The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1915-07-30
STEAMER CAPS|zES
IN CHICAGO RIVER
THOUSAND LIVES LOST WHEN
CROWDED VESSEL MEETS
WITH ACCIDENT.
More Than twenty-five Hundred Men,
Women and Children Thrown into
Water in Dense Mass, While
Many Drown In Cabins.

Chicago. thousand persons lost
their lives in the Chicago river on
July "a by the capsizing OF the excur-
sion steamer Eastland while warping
from its wharf with more than 2,5OO
employees of the Western Electro
company and their relatives ana
friends on board, bound for pleas
ure trip across Lake Michigan. Many
were drowned in the cabins.
The bodies of 800 victims had been
recovered Monday morning, after for
ty hours of searching by divers
around the steel hulk, still lying on
its side, half submerged.
The total dead as result OF the
turning over of the ship still remains
at approximately 1000, according to
estimates made by Coroner Hoffman,
whose reports indicated that probably
200 bodies still were held in the mud
of the river by the superstructure of
the overturned boat.
Efforts to discover the cause of the
accident were begun long before the
work of rescue was over. Federal
and county grand juries were ordered,
coroners jury was impaneled and all
the officers and crew of the Eastland
were arrested.
President Wilson has ordered that
a complete investigation be made by
the department of commerce into
the sinking of the excursion steamer
Eastland. Acting Secretary Sweet, of
the department, sent him word that
the cause of the disaster would be
looked into and the president directed
that nothing be left undone to fix the
responsibility.
Capt. Harry Petersen, 81 years old,
who was in command of the steamer
Eastland when it capsized, said:
Il was on the bridge and was about
ready to pull out when | noticed the
boat begin to list. l shouted orders to
open the inside doors nearest the
dock and give the people a chance to
get out. The boat continued to roll
and shortly afterwards the hawsers
broke and the steamer turned over on
ner side and was drifting toward the
middle of the river. When she went
over jumped and held on to the m
per side. 1t all happened in two min
utes.
The cause is a mystery to me. I
nave sailed the lakes for twenty-five
years and previous to that sailed on
sait water twelve years and this is
the first serious accident | ever had
! do not know how it happened"
Fully 1000 men, women and chill
dren came down to the river wharf to
board the boats for holiday excur-
sion. The lake steamer Eastland had
been loaded, tug was hitched to the
Ill rated vessel, ropes were ordered
cast off and the engines began 70
sum. The Eastland had not budged
however.
Instead, the heavily laden shin
wavered sideways, leaning first TO.
Ward the river bank. The lurch was
SO startling that many passenger:
Joined the large concourse already q,
the other side of the decks.
The ship then heeled back II
turned slowly but steadily toward,
its left side. Children clutched thu
skirts OF mothers and sisters to keer
from falling. The whole cargo wa,
lmpeiled towards the falling side Of
the ship. Water began to enter low
er portholes. ana the ropes snapped
tied sSei was
screams from passengers attra ctef
the attention of fellow excursionists
on the wharf awaiting the newt
steamer Wharfmen and picnickers
soon lined the edge of the embanl,
ment. reaching out helplessly toward
the wavering steamer.
FOR nearly five minutes tho sh;r
turned before it finally diyed unda,
the swift current of the river which
owing to the drainage canal svston,
hoWs from the lake. During n,
mighty turning of the shin viii II
cargo OF humanity, lifeboats cboins
ana other loose appurtenances on the
ueoNs shpped down the sloping floors
cIushing the passengers toward ~,
rising waters. iu the
Ihen there was pnnge with :
sign OF air escaping from tho bo,s
mingled with crying of children ana
sniiehs oil women, and the ship was
On .he bottom of the river, casting
hundreds OF its passengers into the
water. Many sank, entangled -. le
S S,u'ning and bundles, and did not rise
out scores came to the surface eivin,,
sne river the appearance of crowded.
oa'nlhg beach. Many seized f,oatrns
chairs and other objects.
lnose on shore threw out rones ana