The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-08-08
GANG PLANK BROKE
And Precipitated Crowds OF BK
cursiOnists TO a Watory
GrRye.

Bar Harbor. Me, Aug. IA score =
more persons were killea today by tn
collapse OF the gsasplank OF the Moun
Desert ferry.
Following is a list Of the dead:
Mrs. william Murray. OF Brewer
Irv ng Bridges. Of West Handbook
Albert Colson. Levant.
Mrs. Alonzo p Oaks, Bangor
Miss Grace Summer Bangor.
Joseph Murray, oidtown.
Mrs. Hollis w Estey, Ellsworth.
clifford Cushman. Corinth
Miss Lizzie Ward. Bangor
| Charles W Downs. Ellsworth
! F f. SweetEer travelling salesman
Portland
Ora. y Lank Danforth
@. X. Bennett, Brewer.
Mrs G II. Bennett. Brewer,
Mrs. c. S. stover. Ellsworth
Meivin NicCard. Corinth
Mrs. A. X. Billings. Bangor
Mrs. George Derwent. Bangor.
The Maine Central railroad today ar
excursions to bar Harbor from all sec.
tions OF their limo in Maine the main at
traction being the warships which were
expected today.
All the morning. long tra MS. packed
with cxcursionists were rushing to Bar
Harbor. The train which left Bangor al
s.25 cons sted Of Twelve cars jai.med with
people. At Mount Desert ferry. the ter
minus Of the line, the train is left for p
boat. for the eighteen mile sail to Bar
liarbor. From the wharf a slip or gang
plank, forty feet long and ten ,eet wide
leads up TO the boat
The ship was hinged at the inner end.
and was raised or lowered To SUIT the
tide. The wharf extends on both sides
flush Eith the ends OF the wooden gang
plank. five t.mDers. four by twelve inches.
set vertically ran the length Of the plank
and these were crossed by two inch
planks II is said that there was no sup
port for the plank between the hinges and
the outer end
When the extension train from Bangor
arrived at the ferry, there was a rush
for the steamer Sappho. The first fe "
passengers had crossed the gangpiank
safely and II was estimated that 200 p,o-
ple were massed on the plank sudden y
they felt the plank give way beneat n
them.
The long timber supporting the plank
broke in the middle The hinges held ur
one end and the chain the other, while
the broken ends OF the plank dropped and
struggling, screaming mass Of humani. y
was plunged into the water. fifteen feet
below the wharf
A few clung TO the inclined sides OF .te
plank. but at least $50 were struggling IN
the water. The pillng Of mo wharf prac
tcally penned them on three sides, and
the boat lying at the wharf closed the out
er end Of the opening. After he first mo-
ment Of stupefaction the worb OF re scue
began. Ropes and life savers were thrown
to the crowd but In the panic the people in
the water clutched one another anI vtiv
many sank thus in groups IN 4 death
grip. Many were taken from the water
unconscious and were revived with diff
Guilty. Doctors were summoned from ali
directions but Il was half an hour before
the first arrived.
The freight house at the ferry was
turned into a morgue, the bodies being
taken there for identification as fast rs
recovered. BY noon. seventeen had beer
recovered. Three other persons were talk.
en- on board the Sappho and died on n,
way to Bar Harbor
The exact number Of dead will not be
known for some time yet as strong
tide sweeps under the pier. and soma bod.
les may have been carried away BY { 4
diver. who set to work without da,ay.
was engaged in his search until o'c' icF
but only seventeen bodies were found.
The coroner impaneed a jury and the
inquest Will begin in the morning.