The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-02
TWENTY PERSONS HURT
BY THE COLLAPSE OF A
FERRY BOATS DECK
Crowds at St. Louis, Anxious to
See the Nashville, Overburden
the Light Upper-Works.
PANIC BARELY AVERTED
Several Persons Tried to Jump in
the River, Thinking the
Boat Was Foundering.
INJURED NOT ALL KNOWN
Some of Them Were Hurried Off
Before Names Were Learned
Several Seriously Hurt.
PANIC BARELY AVERTEI
INJURED NOT ALL KNOWN

ST. LOUIS, May 1.-The hurricane roof
of the ferry steamer Alonzo c. Church col
lapsed early this evening while the steamer
was crowded with sishtseers viewing the
United States gunboat Nashville, at anchor
in the river harbor here, and about twenty
persons were injured a number of them be-
ing reported in a critical condition The
names of the following injured have been
secured. but this list is not complete, as
several persons were Immediately taken to
their homes before their names were
learned:
]. B. WOOD, leg broken and internally
injured.
GEORGE MoNTIGo. both ankles frac-
tured.
MABEL MONTIGO. aged four years,
head hurt.
EDWARD MACK. leg crushed.
MOLLIE COLLINS, East st. Louis, in
ternally
PHILIP MANGELS, fourteen years old;
skull fractured.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN; serious inter
nal injuries.
About seventeen others, all residents OF
ST Louis and East st. Louis, were injured
none seriously.
The ferry steamer had been carrying
crowds all day from the foot of Valentine
street into midstream, past the Nashville
and back again. No stop was made at the
Nashville owing to the heavy flood current
running. AS the ferryboat was rounding
the Nashville and starting back to dock
the crowd on the upper deck rushed to the
steamers side and out on the hurricane
roof. The strain was too great and the
roof collapsed, precipitating a large num-
ber of persons twenty feet to the deck be-
low, which was also crowded.
Instantly panic ensued. Women
screamed, some from injury and some from
fright. and several persons attempted to
jump into the river, thinking the boat was
sinking. Cooler heads prevented this, and
efforts were at once begun to succor the
injured. A distress signal was blown from
the boats whistle and tugs hurried along
side but it was deemed best 10 proceed to
land and not attempt to place the injured
on the tugs Ambulances had been hastily
called, and soon after the Alonzo G. Church
had reached shore the injured were being
conveyed to the City Hospital and many
neighboring homes.
Captain McClelland said that the boat was
substantially built and that the accident had
been due to the excessive weight on the
roof. Passengers declare there were more
than 1000 persons on the steamer, and that
the deck that collapsed should not have
been used for passengers.
The captain of the steamer says it was
not overcrowded.
An eyewitness, in describing the acci-
dent. said: when the steamer was about
a hundred yards from the Nashville, the
action of several sailors near of the
guns attracted the attention of the per-
sons on the roof of the ferry and a rush
was made to the port side.
Girls the ferry were waving their
handkerchiefs when there was a ripping
noise. quickly followed by the crack of
breaking timberS.
"A second later with a crash that shook
the steamer. the entire port side of the
roof gave way, hurting more than 100 pas
sengers to the lower deck, twenty feet be-
low, where they fell upon the struggling
crowd which had heard the warning noise
and were trying to escape. The broken
railing and part of the collapsed deck fell
upon them.
Before the sound of the crash had died
away, the 1,00O passengers were in a panic,
those nearest the danger spot tearing the
clothes from women and children in their
frenzy"