The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-06-24
MANY DROWNED
WHEN Bic DOCK
CRASHES DOWN
Between Two and Three Hun
dred Persons Precipitated
Into Water at Eagle Park,
on the Niagara River.
ONLY SEVEN BODIES
SO FAR RECOVERED

Victims Members of a Party of
Odd Fellows Who Were
Giving Picnic for Benefit
of Sick Brothers.
N UFFALO, N. Y, June 2S.-Be-
~ tween fifteen and twenty per"
sons were drowned and num-
ber injured tonight when q fifty
foot dock at Eagle park. Grand island,
Niagara river, collapsed under the
weight Of $50 persons, precipitatinG
them into twelve feet of water Up
to midnight seven bodies had been re-
covered, Of whom six were Identified.
The excursionists were preparing to
return to Buffalo after an outing at the
park and between $50 and 400 persons
were on the dock TO take the steamer
when the underpinning gave way. The
outing was under the auspices of the
Court Amherst lodge ], o. o. L, Of
Black Rock and was for the benefit
of sick brothers.
Alarm Is Given.
The party left Buffalo this morning
on the steamer Koerber and the barge
Lottie Koerber in tow. The first news
of the accident reached this city when
Mrs. Miller, wife of the proprietor of
hotel at Eagle park, telephoned. The
telephone system failed shortly after
and the place, which is ON the Cana
dian branch of the river, has been out
of communication since.
Fix brothers, owners Of the excursion
steamship line TO which the boats be-
long, said late tonight that at least 300
persons were thrown into the water and
that eight bodies had been recovered.
The boats had carried one load back to
Buffalo and were at the dock taking on
the remainder when the accident oc-
CURED.
The dock is at the foot of high en-
bankment and its approach is by long
fight Of stairs. The current at this
point, which is twelve miles above
Niagara Falls, is eight miles.
The Known Dead:
Mrs. Mckee.
Mckee, Mrs. McKee's TO-
year-old daughter.
Mrs Richmeyer and her 1o-year-old
son.
Mrs. Gallagher.
Cecil Kelly, 9.
The Missing:
Mrs. Helstrom and 4-yesr old baby.
Viola Semi,
Miss Irene Thomas.
Mrs. Westfall.
Mrs. Hyde.
So far as known all the victims lived
in Buffalo.
Dock Crowded.
The steamer Henry Koeber had just
warped into the dock to take on load
of returning excursionists. The dock
was crowded The gangplanks were
thrown out and the section OF the
crowd nearest the steamer began to
move forward. Captain Fix on board
called to them to move slowly.
The words were no more than spoken
when the center of the dock sank with
crash.
The planking held fast to the timbers
on both sides of the dock forming a
pocket into which the struggling mass
Of people was thrown.
Many were caught in the wreekage
of the dock but fully $50 went into the
water, which beneath the dock was
from ten to twelve feet deep.
The wreckagc of the dock served to
hold most of the struggling crowd, but
several who fell clear of it began to
float away.
| pressed into service and some OF these
were rescued. 1t is certain that in nd
djtion TO tho bodies rescued in the vi
cinitv of the dock many were swept
away.
| The small boats were used to release
many iammed III the broken timbers
and men who could swim went into the
river TO help women and children
Two Score Lives Lost.
Supervisor Henry Lieb. WHO Was IN
the center of the throng that went
down, was rescued after being in the
water over thirty minutes.
"I believe more than twenty lives
were lost said Mr.. Lieb "There
! (Contiuued on Page Thyao.)