Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-08-14
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT IN MAINE.

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the steamboat wharf, under the Maine
Central baggage and freight shed
at Mt Desert Ferry Sunday morning.
The accident was due to the sunder-
ing of the slip platform while the tide
was a-food and the way on which
passengers were walking aboard the
Bar Harbor steamer Sappho was at a
level with the planking Of the wharf.
The inner end of this platform was
attached to a big timber of hard pine,
foot wider at each end than the slip,
with rounded undersides to work
hinge fashion. To the outer, or wa
ter end were fastened two heavy link
ed chains by which, with system of
weights a nd pulleys, the platform was
lowered or elevated to correspond
with the level of the deck of vessels
locked to discharge Or receive pas
sengers.
Sunday was an excursion day, and
a considerable part Of the upper
Maine population, wishing to see the
fighting ships of the North Atlantic
squadron, had started from various
places on the Maine Central and the
Bangor & Aroostook roads for Bar
Harbor. The regular 1925 train out of
Bangor was crowded to the platform,
and it rolled into the station about 20
minutes behind the schedule time of
arrival. The little steamer Sappho
was at the landing place awaiting the
excursionists, and when the train
halted the outpour of passengers was
tremendous. The steamboat was not
ready to take the rush at the moment,
but those anxious to be first aboard
crowded on to the platform of the slip
until there was not room for any more
to squeeze in. Those in the rear of
this torrent of humanity pushed and
yelled for those ahead to move on.
1t was a merry gathering, some were
singing and some calling to friends,
while the impatient among them were
clamoring for more haste in getting
aboard.
It was 1920 when the deck hands
aboard the Sappho took down the
rail piece to the gangway entrance,
and people were moving aboard, when
an unusual commotion was noticed in
center of the slip, while frightened
faces were seen to turn quickly and
frantic struggles were made by those
back. 'Don't push" cried those in
the rear, and they in turn began
crowding protest against the surge
coming back against them. "For
Gods sake give way, the slip is break
ing!" some one cried. Then woman
screamed, frightened children called
to their parents, and the string pieces
of the slip snapped like the rattle of
musketry. When the timbers broke
those in the center of the slip dropped
into the water like plummets, and
those on the outer and INNER ends
tumbled down on their heads, push
ing them under to death.
The crowd was so dense and eager
that people 20 feet away from the
slip did not know what had happened,
and mistook the screams and cries for
help for the horseplay of some of the
young men. This mistake caused the
going overheard of others, who see
ing what had taken place, tried to
stop at the entrance to the slip, but
were pushed into the water That
no more than 20 we're drowned will
always impress those who saw the
accident with amazement, for in the
water was a struggling crowd. Life
preservers, ropes, planks and chairs
were lowered or dropped down into
the struggling mass.
Work of resuscitating was going on
all over the station platform. Fifty
persons were stretched out in the ho-
tel Bluffs. The dining room looked
like ward in an emergency hospital,
while nearly every room was given up
to those who required attention.
The accident developed the usual
corps of faultfnders. Had Capt. Dix
on moved the Sappho away from her
berth, said these, moro would have
been saved, as roWboats could have
been utilized, but good judges of the
&C ton Of current are of the opinion
that had Capt. Dixon moved away
from the wharf the loss of life would
have been much greater. The boat,
lying as she did across the entrance
to the slip, prevented those in the
water from being carried away from
the piling to which a great many
clung until rescued. An inquest was
held Immediately after the accident |