New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-24
SCORE DIE IN NIAGARA
RIVER AS PIER FALLS
More than 200 Persons Thrown
Into Water at Park on
Grand Island.
MOTOR BOATS TO RESCUE
Swift Current Adds TO Dlf1culty
of Saving Pleasure Seekers
Eight Bodies Recov-
ered-Many Injured.

Ruralo June % Between fifteen and
twenty rorsons were drowned and many
injured ,a night. when a flfty-foot pier
AZ Eagle Park. Grand Island. Niagara
River collapsed under the weight "f -"
people. throwing them into twelve fee'
~ vatcr. I'p 10 midnight eight bodies
b,,. boar recovered. of whom six have
been identified.
The steamer Henry Koerher had just
warned into the pier e. take on loaa "i
returning pleasure seekers. The pier was
crowded with people and more were com
,ne down from the grove above. Inc
.,rq planks we're thrown ont and the
section Of the crowd nearest to the
steamer began t. move forward. captain
FIX on hoard called ont TO them 10 move
slowly. The words We're no more than
o,,t II his mouth when the centre of the
rior half way between the place where
the boat was tied up and the shore END
sank with a crash.
The planking held fast to the timhers
on both sides of the pier, forming a
rocket in the centre into which the
struggling mass of people were thrown
Many were caught in the wreckage OF
the pier. but fully one hundred and nifty
went into the water. which, beneath the
dock. was from ten 10 twelve feet III
dopth with a current Of about ten miles
an hour.
The wreckage of the pier served to
hold the bulk Of the struggling crowd
but several who fell clear of it began To
float away.
Rowboats and motor boats were
pressed into service. and some OF these
were rescued. II is certain, however that
in addition 10 the bodies rescued in the
vicinity Of the pier many were swept
away. and it will be some time before
their identity can be established.
Rowboats and motorboats were used
to release many jammed in the broken
timbers. and men who could swim
stripped and dived into the river To help
the women and children.
Supervisor Henry Lieb, who was in
the centre of the throng that went down
more than thirty minutes.
"I believe that over twenty lives were
/ lost" said Mr.. Lieb There were fully
90 people on the dock and three-quar-
ters Of them went down with it. There
was but little warning before the crash
came. The dock trembled slightly, and
I thought ii was caused by the steamer
coming in closer. But second later we
went down.
Il swan clear of the jam and got
hold Of a spile. but owing To my weight
| was unable to hold on there very long
Some one dropped rope through the
! opcning and helped me over TO the side
where | could get better hold. | then
! fastened the rope around the waist of a
woman. who was drawn up on the dock.
4. Stocker and NJ. L. Martin rescued
about twenty-five persons, mostly women
and children, in their launch. in which
they were Just about to start for Buff
! falo.
when | saw the extent of the dsas-
ter" said Stocker Il called to Martin
10 tie up to the dock, and both of US
stripped. II was hard work to do any
thing against the current under the dock.
but as fast as we could get hold of any
one by working together we could get
them on the motor boat, from which
they were taken on board the Koerber."
Many of the women taken from the
water were revived after being brought
ashore,