The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-09-21
PASSENGERS WERE
PANIC STRICKEN
steamer ksokuk Lifted Out Of tho
Water When Upper Lock
Gate Raises Too
Soon.
DAMAGE WAS SLIGHT
Woodwork on Top Of Gate Crushed.
But Only eight Damage
Was Done 70 the
DAMAGE WAS SLIGHT

While passing north through the
lock here yesterday afternoon the
steamer Keokuk. Captain Mckenzie,
carrying q large crowd OF excursion
lists from down river cities, was
caught In the center by the upper
lock gate and lifted two feet out OF
the water. The boat had passed half
way across the gate before an acci-
dent to the controlling mechanism
caused the operator to loose control
of it and it rose. lifting the boat from
the water ~ - 20 - RS a#5 asr = &
The passengers became panic strick-
en- and many Of them started to jump
from the boat to the walls OF the lock.
It was several minutes before the &C
cident to the machinery could be re-
paired and the lock gate lowered to
let the boat pass into the forebay.
Gate Slightly Damaged.
No one was injured in the occur
rance and only slight damage was
done to the boat. The woodwork on
the top part Of the gate was crushed.
but otherwise the gate was unin1ured.
50 far as Is known at the present
time. The damage can be repaired In
short time. The second upper gate
is being used until the damaged one
can be put in working order again.
According to the government engi-
..eers the. accident was caused by .
controlling lever, slipping from It's
position. AS nearly. everyone knows
the gate Is operated by compressed
air. In lowering the gate the air Is
discharged and the gate drops. To
raise 1t the air chambers are flied
with compressed air, the bouyancy OF
which is sufficient to raise 1t.
Lever Slipped from Place.
In lowering the gate. IN order to
prevent It from striking with too
much force at the bottom, air IL
forced into the chamber Just before
the gate reaches the bottom. 1mme-
diately after this had been done yes.
tefday. the lever which controls the
valves. slipped from its position. The
operator was powerless to prevent the
gate from raising until he had left HIS
position, gone to the machinery room
and placed the lever in position
again. While this was being done the
gate rose, lifting the boat above II
from the water distance Of shout
two feet.
| There were about three hundred
passengers on the boat when the 40
cident occurred They came from
Quincy and. other river cities between
that place and Keoknk on the regu
| lar Sunday excursion to Keokuk and
return. Many Of them. at first refused
to return on the boat fearing that II
might have been 80 damaged AZ to
/ make It unsafe. An examination Of
| the boat, however, proved that theil
fears were unfounded. Not . timber
in the steamer was broken. although
a slight leakage in !. the. hull :, was
/ caused.
] Staunch Hull Saved Boat.
| Captain Mckenzie, OF the steamer
Keokuk, expressed the opinion that
had it not been for the staunchnesi
OF the small steamer serious acct
! dent would have resulted. He sale
he believed that II the same thine
had occurred to one OF the largel
river steamers the boat would have
been broken in two.
Major Meigs said today the dam
age to the lock gate was slight and
will be repaired as soon as possible
He explained that tina sccident wal
unavoidable.
! Captain Mckenzie says that on two
previous occasions the upper loci
gate has risen before the boat coule
cross It, but that the boat was mo-
over the gate at either of4these times
Once, he said, the gate rose just be
fore the boat reached 1t and that h,
was able to stop before striking tn.
gate.
| Ferry Boat In Dry Dock.
l., The Nauvoo ferry boat, "City o
LNauvoo," is now On the ways 10 tn,
Edry cock basin where the hull is bein.
calked. The boat has been in thu
I dock for several days and 1t Ia be
lieved the work will be finished eithe
to-day Or tomorrow. On The ways 1
presents an interesting sight to thos,
who have never before seen boa
out OF the water.
/ Charity Congress convenes.
! WASHINGTON. Sept. 21.-Iipr
dreds Of delegates arrived here toda
for the national Roman Catholi
Charity Congress" at the Ca.hcl'
university. Extensions and manage
ment OF domestic and foreign. Cathc