The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1915-08-05
PLACE BLAME FOR
Loss OF EASTLAND
coRoNER's JURY FINDS six mEN
RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSS or
HUNDREDS or LIVES.
Recommends That the Men Under
Charges be Held 70 the Grand
Jurys-Passeneer Were In
No Way 20 Blame.

no way 70 btagne.
Chicago.--A coroner's jury Wednes-
day night returned a verdict placing
the blame for the loss Of hundreds OF
lives by the capsizlng OF the steamer
Eastland In the Chicago river Satur.
day on six men.
The jury recommended that the fol
lowing men be held to q grand jury
for indictment on charges Of man
slaughter.
William II. Hull. general manager
OF the chicngo-St. Joseph Steamship
company. owner Of the Eastland: Cap
tain Harry Petersen Of the Eastland;
]. NJ. Erickson. engineer; Robert Reid,
federal inspector OF steamships, who
gave the Eastland license to carry p,
500 passengers July >; J c, Eekliif,
federal inspector OF steamships; w. X,
Greenebaum. general manager OF the
indiana Transportation company, les
see Of the Eastland.
The jury found that the passengers
were not in any way 10 blame for the
eapsizing OF the ship. Il recommends
further investigation by the coroner
and other officers to determine wheth-
er the men named and others may be
guilty OF negligence or OF contributing
in any way to the cause OF the disas
ter.
After starting with the reeommeh
dalton that the men named he held
to the grand jury on the charge Of
granddaughter and for such other Of
lenses as the facts may warrant,
the verdict continues:
Nothing In the testimony Offered
before this jury indicated that the pas
sengers were guilty OF any unusual &C
| that contributed to the disaster, ant
| we are OF the opinion that no act o
the passengers was responsible To-
| the disaster.
In the absence OF evidence Of un
| due acts on the part OF the passenger
or violent physical causes, such ~ ex
blossoms. IRE or collisions. the fac
| that this vessel overturned Is proc
either that 1t was improperly con
structed for the service employed O
that II was improperly loaded, operai
ed. maintained, or that all Of thes
causes operated to bring about the -
rioug result
IT Is our judgment that the steam
boat Eastiand was both impFopeFl
constructed and improperly loaded. q
Grated and maintained, and that u
parties named are responsible.
I'VE recommend 20 the states al
torney and the grand Jury that an In
yestigation be made Of the corpora
ton or individuals responsible for th
MANAGEMENT OF this boat, with a yieV
70 discovering II other members Q
the corporation, or other individual
we're responsible for acts eontrtbutin
TO this disaster.
We further recommend that Oh
states attorney and the grand iur
investigate carefully the circun
stances OF the construction Of thl
boat to ascertain II there can be foun
legal methods by which those respoi
sible for It's defects Ia constrnctio
can be held accountable.
we further recommend that ID
states attorney investigate the d
tails OF purchase and sale OF the al
ferent common carriers which hay
owned the Eastland. with a view
determining, II possible. wheths
knowledge OF the instability of tn
/ boat and the hazards attendant Their
on, have been kuown 10 the seller
and have not been disclosed 70 II
purchasers. and whether the yariot
purchasers OF this boat have al
charged their duties as common ca
riers Ia investigating the stability an
freedom from hazards OF the Eas
land
1t IL our opinion that the tederI
governments system Of permlttin
the construction OF vessels for use /
common carriers Is unscientiHc an
a menace TO public safety. There
not now nor has there ever been 4
inspection service maintained by u
federal government FOR the purpol
Of determining the stability 81 boa
offered for passenger service. X
the Judgment OK this jury that Y
. | present method u determining q
passengerearrying capacity Of yesss
Is not founded on any proper baEii
]