Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1915-07-29

steAmer engines began % hum. Ina
Esstiand had not budxed. however.
Instead. the heavily iadsn ship va
vered sifswise. leaning first toward
the river bank. The iurch vas %
startling that many passengers Ioinsd
the large concourse already on the
river aide OF the dscks
Ths ship never heeisd back. II
turned slowly but steadily toward its
left side. Children ciufched the skirts
Of mothers and sisters to keep from
falling. Water began to enter lower
port holes and the hawsers tore cut
the spiles to which the vessel was tied
Screams from passengers attracted
the attention Of fellow excursionists
on the dock awaiting the next steam
err. wharfmen and pscknickers sooa
lined the edge Of the emhankment
reaching out heiplessly toward the
wavering steamer.
For nearly five minutes the ship
turned before IL finally dived under
the swift current OF the river. Dur
lag the listing Of the vessel iifebosts.
chairs and other loose sppurtenanees
on tho decks slipped down the slop-
ing floors. crushing the passengers to
ward the rising waters.
Then there was a plunge. with q
sigh Of air escaping from the hold.
mingled with crying Of children and
shrieks OF women. and the ship was
on the bottom OF the river. casting
hundreds OF living creatures to the
water
Many sank, entangled with clothing
and bundles and did not rise, but hun
dreds came to the surface. seized float
ing chairs and other objects. Persons
on shore threw out ropes and dragged
In those who could hold these life
lines.
Boats put out. tugs rushed TO the
scene with shrieking whistles and
many men jumped into the river to
aid the drowning. With thousands OF
spectators ready TO aid and the wharf
within grasp. hundreds went to death
despite every effort at rescue.
One mother grasped her two children
In her arms as she slipped from the
steamer into the water. One child was
torn from her. but she and the other
were saved. Fathers were drowned
after aiding their wives and children
to safety.
One man was seen to cling TO a
spike In the side OF the wharf while
two women and three children stepped
up on his body to safety. He fell ex-
hausted into the river as the last one
OF the nve reached the pier.
Instances Of heroism were almost
as numerous a. the number OF persons
took rescued passengers TO the wharf
or to the steamer Theodore Roose-
veit. which was tied up opposite the
Eastland.
Shortly after the water was cleared.
city fIremen and workmen were on
the exposed side of the Eastland's
hull. cutting through its steel plates
with gas flames Divers were hur-
ried into underwater suits A tug was
moored as a bridge between the pier
and the capsized ship
Az the divers gained entrance to the
hull, the scene Of distress moved fos
the time being from the river to ths
extemporfxed morgues- Warehouses
Of wholesale companies along tn
river were thrown open and bodie
we're placed In rows on the floorl
scores Of psrsoaa rescued IRON u
, wa1sr wsre injured and thsss ~
, tA1en 70 ne 1roqunis HnaDe<a1. -
! In memory Of the 500 women and ch
! dren and . few men who were burn
!. and crushed to death in the Iroquo
, Theafer fire several years ago.
Efforts to resuscitate those take
from the river were generally unsu
cessfui. Only two or three were thu
saved.
The whole city was In consterns
tion over the catastrophe. Word o
the accident spread rapidly and to tn
thousands already at or near tn,
wharf other thousands added them
selves. The Clark Street bridge neal
the wharf was crowded until 1t threat
ened to collapse. Streets had to b
cleared by the police to allow the
passage Of ambuiances.
Mayor William Hale Thompson was
in San Francisco and Chief Of Police
C. C. Healey was also out OF town.
but Acting Mayor Moorhouse sent out
request that the city display signs
OF mourning. Flags. on public build.
ings were placed at half-mast and
many places were draped with mourn.
ing. Baseball games were postponed
and festivities largely ceased.