The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-08
Seventy Men Thrown From
a Capsizing SCow.
MANY CLING TO THE BOAT
Others are Swept Away by The Waters of the
HUDSON Swollen by Recent Rains---
Dragging the River for the
Bodies.
By the Associated Press.)

Glens Falls, N. Y, March Nineteen
men are dead as a result of the capsiz-
ing today of the ferry used by work
men at Spiers Falls, about ten miles
west of Glens Falls on the Hudson
River.
over a thousand men are employed
there at present in the construction OF
the power dam of the Hudson River Pow
er Company The laborers and many Of
the masOns are Italians, who live in
shanties on the north side of the river
The main portion of the work is carried
on at present at the opposite side of the
river.
The men have been in the habit Of
crossing a small bridge where the river
flows through the unfinished portion of
the dam, but the river has been rising
for several days and the company fear
ing that the bridge was unsafe destroyed
it with dynamite.
Below the work about half mile is
ferry The boat is a scow shaped affair,
thirty feet long and thirteen wide and is
operated by means of cables. 1t is large
and as many as $50 men have been taken
across at one time.
Yesterday when the men were being
ferried across an italian boy known as
Cigarette" became frightened and fell
overheard. He was rescued, however
This morning seventy or eighty men
got aboard and the boat started, leaving
a big crowd on the bank waiting foFttt.e
next trip. When eighty feet from shore
the water splashcd against the rail, and
the Italian boy who had fallen overheard
the previous day, seized one of the tackle
ropes which ran from overhead cable to
the stern of the boat Some of the men
started towards him, and instantly the
boat careencd and filled every one be-
ing thrown into the water The Hudson,
swollen by the freShet bore a score or
more of the struggling men down the
stream. Mnay others succeeded in catch
ing hold of the boat which had righted
and they clung there until pulled ashore
The widest excitement prevailed. but
the current carried many of the men in
toward shore where they were rescued.
Teams were quickly harnessed and
loaded with skilled log drivers and sent
UONn along the river 10 points Wnere the
bodies would be likely to land. Dozens
of dinner pals, hats and coats were fished
out. but it was nearly 4 o'clock before
the first body was found. This was found
in a log jam two miles below the dam
and was recognized as that of Fred
FOran, an Italian Interpreter. The river
for miles is being watched and dragged
in hopes of finding other bodies of the
victims. There were but two or three
English-s speaking men on the boat, the
Italians being all designated by number.
The rolls of the men We're called and this
evening everybody had been accounted
for except sixteen men, and it is certain
that these mep were drowned. Those
known to be dead are:
MICHAEL KENNEDY. married, lcaV-
ing a wife and four children
FRED FORAN, italian boy, who start
ed the panic.
Sixteen others are missing.
1t is unlikely that all the bodies will
be recovered The river is full of logs
and at the big boom five miles down the
river there are many thousands of them