were
crossed by 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 Ban
gor arrived at the ferry there was a
rush for the steamer Sappho. The
| first few passengers had crossed the
gangplank safely, and it is estimated
that 200 people were massed on the
| plank. Suddenly they fell, the planl
| giving away beneath them. The Ions
timber supporting the plank broke IL
the middle. The hinges held up one
end and the chain the other while the
broken ends of the plank dropped, anC
a struggling, screaming mass of hu
manity was plunged into the water II
feet below the wharf. A few clung L
the inclined sides of the plank, but a
least $50 were struggling in the water
The piling of the wharf practically
penned them in on three sides, and th'
boat lying at the wharf closed thu
outer end of the opening.
Ropes and life preservers were throw
to the crowd, but in the panic the peo
pie in the water clutched one another
and many sank thus in groups in
death struggle. Many taken from tn
water were unconscious and were re
vived with difficulty. The freigh
house at the ferry was turned into
morgue, the bodies being taken ther,
for Identification as fast as recovered
By noon II had been recovered. Thre
other persons were taken on boart
the Sappho, and died on the way u
Bar Harbor.
The exact number of dead will not b
known for some time yet as a stron
tide sweeps under the pier, and som
bodies may have been carried ava,
by 1t. A diver, who was set to worl
without delay, was engaged in hi
search until o'clock, but only l
bodies were found.