Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1915-07-24


Chicago, July 24:-Over two
hundred are known to have been
drowned when the Michigan Trans
port lines steamer Eastland, with
about 1000 passengers, suddenly
listed as she was leaving her pier
this morning at 7:45 o'clock. Sew
eral hundred were thrown into the
Chicago river. Deputy Police Chlef
Schutten announced that over two
hundred are missing.
Fire tugs and private boats I'M
mediatelly with rushed all speed to
the scene. Scores were saved by these
rescue boats. The Eastland was
bound for Michigan on an excursion.
Captain Pedersen, who was on the
bridge when the boat keeled over, in
sisted there were not more than fif-
teen or twenty drowned. He
said an "air shoot" broke, letting In
tons of water on the east side OF the
vessel which is lying on her side in
the middle of the river. Despite Pc
spite Pederson's estimate of the dead,
William Clamden, who was pas
senger, declared at least 100 or more
were drowned or imprisoned in state
rooms or below deck.
The scores of men, women and
children taken from the water were
rushed Immediately to the Iroquois
hospital after first aid had been
given on some of rescue boats and
along the shore. Deputy Coroner
Forsburg reached the scene early
and assumed charge, with police re-
serves
At $3.50 twenty bodies we're taken
from the river. Deputy Coroner
Forsburg, at 9:20 declared that men
working under him had taken out
seventy bodies, at least half of them
women and children.
Among the passengers who put the
\. .deat1 list at high -aeaEe was TsaAc-
.dore S6adeystrom, who was pulled out
unconscious He declared he held
his wife up for what seemed hours
and then she was torn from his grasp
by two women, who struggled to
hold themselves upon his shoulders.
She was drowned. At $50 Police
Lieutenant J. ]. Mcmahon told
United Press representative he had
personally superintended taking out
thirty-one bodies He said at least
twenty-five were women. Soder-
strom said he did not believe 1t was
a broken air shoot that caused the
big boat to tip over.
"The passengers were crowded on
the outer rail from ten to thirty
deep In places" Soderstrom said. L
noticed the boat began to careen
slightly but at first it gave me no
uneasine ess. Then just before she
pulled out several hundred passen-
gers waving to persons on the dock
came over to the outer rail. Almost
instantly the boat lurched, righted
itself and then tipped once more.
by this time passengers knew
something was wrong. 1t all happen
ed so quickly. For third time the
boat lurched This time slowly and
there were screams as every one
tried at once to get to the side next
to the dock.
MANY were beaten down to the
decks unconscious in this mad rush.
Probably a dozen persons jumped
into the water, several women. They
were crushed under the side of the
boat before they had a chance to
swim away. Before the boat got
half way over it seemed to drop on
its side like stone.
Among those we rescued were
two babies. Policemen Jacobson and
A. Denman, who were on duty at the
dock on the other side of the river,
said they believed the death list
would reach at least three hundred.
while bodies were being removed
from the water officials of the steam
ship company ordered workmen to
cut open the bottom and sides of the
ship above the water line in the hope
that a score or more believed to be
imprisoned inside, whose poundings
and screams were plainly heard,
could be saved.
The rescue work was greatly re-
tarded despite quick response from
every boat nearby, because of the
panic Every available pulmotor
was rushed to the scene, but through
lack of them many persons died on
the docks after being brought ashore.
Eye witnesses corrobrated the
story of Edward Setback, a commits
sion merchant, and S. W. Willard, a
passenger on the Eastland. Setback
was some yards from the dock when
the boat went over He comman-
deered large row boat and pad
died to midstream He dragged
willard from the water and with him
climbed to the boats upturned side.
The two drew ninety passengers
from below deck through a portfolio.
Peter Harwttch, musician, went
overheard with his violin when the
boat tipped An unknown woman
struggling in the water was hanging
to the violin when Harwitch came
up. He managed to reach shore
with the woman. Caspar Lalind was
q passenger with his son, wife and