The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-07
COLLAPSE OF A GANG PLANK.
A SCORE OF PEOPLE MET THEIR
DEATH BY DROWNING.

Gang Plank Broke Two at Bar
HarbOr, Me-, Under the Weight Up
ON 1t, and $50 Persons Were Pre-
cipitnted Into the Water-Panic
Stricken They Clutchcd at One An
other and Sank in Groups in
Death Grapple.
Bar Harbor, Me-, Aug. CA score Of per-
sons We're killed to-day by the collapse of
the gangplank of the Mount Desert ferry.
Seventeen were drowned and three died
from the terrible experience of immersion
in the water and injuries while struggling
for life
The following is a list of the dead: Mrs.
William Murray of Brewer, Irving Bridges
of West Hancock Albert Coison of Levant,
Mrs. Alonzo P. Oakes of Bangor, Miss
Grace Summer of Bangor. Joseph Murphy
of Old Town, Mrs. Hollis w. Estey OF
Ellsworth, Clifford Cushman of Cor.nth,
Miss Lizzie Word of Bangor. Charles w.
Downes of Ellsworth, F. e. Sweetser,
travelling salesman, Portland, Me; Ora NJ.
Lank of Danforth, G. II. Bennett Of
Brewer, Mrs. c. Il. Bennett OF Brewer,
Mrs. Charles Slower of Ellsworth. Melvin
Bangor and Mrs George Derwent of BAN
gor; Miss Lewis, of Hampton, Me- un-
known woman, believed to be saleswo-
man for Boston publishing house.
The Maine Central Railroad to-day ran
excursions to Bar Harbor from all sections
Of its line in Maine, the attraction being
the warships which were expected.
All the morning long trains packed
with excursionists were rushing to Bar
Harbor. The train which left Bangor at
S:25 consisted of twelve cars jammed with
people.
How 1t Occurred.
At Mount Desert Ferry the terminus Of
the line, the passengers have to leave the
train and take the boat for an eght-mie
sail 10 Bar HarbOr. From the wharf, (,
slip or gang plank forty feet long and
| ten feet wide, led up to the boat. The slip
was hinged at the inner end, the outer
end being supported by the chains by
which it was raised or lowered to suit the
| tide.
The wharf extended on both sides flush
with the end of the wooden gangplank
| Five tmbers, four by twelve inches. set
vertically, ran the length of the plank
| and these were crossed by two-inch plank
| ing. 1t is said that there was no support
for the plank between the hinges and The
| outer end.
When the excursion train from Bangor
| arrived al the ferry there was rusn for
! the steamer Sappho. The first few pas
! sengers had crossed the gangplank safely
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 dropped, and
a struggling, screaming mass of humanity
was plunged into the water, fifteen feet he
low the wharf A few chung to the inclin-
ed sides of the plank, but at least $50 were
| struggling in the water
! In Their Death GrappIe.
! The pilng of the wharf partially penneI
them in on three sides and the boat lying
! at the wharf closed the outer end Of the
| opening.
After the first moment of stupefaction
| the work of rescue began. Ropes and Hfe
| preservers We're thrown to the crowd. out
| in the panic the peope in the water clutch
| cd one another and many sank thus In
| groups in a death grappie.
| Many taken frCm the water were uncon-
! scious and We're revived with dfficultv.
! Doctors were nm ned fiom all directions
| but it was half an hour before the first
! arrived The fire ght house at The ferry
I
| ing tNken there fer Identification as fast
| recovered. by noon seventeen had been re-
! covered. Three other PEI sons were taken
on board he Sappho and died on the way
| to Bar Harbor.
The exact number of dead will not he
| known fer some tine yet as a strong tide
| sweeps nd q e pi, r md some bodies may
| have been carried away by it. A diver,
! who was set 20 work without delay, was
engaged n his search unth o'clock, but
only seventeen bodies we're found.
| The cqroner imGanelled a jury and the
inquest win begin in the morning.
Panic in the Crowd.
The awful nature of the accident was
not comprehended for at least minute
| by those who were the last to leave the
| train, although the scene changed Instant
! ly from one Of holiday gaiety 20 a death
| struggle.
When the first moment of the calamity
| had passed, a panic seemed 10 seize those
! who were sofe and they drew back from
| the edge of the water, but for only min
| ute as then the cooler heads in the crowd.
more especially amons the officers and
crew of the steamer, asserted themselves
! and the work of rescue began.
| witnesses differ in their estimate of
| the number of people who were carried
down when the plank broke, but It was
! the vanguard of the crowd which was
rushing from the train 10 the steamer.
| Those who Fell into the water last were
| mostly pulled out by main force but not
few were gotten uut by boats which
! were Immediately manned. There was
! wild excitement on the land.
In the hurry of allgh'ing from the train,
| husbands and wives, parents and children.
| had become separated, and separation al
| that moment meant heart-breaking sus-
| pense
! The sufferers from injuries will not b. as
numerous as those who suffered from
| shock and exposure due 70 the immersion
| In the water. OF these several were report
| ed tonight TO be in a critical state. Miss
| Sweeney of Bangor was taken to Hotel
Bluffs, suffering from pneumonia. George
| Spauiding Is also at the Bluffs ana may
not recover. Mrs George Brooks will re-
cover, although her case was once pro-