Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1915-08-04
$500 Passengers Legal Limit.

The Eastland's registry limit was
1880 passengers. Robert H. Nc
Creary, deputy collector of customs in
charge Of passenger checkers, insists
that he permitted no more than the
legal $500 on board, and that he
turned many away from the gang
plank, with instructions to board one
Of the other boats.
But two Western Electric men, who
helped get up the picnic, said about
300 went on the Eastland. Whatever
the number, there were too many, for
when a number of them rushed to the
side of the ship facing north she upset.
Many persons ashore saw the danger
before life was lost.
A hideous feature of the catastrophe
was the throwing of life preservers
into the water before a human being
was in the water to need one. Among
those who noticed the perilous list
of the steamship just before she went
over was General Manager W. K.
Greenebaum of the Indiana Transpor-
tation company, which had chartered
the Eastland from the st. Joseph-Chi-
cago Steamship company. He ordered
the crew of the Theodore Roosevelt to
the rescue and started the general
whistle alarm, which instantly spread
up and down the river, calling all
small craft to the scene.
Rescue Work Begins.
Inspector McCreary, standing on the
dock, also saw the list and was direct
ing rescue work almost simultaneously
with the splash of death.
AS fast as the bodies were recovered
they were taken to a temporary
morgue for tagging and Identification.
Many other bodies are believed to
be floating in the river. The dam at
Lockport was raised to reduce the cur
rent in the river and 6 net was spread
across the stream at Randolph street
to catch any bodies that might float
down that far.
1t was believed certain, also, that
many more dead would be found by
the divers working in the cabin and
hold of the ship.
With ten high-powered searchlights
playing over the scene from the roof
of the seven-story Reid, Murdoch &
Co. building on the north bank of the
river and the inside of the steamer IL
Illuminated with electric light bulbs, the
search for bodies continued all night.
While Orchestra Plays.
The ships orchestra was playing
ragtime below decks and several
couples were trying to dance in the
throng when the first warning came
Then the music broke off and the life
and death scramble was on;
The hundreds who were thrown into
the water had the better chance for
their lives. Other hundreds, trapped
inside the big steel prison, had prac-
tically no opportunity to save them
selves or be saved. Even If they es-
caued being stunned or drowned I'M
mediatelv. they could not be reached
by rescuers.
Firemen and SO employees of the
Commonwealth Edison company with
acetylene torches worked frantically
cutting holes in the side of the vessei
that lay toward the sky, and some
were taken out that way. But most OF
the forms dragged through the aper'
lures and through the loading doors OF
the hull were lifeless. All were IN
holiday attire.
Ropes were thrown from shore
across the Eastland; life preservers
and life RATS we're cast into the water
from every direction; firemen worked
frantically with pike poles. Men swim
ming in the water forgot their own
danger to go to the rescue of women
and children. other men dived from
the dock.
Life and Death Struggle.
Police ambulances from almost every
station in the city rushed to the scene
fighting their way through con-
course of sight-seers that gatnereu a.
-. - orowdpd every dVall-