The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-07-26
0vERL0ADING
CAUSED LOSS
0FEASTLAnD
States Attorney Hoyne Pre-
pares to Make Charge Be
fore Grand Jury After
Hearing Witnesses.
SHIP HOLDS BODIES
Coroner Refuses Permission
to Dynamite Hull of Chi
cag0 Steamer to Recover
Victims.

Victims.
CHICAGO. July 2e.-"The Eastland
was overloaded and the overlooking
was responsible for the tragedy OF
Saturday"
This was the finding Of States At
torney Maclay Hoyne today after
examining mere than 100 witnesses.
Announcement Of the finding was
made by Edwin J. RAIDER. assistant
states attorney. who was preparing
the testimony for presentation to the
grand jury AS the investigation
progressed by officials OF the city.
state and federal government, divers.
firemen and policemen continued their
sorry task Of removing bodies from
the sunken hull of the death ship.
It was believed that between 1000
and 1000 persons lost their lives.
Coroner Hossman declared, how
ever, that with more than 500 already
accounted for, there are still 700
bodies packed in the hull and caught
in the nfenets stretched across the
Chicago river at frequent intervals
for distance of nearly two miles.
Issues Statement.
! The statement Of Attorney RAIDER
discussed the results of the investiga-
ton. 1t said:
"Al our testimony points to the
| fact that the boat was overloaded.
| There are other considerations but the
main fact is that overlooking caused
the tragedy.
They had too many persons. too
high on the ship. The question of bal
| last has been brought up but that is of
secondary importance. Since early
Saturday we have question more than
100 witnesses. Everything points to
overlooking and the states attorneys
office is prepared to charge this.
There were other violations and
Irregularities. Some OF the inside
facts as to the working of the govern
ment inspectors will be revealed ip
our complete report on the catas-
| trophe.
I'VE found that the gangways were
not closed. This would have helped
stop the thrush to the water. Lower
|
they should have been. But all these
are of minor importance compared to
the fact that the big ship carried
more passengers than she should
have"
| Asked to Dynamite.
| Permission to dynamite the sunken
hull of the Eastland was asked today
and refused by Coroner Hossman
whose authority in directing the work
Of the rescue exceeds even the federal
officials working under the orders of
the president William Ayers. chief of
the bridge repair department of the
city of Chicago. asked that his men
be allowed to use explosives to blast
out the imprisoned bodies which are
tangled in the ships hull.
Under no circumstances use ex.
plosives," commanded the coroner.
| Dynamite would undoubtedly de-
| stroy evidence which we hope to get
when the boat is righted. Rather a
few hours or days delay in recovering
the dead than the destruction of any
bit of evidence that might assist in
placing the responsibility for this
crime"
i Steamer Holds More.
! Two hundred bodies are still in the
submerged hull of the steamer East
land, pinned beneath a tangle of inn
movable wreckage and cannot be ex-
tricated until the vessel is raised This
was the statement today of Reginald
Bowles, an amateur diver aged Is,
who worked forty hours without rest
in the hold of the overturned vessel.
A police official ordered Bowles
brought to the surface early today and
forced him to quit his grim task for
a while. The horrors inside the sunk
| en- hull were beginning to derange
| Eowles' mind
| His last find was the body Of a small
child that had bitten off its fingers.
He staggered and nearly fell back into
the water with his grewsome burden.
He insisted on continuing his work.
however. until two detectives dragged
him away to the detective bureau and
put him to bed.
Il started to work as soon after the
accident as I could get my diving suit
and helmet" said Bowles, telling of
his experience. "One Of the first
bodies l encountered was that OF a
woman. brought her to the surface.
She had baby in her arms.
i Raised Hands in Prayer.
/ Il found a man with his hands
raised as il in prayer. Children's
! bodies were there galore. It was the
sight of their CHASTITY faces that ground
away my nerve Most of the faces
were drawn into terror. Those of the
children were mostly calm. Apparent
ly they never realized death was at
hand, or else they simply didn't fear"
Several bodies caught by the strong
current and swept away from the
Eastland wreck were discovered
caught in the net stretched across the
Chicago river at Twelfth street, near.
ly two miles from the scene of the
overturning Of the lake liner The
nets were to be drawn up later and
the bodies removed to the second regi-
II mont arm0rv for idontfflca tsou