The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1922-05-03


in the collapse of the deck on the
steamer Island Queen while on the
voyage to Point Pleasant, Ohio. The
most seriously injured, as reported
by the police, is Wilbur Morgan, o
years old, a student of Manchester,
whose back probably is broken.
Point Pleasant, o., April 27.-
President Warren G. Harding, in his
adventuresome thirty-mile voyage
up the Ohio River today to partici-
pate in the one-hundredth birthday
anniversary of Gen. Ulysses S.
Grant, narrowly escaped serious
disaster when part OF the third deck
of the steamer Island Queen crashed
to the deck below, carrying with it
some 500 persons.
Only half a minutes warning by
cracking timbers gave to a school
children's band and many others on
the deck below time to get from un-
der the crashing deck. A check
made by the Cincinnati police to-
night showed that more than twen-
ty-eight were injured, according TO
an announcement by the police de-
partment.
That Mr.. and Mrs. Harding and
other distinguished personages in
the Presidential party were not
aboard the island Queen was due to
advise of Government inspectors late
last night. They advised against the
President making the trip on the
old pleasure boat because of her
condition.
Transfer to L. =. Boat
Consequently the President and
his party were assigned to the Cayu-
ga, a Government boat. which led
the fotilla of seven steamers from
Cincinnati bearing 10000 to $4,000
persons.
The injured are:
Wilbur Morgan. Manchester, Ohio,
cut about head; Richard Armstrong,
Bethel, Ohio, arm broken, and Lieut..
Eugene Wetherly, Of the Cincinnati
Police Department, cut by glass.
They were on the second deck
front, Immediately under the deck
which fell.
The river fiotilla was passing New
Richmond, Ohio, seven miles below
Point Pleasant.
The Cayuga. with the President
aboard, leading the procession, had
cleared the village. New Richmond
citizens, however. did not know of
the change in plans which put the
President aboard the Cayuga.
All In High Spirits
They began firing rockets as the
Island Queen with its 5000 passen-
gers came abreast. Those on board
crowded to the front decks to wit
ness the spectacle ashore. Bands
aboard were playing and everybody
was in high spirits.
Out of a clear sky there came the
crashing and grating OF timbers un-
der the feet of 500 on the third deck.
They felt the foor sink. They stood
silent apparently awestricken for
half minute. Then came deafen-
ing crash. The entire front deck
dropped. Still there was no panic.
Theses who went down with the
deck remembered the Manchester,
Ohio, School Boys band had been
playing Immediately underneath
them. There were ffty-twO boys
and girls. As the 500 scrambled
from the crushed deck, the one
Question on all lips was "are the
band boys all killed" The question
was asked in whispers.
But the half minutes warning
saved the boys. At the first crash
they began to scurry toward the
stern. Some did not make II in time
and were caught. The chairs ON
which they had been seated held the
load for second. That second was
long enough, however, to Iermit
them to crawl to safety before the
tons OF timber and human weight
crushed the chairs.