Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1915-08-04
TELLS OF INFERNO
IN SINKING SHIP
Survivors Give Narrowing De-
scriptions of Their Fight
for Life.
FIREMAN FINDS OWN CHILD
Pathetic Incidents Mark Work of Res
cuers-Women Go Raving Mad
and Men Fight Like
Beasts for Life.

Chicago, July 26.-Within an hour of
the time the Eastland turned over on
her side rescue bureau had been es-
tablished by the Western Electric COM
pany officials.
To this refuge came those who
either missed the Eastland or those
who escaped when the "hoodoo ship"
went over.
From some of the survivors came
narrowing tales that made the sloping
decks Of the steamer and her swaying
cabins appear as an inferno during the
first few moments after the upsetting.
Men Fight for Life.
Deputy Commissioner of Public
Works Burkhardt and Smoke Commits
sioner Reed told Of picking the body
of George Price, a prominent Shriner,
out of the river.
Price was able to tell us of the
fighting, screaming mass Of humanity
between decks" said Reed. Then he
died before we could even get him a
doctor.
Women went raving mad before
his eyes, Price said, and men fought
like beasts for a chance to get to the
single ventilator entrance that led
from the cabin in which forty or more
of them found themselves imprisoned.
He was forced under water for min
utes at time and only escaped when
a door broke under the water pressure
and washed the whole roomful of them
out into the water Then Price was
too far gone to recover"
Fireman Finds Own Child.
Perhaps one of the most pathetic
incidents was the finding of his own
daughters body by Louis Schweichert,
a city fireman connected with the fire
department bureau, who was working
at the mouth of the pit.
Re pulled at dress that appeared
fa' Iiliar to him when one of the divers
came up from the slime of the black
space between decks.
Then as the clothing fell back
Schweichert saw the face of his
twelve-year-old daughter, Louise. Ho
wept Then he swore vengeance at
the Eastland. Finally he seized the
body of the girl and made his way
through the crowd. He refused to al
low the body to be placed in the
morgue, but instead took it directly
to his home at ALSO South Loomis
street.
Crew Kicks Way Out.
Chief Engineer J. M. Ericsson and
Jack Ebert, the gauge tender, had
one of the narrowest escapes record
ed. They were below and forward
when the Eastland first began to list
to starboard. Ericsson at once as
sumed charge of the pumps and
pumped the water ballast over until
the boat righted.
Then, as she started to heel to port,
Ebert shouted: "She's going over"
and started for the ventilator. He
kicked his way through the ventilator
sheath, broke down stateroom door,
swan across a room filed with water
and finally reached hatchway
Ericsson and four of the crew fol-
lowed him out and then 1t was that
Ericsson told Smoke Inspector Reed
that he had reported five times pre-
viously the Eastland had listed, but
that the owners paid no attention to
his reports.
Fifteen-year-old Hugh Thompson,
1888 South Springfield avenue, was
with his elder sister, Susie, on the
upper deck when the boat began to
go over.
"We jumped" said young Thomp-
son, "but Susie disappeared swan
around as long as l could looking for
her, and woman grabbed me around
the neck until / thought l must go
down. Luckily some wreckage came
along that was able to hang to until
rescued | have been to all the
morgues, but can find no trace of my
sister"
Mother Saves Son.
Mrs William Fitzgerald, 5216 West
Twenty-third place, was saved, with
her hve-year-old son, Edward, but
was separated from the baby.
My nuSDanu, the boy anu were
thrown into the water, and / had him
cling to my neck until we drifted in
toward some piling, where some men
pulled him OUT said Mrs. Fitzgerald.
HE disappeared, but l know he is
safe. fear for my husband, how
ever. because he could not swim"
Mrs. H. H. Thoyer, sos West Twen-
ty-third street, was precipitated into
the water with her husband and her