Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1915-07-30

the scene with shrieking whistles, and
many men snatched off their coats
and sprang into the river to aid the
drowning. With thousands OF spec
tators ready to aid and the wharf
within grasp, hundreds went to death
despite every effort to rescue.
Captain Petersen in Command.
Captain Harry Petersen, 81 years
old, of Boston Harbor. Mich. in COM
mand of the Eastland, said:
Il was on the bridge and was about
ready to pull out when l noticed the
boat began 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 afterward the hawsers
broke, the steamer turned over on it's
side and was drifting toward the mid
die of the river.
when she went over l jumped and
held on to the upper side. 1t all hap
pened in two minutes.
"The cause is mystery to me.
have sailed the lakes Is years. Pre-
vious to that sailed on salt water -
years, and this is the first serious &C.
cident ever had. do not know how
it happened"
Eastland Known for Speed.
The steamer Eastland was built in
1908, and owned by the Eastland Navi-
cation company of Cleveland. 1t was
265 feet long, 38 feet wide, and had a
draft of % feet, with a net tonnage of
1918. It was brought to Chicago in
1904, and was used in the excursion
business to South Haven, Mich, for
several years. Later it was taken to
Cleveland, Ohio, and placed in the ex-
cursion service there. This spring the
brought to Chicago and put on the run
to st. Joseph, Mich. It had a steel
hull, and was known as one of the
fastest excursion boats on the Great
Lakes, having a speed of 81 miles an
hour.
| Later Report.
The death ship Eastland Sunday
night had given up the bodies of 800
of it's dead. OF the estimated total
number of those who went down to
death in the Chicago river when the
steamer bearing 2408 persons at the
time of the catastrophe, 1000, not in
Guiding the crew, have reported as
safe. OF the 588 thus remaining un
accounted for it is believed 400 are
alive and failed to report, and that
1873 bodies still are in the river. The
/ 80 -I snA t.
About three score bodies were re
covered Sunday. By noon divers had
concluded that all bodies had been re
moved save those that may have been
| crushed into the mud under the East
lands port side and those that had
gone down the river with the current
The Eastland lies on her side in the
river, with divers still laundering
through the interior of the steel cot
fin and burrowing under her, while
Chicago, appalled,, is just beginning to
realize the significance of one of the
greatest marine disasters.
Wilson Sends Sympathy.
Acting Mayor Moorhouse Sunday re
ceived the following telegram from
VT:
81 am sure I speak the universal
feeling of the people of the coun
try in expressing my profound sym.
pathy and sorrow in the presence OF
the great disaster which saddened so
many homes"
Noted Ship Disasters.
Lives Lost.
1,595-Titanic, April IA, 1912; off New.
foundland banks.
L. 00-Lusitania, May Z, 1915; Atlantic
ocean.
L. 24-Empress of Ireland, May 80
1914; ST. Lawrence river.
959-General Slocum, June Is, 1904;
East river, New York.
Burgoyne, July 2, 1898; off New.
foundland banks.
700--Princess Alice, September g.
1878; in Thames river, near
Woolwich.
574-Utopia, March II, 1891; off
Gibraltar.
300-Matsu Maru, March %, 1908;
off coast Japan.
289-Ship Kahunda, March 20, 1897;
off coast of Brazil.
2S7-Lady Elgin, September 8, 1860;
Lake Michigan.
200-Excursion steamer, April "a
1909; Long Island sound.
135-Volturno, October IL, 1913; At
lantic ocean.
128-State of Florida, April IS, 1884
off Canadian coast.
600-Norge, June 25, 1894; lost off