Page 28A. MAINE COASTAL NEWS March 2013


HISTORY FROM THE PAST - Disaster at Mount Desert Ferry 7 August 1899 Continued from Page 27A


offi cers. It seemed as though there were none there to look after the crowd. I knew nothing of the weakness of the structure but was led to make the remark about fearing an accident by the way the crowd rushed upon the slip.” W. L. Witham’s Story.


William L. Witham of Lisbon Falls, who says he has headquarters at present in Bangor, was called next, several ladies whose testimony offered nothing new having been examined. Mr. Witham said he was the foreman


who had charge of the construction of the slip which broke Sunday. His words bore heavy weight. In reply to questions by the county attorney he said: “The slip was fi nished the 14th


of June


this present year. I think it was thoroughly constructed as far as the workmanship may be considered. I constructed the slip as near my orders as I understood. I think the circumstances now show that there should have been iron plates at the ends of the long rods under the planking of the ship. “In my opinion the nuts on the ends of the rods under the slip were drawn through the outer framework, and as they came through, the ship settled in the middle. “The slip is 37 feet 6 inches long and 10


feet wide. The inner end is hinged; the other end is supported by chains. The inner end or head of the slip is made of 8 x 12 hard pine timber, about one foot longer on each end than the width of the slip, the ends resting on the caps of the piling of the wharf, thereby forming a hinge, the ends being rounded on the under side. The outer end is supported by a beam under the slip, about four feet from the outer end, suspended by chains attached to weights witch pulleys over a gallows frame.


“The slip was constructed with four stringers (3x12 inches), double tenant on each end, one end fi tting by mortices into the hard pine timber at the head of the slip and the other end fi tting into a piece 6x12 spruce. The center of the slip was further supported by three truss rods running through the head blocks (or timbers) under two truss beams 4x12 inches, with about three equal spans, and covered with 2-inch spruce plank. There is 2-inch plank in the center between the stringers, set up edgewise for the purpose of stiffening the center of the covering in reference to running heavy truck loads of lumber.


“The rods are an inch and one-eighth


in diameter. I think they are iron. The end “up-set” to 1 ¾ inches where the nuts go on. I should think the nuts were about 2 ½ inches in diameter.


“There were no plates or washers under


the nuts. The head timbers were counter- sunk to let the nuts in fl ush with the other side of the timbers. The timers at the outer


end were cut but little. The plank covering the nuts was countersunk. The timbers were bored with an 1 3/8 inch auger. The lumber was spruce in the stringers, I think. “F. M. Watson, superintendent of bridges and buildings for the Maine Central, gave me my orders for building the slip. As far as I know he ordered the material. I had nothing to do with the ordering of the timber, but found it on the wharf. There was no other timber of the same size and length on the wharf at the time. I am called foreman of bridges for the Maine Central and do whatever work they require from me. I am not acquainted with the different kinds of lumber well enough to tell the different qualities as they make it at the mills.” These answers of the last paragraph were to questions by Mr. Additon. Mr. Additon showed the witness the piece of timber which had been brought up from the wharf and asked him to state whether the piece was of merchantable lumber, or “random,” or “spruce outs.” The witness said he could not tell. But he did say it looked like a soft spruce. He could not tell without comparison whether this piece of spruce was like that on the end timbers of the slip, but it was his opinion that each was of a different grade. “The nuts were fl ush. To let the nuts into the head timber we cut with mallet and chisel. I have seen the ends today.” “Why didn’t you put some washers onto the nuts?” asked Mr. Addition.


“Because I had none,” came the steady


reply. Then the witness continued: “That was one reason; another was that I did not think washers were needed.” “The so-called special plank was not spliced,” he continued. “The ends instead of abutting, ran by each other. I don’t know that they were fastened as to the ends. The nails used were 30-pennies. The plank in question gave no support to the slip; it was put in simply to stiffen the slip.” Closing Session.


At 8:15 o’clock Tuesday morning the jury again sat for its fi nal meeting. But two witnesses were examined. I. L. Wardwell, station-agent at the Ferry, and W. W. Jellison, baggage-master there were called and testifi ed along the same lines indicated by the examination of the previous day. They could only say that the tremendous crowd rushed upon it with fearful force in spite of considerations of good judgment. Station Agent Wardwell was asked about the construction of the slip. He said that the wood was new; he never had inspected it. He thought it would hold all the weight that could be put on it. He saw the lumber that was used, having examined it carefully. He called it old growth spruce without sap.


