Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 August 1891 — FOURTEEN KILLED. [ARTICLE]

FOURTEEN KILLED.

Deck of An Excursions Barge Blown From Its Supports. All the Vlettms Cnahffl Between the Rail and the Deck—Thirty or More - - —— .Ij-i Injured. A terrible disaster occurred, at Cold Spring Harbor, L. 1., on the 12th, by which fourteen persons—eight women, foYir children and two men—lost their lives, and thirty were injured. -The steamer Crystal Stream, with the barge Republic in tow, and having on board about five hundred adul ts and as many children, on the excursion of the employes of Theodore Kaiser, dry goods dealer of Brooklyn, arrived at the Cold Spring Crove dock about 2 o’clock, having left Brooklyn at 10:30 a. nr About 3:30 p. m. the last whistles were blown for all to get aboard the steamer, and at 3:45 everybody was ready for the start. The larger portion of the excursionists were on the barge, where the younger people were dancing. Just then some heavy clouds covered the sky; then came a squall, the wind driving everything before it. The boat hands, anticipating a shower, had let -down tho canvas curtains which were attached to the hurricane deck of the barge, and fastened them down to the port side, This prevented tho wind from going through, and as one strong gust struck the barge it lifted the starboard side of the hurricane deck clear iYom its fastenings and supports,- and foreod+t and tire posts and partitions-in the center oyer to theport side. As it. pushed over, the end of tho deck nearest the dock, to which tho barge iras fastened, dropped down upon the hundreds who had crowded over to that side in an effort to escape. In a moment the air was rent with shrieks and agonizing cries of the poor victims whose lives were being crushed out and limbs broken. It was in the midst of a terrible thunde 1 storm, and the waves ran high. Some persons think that the mast of the barge on which the people were killed was struck by lightning, but this is not known. All waa.-ex.citcnient and’ confusion. Women ', and . children became panic-stricken and , were running about the boat screaming wildly, The sky was dark and threatening, and the sea was fearfully wild. The scone was heartrending in the extreme, and the excitement-caused by the relatives, and friends of those on the barge who wero on the steamer only added to the pandemonium which prevailed. The officers, deckhands and other men on tho steamer lost no time in reaching the , barge anddoing all in their power to res" cue all whom they' could from the wreck. Williag fiauds from the grove and neighboring places were also soon at work, arid i in fifteen minutes tho fallen deck was I raised sufficiently to allow all those who were alive and nntnjifrea- to crawl ont,and j the injured to be assisted from the barge. It had been hoped that none, had been killed, but the lifeless bodies of fourteen were seen to be lying near the gunwale. All had the lives crushed out of them by being caught between the end of the deck and the guard-rails. The bodies of the fourteen dead were laid in a row on the deck of the ill-fated barge and were covered over with a tarpaulin to await the arrival of the coroner