The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1915-08-19
TELLS OF INFERNO
IN SINKING SHIP
Survivors Give Narrowing De-
scriptions OF Their Fight
for Life.
FIREMAN FINDS OWN CHILD
Pathetic Incidents Mark Work Of Res.
euers-women Go Ravino Mad
and Men Fight Like
Beasts for Lie.

Chicago, July 26.-within an hour OF
the time the Eastland turned over on
her side IA rescue bureau had been es.
tablished by the Western Electric com.
pany officials.
To this refuge came those who
either missed the Eastland or those
who escaped when the "hoodoo ship"
wen over.
: From some OF the survivors came
narrowing tales that made the sloplng
decks OF the steamer and her swaying
cabins appear al IN inferno during the
first few moments after the upsettlng.
Men Fight for Life.
Deputy COMMISSIONS OF Public
Works Burkhardt and Smoke Commits.
sioner Reed told OF picking the body
OF George Price. a prominent Shriner.
out OF the river.
Price was able 10 tell us OF the
fighting. screaming mass OF humanity
between decks said Reed. Then he
died before we could even get him a
doctor.
Women went raving mad before
his eyes. Price said. and men fought
like beasts for n chance to get TO the
single ventilator entrance that led
from the cabin In which forty or more
Of them found themselves imprisoned
lie was forced under water for min.
utes at a time aud only escaped when
a door broke under the water pressure
and washed the whole roomful OF them
out into the water. Then Price was
too far gone to recover"
Fireman Finds Own Child.
Perhaps one of the most pathetic
incidents was the finding OF his own
daughters body by Louis Schweichert,
n city fireman connected with the fire
department bureau. who was working
at the mouth OF the pit.
He pulled at n dress hat appeared
familiar to him when one of the divers
came up from the slime OF the black
space between decks.
Then az the clothing fell back
Schweichert saw the faco OF his
twelve.year-old daughter. Louise. lie
wept. Then he swore vengeance at
the Eastland. Finally he seized the
body Of the girl and made his way
through the crowd. He refused 70 al
low the body to be placed In the
morgue, but instead ooh II directly
to his home at 1850 South LOOMS
street.
Crew Kicks Way Out.
Chief Engineer J. NJ. Ericsson and
Jack Ebert, tho gauge tender. had
one OF the narrowest escapes record
ed. They were below and forward
when the E%ssthnd first began To list
20 s%tarboard. Ericsson at once as
sumed charge OF the pumps and
pumped the water ballast over until
the boat righted.
Then. as she started e heel TO port
Gilbert shouted: She's going over
and started for tho v%entilator. liz
kicked his way through tho ventilatol
sheath. broke down a stateroom door
swan across n room filled with watei
and finally reached a hatchway.
Ericsson and four OF the crew fol
lowed him out and then II was tina
Ericsson told Smoke Inspector Reed
that he had reported five times pre-
viously the Eastland had listed. bu.
that the owners paid no attention I,
his reports.
Fifteen.year.old Hugh Thompson
2233 South Springfield avenue. wal
with his elder sister. Susie, ON IN,
upper deck when the boat began 4
20 over,
I'VE jumped" said young Thomp
son, but Susie disappeared. ! swan
around az long as | could looking 10
her. and a woman grabbed me arounC
the neck until ! thought | must Il
down. Luckily some wreckage cam,
along that | was able to hang to until
rescued. have been TO all th,
morgues, but can find no race OF m!
sister"
Mother Saves Son.
Mrs. william Fitzgerald. 5ei6 Wei
T%wenty.third place. was saved. will
her ~hve.year.old son. Edward. bu
was separated from the baby.
my husband. the boy and | wer,
thrown into tho water, and ] had hin
cling 20 my neck until we drifted Il
toward some piling. where some mel
pulled him out" said Mrs. Fitzgerald
"He disappeared, but ! know no
safe. fear for my husband. how
ever. because he could not swim"
Mrs. II. II. Thoyer, 52OS West Twer
ty.third street, was p%recipitated Int
the water with her husband aud he