New Britain herald., 1915-07-24

oAl oSA CtShClS dliu CdAAAN< ashore. As fast as bodies were taken on the wharf they were carried to the steamer Theodore Roosevelt or to the nearby buildings, or the stretchers were set down on the streets, where scores of physicians and volunteer rescuers began attempts to revive . them.
 Catholic Priests Summoned.
 Fifty Catholic priests, summoned hurriedly from their churches reached the scene shortly aft CT 10 o'clock Some of the priests went aboard the steamer Theodore roosevelt which was turned into temporary morgue but most of them devoted their attention to the dying and injured
 .here were seventy-two men in the crew of the Eastland and all of them Vert reported to have escaped by swimming to tn wharf. Late4 they aided in the rescue work.
 Last Inspection in May.
 The last annual inspection of the Eastland was made in St. Joseph, Mlch., May z, 1915. On July SIX dry dock examination of the boats hull was made by Captain Ira b. Mansfield and William Nicholas, io- cal steamboat inspectors.
 Bodies were removed to down town morgues in wagon loads, Wnere clothing of the victims were examined in an attempt to identify them. SIX ty per cent. of the dead were women, a deputy coroner said.
 Grand Jury Investigation.
 Grand Jury investigation was fore cast when Walter K. Greenbaum. General Manager of the Indiana Transportation company, which char. tered the Estland for the outing was summoned to the states attorneys office and questioned by States Att torney Hayne.
 Henry Vantak's Story.
 Mrs. Pauline vantak, the mother of three children, was among the drowned. Her children were believed to have been lost Henry Vantak, the woman's husband, was pulled out of the water.
 q could not believe the boat was turning over,' vantak said About a dozen of the 150 persons on the up per decks jumped The rest were thrown into the river. I did not see my wife or children after the boat turned. They were carried into the river with the crowd. Some one grabbed me around the neck and kept pulling me. It was a woman, but l could not save her.
 Policeman's Description.
 Policeman Henry H. Sescher, one of the first to go to the rescue, gave kI |, nrid
 T saw scores of men and women, many of them holding children, plunged into the water. I jumped into rowboat and pulled out to the drowning. I think I got about nifty ashore. The fireboat and tugs hur- ried to the scene and picked up more than a hundred people.
 We grabbed those nearest us first. At one time I had four women in the boat with me. Others I aided by dragging them from the water onto the docks"
 Filled to Capacity.
 '.The Eastland was filled to capac- ity and hundreds turned to other boats, according to S. G. Hall, one of the Western Electric picnickers. He estimated that seven thousand tickets had been distributed to the employees and that more than 2,5O0 were crowd ed on the Eastland.
 .'I went to the dock" said MT. Hall, "and was told to go to the other boats as the Eastland was already too crowded. There were fifteen or twen- ty people behind me and more com ing fast 1 -e.-
 1000 Tickets Distributed.
 .I was told that 1000 tickets had been distributed among the com pany's employees and that there were to be six boatloads. The only boats l that I heard were to be used, how ever. were the Eastland and the Theodore Roosevelt.
 .'I had scarcely gone ten feet .oward the Roosevelt when the East and began to list. Hundreds ran to | he rail and many climbed over It's side as it turned over. All were hrown into the water.
 Built in 1903.
 The steamer Fastland was built in i 1903 and owned by the Eastiand company of Civeland, Ohio. It was 265 feet long, 38 feet i wide and had Il draft of 23 feet with } net tonnage of 1.21S. 1t was brought to Chicago in 1904 and was Ised in excursion business to South Haven, Mich, for several years. Later t was taken to Cleveland, Ohio. and placed in the excursion service there. This spring the boat was remodeled. # was then brought to Chicago and put on the run to St. Joseph, Mich. t has steel hull and had speed ,f 21 miles an hour.
 Similar Accident Eight Years Ago
 The Eastland nearly met with an accident eight years ago similar to hat which befell it today, said one ,f the officers today. "She was then