Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-07-30

of the excursionists were gathered at
the Commercial wharf when the Ma
jestic locked last night.
AS Described BY Lieutenant Harris
Detective Lieutenant John Harris,
who. with Lieutenant Patrick Ryan
and Detectives Edward DAILY and
Harry Corbitt, had rendered valiant
service during the panic on the Ma
jestic, was standing directly back of
Adolph Hensler and William Roeb-
ling. as the boat was approaching
Eighty sixth street. The party were
in the farthest point of the prov, on
the lower deck. He corroborates
Roeblings description in every detail
and adds something interesting to it.
TT was a thrilling moment" said
Harris in conversation with an Eve
ming Star reporter. ut was plain to
me that our boat was certain to
smash into the barge as it was going
with nose directly pointed toward the
moored lighter. There was no turn
or shift made by us, although it was
learned later that the captain and
the pilot were makeing strenuous eff
forts to counterfeit the force of the
tide or current. The Majestic rammed
right into the lighter. and the i'm
pact was so terrific that the Majestic
rebounded several feet and then
plunged forward again.
by this time a woman came from
the cabin. She apparently had
child in her arms, but l will not be
certain as to that. The lighter was
even then listing and lopsiding. The
woman screamed for help, and her
husband came to the deck. 1t was at
this juncture that one of our party,
Paul Schorr, leaped to the barge.
But this time the heavy pieces of
stone began rolling down like coal
down a chute, carrying the woman
and child into the river The water
rushed into the lighter or scow or
barge, whatever you might call it.
The man dangled for a moment in the
air, clutching the top of his vessel
| Suddenly the latter turned upside
down, almost at right angles, carry
ing the poor fellow down when 1t
started to sink.
1.-THE wreck then went floating down
the river like a derelict"
| There are others who insist that
there was no child with the woman,
and that the only persons seen at any
time on the barge was Captain Berg
! stTome and his wife.
| Schorr Relates Experience.
Paul Schorr. when seen by an Eve
ming Star reporter today, gave the
| following account of his experience
Immediately after the collisions
''At the time of the collision ] was
| sitting in the fore part of the Ma
! jestic. Others rushed 10 the rail as
we struck the lighter, but l, with
several others. tried to remain calm
Someone from the lighter yelled
i iEfOVr down and ono IN -
! "At these words threw off my hat
and coat and jumped to the bow of
| the lighter. AS soon as | landed 7
saw woman trying to reach the
| deck of the lighter by climbing upon
| the pile of stone. The lighter then
listed, and the cargo also changed.
The woman was swept into the water
/ by the falling rock. The rock then
began to settle, and lost my foot
| hold. As soon as I saw the woman's
body hit the water l jumped after
her. I swan and swan, but the
tide seemed to take her away from
me.
II made another desperate effort.
| The womans body began to sink |
then caught up to her. | grabbed
her with my left hand and battled
with the waters with my right. l then
started for shore. had reached
about forty yards from where the
woman sank when ] was picked VI
by man in a rowboat The woman
and myself were taken to shore
There doctor tried to revive the
woman, but she died soon afterWard
1t is believed that the woman was
internally injured by the falllnt
stone. as no cuts or bruises wer,
visible upon her body"