The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1915-07-30
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BLAMEs
PULL FOR WRECK
Captain Of Eastland Seeks to
Escape Responsibility.
READY TO TELL EVERYTHING
Charges Federal Inspector, Waa
"Fixed"-Says Boat Owners Can't
Make a "Goat" OF Him as In
SIocum Case.

Chicago, July 2S.-"They can't do
with me what they did with the skip
per of the General Slocum! It's the
fault of the ships pwners!"
Thus did Capt. Harry Peterson of
the Eastland seek TO escape from pos
sible punishment as the investigating
bodies closed in on the sunken hulk
of the ship Of catastrophe.
Captain Peterson hasn't been in ex-
actly good favor since he went around
tie ship last Saturday and complained
that the rescuers with acetylene drills
were harming the hull.
/ According to States Attorney Hoyne
Captain Peterson made confession.
According to Mr.. Hoyne Captain Pc
derson said:
The owners Of the Eastland are
trying to make a goat out of me. I'll
tell everything / know.
In see to- it that they don't do to
me what they did to- the skipper Of
the General Slocup. He went, to Jail
with some Of the officers.
If any jury could find me guilty
of causing the death Of all those peo-
pie I'd want them to hang me, and
I'd be glad to get the. moose around
nay neck.
I'm sailor, not manager or
owner. My place was up on the
bridge and / was up there, l wasn't
down at the gangplank counting pas
sengers. Nor was down in the en-.
CINE room. was at my post. as
every captain should, be.
."'Toid ReidsMaa Fixed"
! They can't blame me If the East
land was carrying more than she
could handle. Tie, officials of the
company were mighty anxious to get
the privilege of carrying $500 pas
.sengers instead of 1900 passengers.
They had their license for 1000 q
year ago. i:
"But that wasn't enough for them.
They set about fixing it up to get u
new license.
Finally / was told by one of the
officers to go to Robert Reid the
federal inspector, who has his. head
quarters at Grand Haven. l was told
to apply to him for the. privilege.
II started to ask how this was go
ing to be done. / was told that it
was all fixed up with Reid and that
all / would have to do was apply
for it. Ia
f. Grants Passenger Increase.
81 made special trip to Grand
Haven--that is one of the formal
/ things-and made MY application.
/. II guess it was fixed up~all right.
Reid did not hesitate to give me the
new license-for $500 passenge IS.
This was the license the .Eastland was
operating under when She tipped over
in the river" $50
+ According to the states attorney,
J. M. Ericsson, son-ih-law of Reid. was
made chief engineer Of the Eastland
shortly after the granting of the new
license. Ericsson was in charge of
! the ships machinery last Saturday
when the Eastland carried its merry
picnic crowd to death.
The Eastland was safe. The 40
cident to the ship, from what / can
learn, was due to shallow water where
she was locked. The bottom of the
hull was resting on the bed of the
river, and when the tug pulled the
Eastland turned over"
| This was the statement of William
! H. Hull, general manager of the ST..
Joseph Steamship line (which owns the
steamer which overturned in the Chi
cago river on Saturday.
MY information is that one line
from the stern Of the ship was fas-
tened when the tug began to pull, and.
that the cap was pulled off the piling
by the tension" he continued. Lack
of ballast could not possibly have been
the cause of the ships turning over.
| The ship certainly was safe.''