The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-08-11
Gang Plank Gives Way Precip-
itating Several Hundred
Into the Water.
VICTIMS SANK IN GROUPS
Penned in Between the Vessel
and Wharf With Little
Hope of Escape.
Seventeen Taken Out Dead and
Three Succumbed to In
jurieS Received.

DAh 1AhBOh, Vhe.J aug "a SCOIS
of persons were killed by the collapse
of the gang plank of the Mount Desert
ferry. Seventeen were drowned and
three died from the terrible experience
of immersion in the water and injuries
received while struggling for life. The
dead are:
Mrs. William Murray, Brewer; r.
wing Bridges, West Hancock; Albert
Colson, Levant; Mrs. Alonzo P. Cakes,
Miss Grace Sumner, Bangor; Joseph
Murphy, Old Town; Mrs. Oils Estey.
Ellsworth; Clifford Cushman, Corinth;
Miss Lizzie Ward, Bangor; Charles w.
Downs, Ellsworth; F. E. Sweetzer,
Portland: Ora N. Lank, Danfo1th; G..
II. Bennett, Mrs. g. H. Bennett,
Brewer; Mrs. Charles Slower, Ellsworth;
Melvin McCard, Corinth; Mrs. A. H.
Billings, Mrs. George Derwent, Bangor;
Miss Lewis, Hampden, Me-, and an un-
known woman.
The Maine Central railway ran ex-
cursions to Bar Harbor from all Sec
lions of its line in Maine, the attrac-
ton being the warships, which were
expected there. All the morning long
trains packed with excursionists were
rushing to Bar Harbor. The train
which left Bangor at 500 consisted of
10 cars jammed with people.
The Gang Plank Gave Way.
At Mount Desert ferry, the terminus
of the line, the train is left for the boat
for an Smile sail to Bar Harbor. From
the wharf slip or gang plank 40 feet
long and 10 feet wide led up to the
boat. The slip was hinged at the inner
end and was raised or lowered to suit
the tide. tits said that there was no sup
port for the plank between the hinges
at the outer end When the excursion
train from Bangor arrived at the ferry
there was a rush for the steamer Sap
pho The first few passengers had
crossed the gang plank 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 hu-
mainly was plunged into the water, 10
feet below the wharf. A few chung to
the inclined sides of the plank, but at
least $50 were struggling in'the water.
The piling of the wharf partially penned
h ci1 no hno w
ing at the wharf closed the other end of
the opening.
Victims Sank in Groups.
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 were taken from the
water unconscious and were revived
with difficulty. Doctors were sum-
moned from all directions but it was
half an hour before the first arrived.
The freight house at the ferry was
turned into morgue, the bodies being
taken there for Identification as fast as
recovered. By noon II had been re-
covered. Three other persons were
taken on board the Sappho and died on
the 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 some bodies may
have been carried away by it, The
sufferers from injuries will not be as
numerous as those who suffered from
shock and exposure during the INNER
sion in the water. Of these several are
reported in a critical condition.