The Verdict. At the conclusion of this testimony the


inquest was closed and the coroner and jury signed the following verdict:


“The jury upon oath claims that the people came to their death by drowning caused by the insuffi cient construction of the slip.”


Matters in the vicinity of the pier have resumed their normal condition and save the vacant place from which the broken slip has been removed, there is little to remind one of the accident.


Spectators still are coming here to look at the scene of the accident.


Rescuers and Rescued Ones. Mrs. Dunning’s Condition. The condition of Mrs. Herbert Dunning, the only injured one remaining at the Bluffs on Monday, was stated to be very serious on Tuesday morning. She passed a very bad night Monday and some of those ministering to her wants are fearful that she will not recover. Others held out more hope for her. Mrs. Hand’s Noble Work. One of those entitled to great credit and praise for assistance rendered to those taken from the water is Mrs. Augustus N. Hand, formerly Susie Train, daughter of Capt. Chas. J. Train, of the Massachusetts, whose marriage to Mr. Hand took place at Bar Harbor on Saturday last. The young couple had come to the Bluffs and were there on Sunday when the accident occurred. Mrs. Hand went right to work like a trained nurse, to administer to the needs of the sufferers. Among the fi rst to receive attention from her were Miss Gertrude Veazie and Mrs. L. G. Bragdon and son. Mrs. Hand gave up her room to them, provided blankets, hot water bags and medicine and gave them every attention, for which they feel profoundly grateful.


Work of Dennis Sullivan.


Another person whose name has not been mentioned among the life savers is Dennis Sullivan, the telephone lineman, of Bangor. He stood at the side of the slip with a rope, one end of which was made into a noose and this he lowered into the pit and took out by it seven or eight persons. The fi rst one taken out by him was L. G. Bragdon’s little boy, that the father had managed to keep by him. The noose of the rope was slipped under his arms and the strong arm of Sullivan pulled the boy safely to the wharf. Then the father was taken out the same way as the boy, and others whose names are not known followed. It was noble work. Mrs. L. G. Bragdon and Gertrude


Veazie were among the last taken from the water. The account of their rescue was not correctly reported at fi rst. They were among the fi rst to go down and were forced into the open water underneath the wharf. They were buoyed up by the air under their clothing and kicked and splashed in the water until they reached a board nailed to the piling on the outside of the wharf and which they


had espied the moment they looked about for something to hold on to. They clung to this board for more than half an hour before being taken out of the water. Mrs. Bragdon bore up well under the severe shock until she reached her home. She is considerably broken down now and cannot sleep without crying out and experiencing over again all the sensations of drowning. Young Fogg in Bad Shape. Ludella Fogg of Union Street, aged about 21 years, a young man of quiet disposition, was found Sunday at 12 o’clock lying down on the side of the tow path at Bar Harbor, by his aunt, Mrs. L. M. Fogg, in a very bad condition. He was on the slip when it went down, but got out by means of a ladder that had been lowered from the steamer, the lowest round of which he could just reach with one fi nger. He went clear down under water and it was some time before he came to the surface, as he made no use of his legs for fear of kicking the people that he could feel underneath him. He had swallowed much water which made him sick later. He lost his watch, hat and some money. He took the fi rst train home without having had any change of clothing. Monday he was reported as sick at his home on Union Street. Work of Fireman Maney.


A friend of the Commercial and one who is an admirer of the work of brave young men sends for publication an account of the work of John F. Maney of Bangor, fi reman on the 8:25 train from this city, which took the ill-fated excursion to the Ferry. At the time the accident occurred he was standing near the slip and with great presence of mind and cool nerve hastily secured a board and reached it to the unfortunates struggling in the water below. He succeeded to bring eight people to the wharf, receiving many thanks and much praise from those rescued. Such a brave act on the part of this young man deserves special notice, for at all times he was in danger of losing his own life on account of the great weight that he had to pull up from the water. Such an act by an employee of the M. C. R. R. goes to show what kind of men the railroad has in its employ.


Chas. F. Ward’s Quickness. One of the modest heroes of the disaster at the Ferry on Sunday is Chas. F. Ward, ex-alderman of the First ward in Bangor; he hasn’t said anything about what he did for humanity down there, but his friends are gradually fi nding out the truth. When the crash came Mr. Ward was on the steamer. He saw people throwing boards down into the hole and wondered why somebody wasn’t killed that way. Then he asked for a rope.


Everybody in that vicinity seemed to be completely demoralized with fear, it is said, and, according to witnesses, the Bangor ex-alderman broke in the door of a closet containing ropes and speedily threw some of the ends over to the struggling people.


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