The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-24

DOCK COLLAPSES::
MANY LIVES LOST
Weight of Crowd Is Too Great,
and $50 People Thrown
Into Water.

Buffalo. \. Y. June 23.-Between
fifteen and twenty people were drown
GU and number injured tonight
Grand Island. Niagara River. collapsed
Under tho weight of $50 people. preci-
plating them into twelve foot Of water.
Up to midnight seven b1dies had been
! recovered. of whom six nave been iden-
tiGed
The known dead are:
Mrs. Mckee.
- Mckee. Mrs. McKee's ten
yenr-Old daughter.
Mrs. Richniyer md her t,-o-ycar-oId
son.
Mrs. Gallagher.
Ceciliu Kelly. nine years old.
Missing: Mrs. HeilstrCm and four
ycar-old baby. Viola Semi, Miss Irene
Thomas Mrs. Westfall. Mrs. Hyde
SO far as known ali the victims were
residents OF Buffalo.
An excursion dock at Eagle Park
Grand Island. Niagara River, collaps-
Cd under the weight of O crowd to-
Tight. and over 100 people were thrown
| INTO the Niagara River.
The eXcursionists were preparing TO
return 10 Buffalo after an outing at
the park. and between $50 and 400
persons wcrc..on the dock to take the
steamer. when the underpinning gave
way and hurled those nearest the boat
| irto the river. The outing was under
the auspices of Court Amherst Lodge.
No. 237. I. o. o. T.. of Black Rock. and
was for tho beneht OF sick brothers.
The steamer Henry Koerber had just
warped into the dock to take on a
load Of returning encustonists The
dock vas crowded with people, and
more vera coming down from the
grove above. Tho ganspianks were
thrown out and the section of tho
| crowd nearest to the steamer began
to move forward Captain FIX, on
board. called TO Thorn 10 move alowly.
The words were no moro than out of
MS mouth when the centre of tho
dock sank with a crash. Tho planking
! held fast to the t.mbers on both sides
OF the dock. forming a pocket into
which the struggling mass OF people
was thrown. Many werc caught In
the wreckage of the dock, hut fully
| $50 went into the water, which he
meath the dock was from ten TO twalve
feet In depth, with a current of about
ten miles an hour The wreckage OF
the dock served to hold most of the
struggling crowd. but several who fell
| clear OF it began to float away.
Henry Lleo. who was IN the centre
OF the thronS that went down, was
rescued after being in the water for
over thirty minutes
believe over twenty lives were
lost" he said. There were fully ESQ
people on the dock, and three-quarters
of them went down with It There
was but little warning before the crash
game. The dock trembled slightly, and
thought 1t was caused by the steam
or coming in closer 4 second later
We went down"
The first body found was that of
Girl about ten years OF age No one
could Identify her. At midnight seven
more bodies had been laid In tho
| gruesone row. The steamer left for
Buffalo at midnight, bringing home
about 200 OF the excursionists. many
OF whom had sustained slight injuries
when the boat reached the city an
Immense crowd was at the dock.
Weeping women wanted news OF
their children. and 1t was almost i'm
possible for the police to restrain some
OF them until the boat was unloaded.
Immediately after discharginc her
passengers the Koerber returned to
Grand Island to bring home the re-
mainder OF tho crowd.