The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-05-02
STEAMER DECK CAVES IN;
MANY ExCURSI0NlSTS HURT
Continued From Page One.

the engines to stop. he ran to the lower
deck TO stop the panic.
William McC1eiland. superintendent oi
4he Virgins Ferry Company. witnessed
the accident from the tug S. c. Clubb
which was returning from the Nashville
He ordered full steam ahead and reached
the ferry, which was now drifting help
lessly with the current
The tug was lashed to the side OF the
Church. and started to tow the latter 10
the landing at the foot of Spruce street
Tie steamer Belle of Calhoun was pass
Ing at the time of The accident and
started toward the disabled ferry. After
tow. the Calhoun proceeded on her way.
When Superintendent McClelland
boarded the ferry he shouted to the pas
sensers TO keep cool: that danger was
past. The deck where the passengers
from the roof fell was a mass of strug-
Cling. screaming humanity, mixed with
them.
In their fear many men had forgotten
that there were women and children In
through the mass Assembling the crew.
the superintendent began to pull away the
wLeckase.
and some assist n the work, while the
tug was towing the steamer to shore.
II. R. Bornmueller of No. 1908 Wyoming
street was at the Ievee when he saw the
deck fall. Running up Spruce street he
notified Patrolman Longs1orth OF the ac-
cadfn.-
SURVIVOR TELLS DETAILS
OF THE ACCIDENT.
Lcngsworth telephoned to the City Dis
pensary for help and few minutes after
the ferry landed three ambulanoes and
two patrol wagons were at the wharf
The mos. seriously wounded were sent
direct to the City Hospital Others were
70 GA-a to lfGr
hicle returned to the ferry for more
wounded. and the ambulances removed
more than sixty persons who We're in
juEed:
While the amoulances were taking the
first loads of injured an automobile that
was passing was pressed into service and
dren- Several carriages were also used by
the police in removing the injured. Those
who were removed in the carriages were
taken direct to their homes.i
William Kelting OF No. fasS North Nine
.eenth street, with two children. WAS On
the roof near the rail when IL collapsed.
HiIder Hubu and Arthur Bolt living at
No S3l Hickory street. were also injured.
the little girls clothes being almost all
torn away in the struggle He rescued the
children and took them home In a car
;iage.
the slightest warning except the creaking
OF the supports. The ferry was crowded
10 its capacity There Were at least l,5o
passengers on tne DOCK.
''On the roof which fell IN there were
about a0 We We're just about TO pass
the Nashville. anc everybody was laugh
Ing and crowding to the side to get
good look. when We heard something
crack underneath. and the entire side OF
the upper deck went down.
Il held on 20 the little girl. but the boy
was torn away from me. We fell on top
OF the passengers on the big lower deck
which is wide and is used TO carry wae-
ons. Had the upper deck been flush with
the lower We would have fallen into the
river.
The wreckage of the roof and the rail-
Ing of the upper deck came tunbling down
upon US. II seemed like everybody was
crying or screaming. j had q hold On the
little girls hand. but someone had fallen
upon her and she was being crrshe3. Be-
fore I could get her CUT almost all her
clothes were torn from her.
ANBULANCEs RESPOND,
DRAWING A CROWD.
". @. Casey of Mount Vernon. III, and
i.s VIE were on the lower deck and were