The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-07-31
FAMILY OF FATE.
Grim Chronology of Topekans Told
by Chicago Tribune.

! Another chapter in the grim tras-
edy that has run through the Pia-
mondon family, of Chicago, and Tor
merIy of Topeka, was added in the
Eastland horror The Chicago Tri-
bune speaks of the Plamondons as the
family of fate. The following fatefui
chronology is offered by the Tribune;
Iroquois theater fire-Charlotte Pa
mondon, daughter of Mr.. ana MRS.
Charles A. Plamondon, seated IN po1
A Immediately under the spot Wnere
the curtain first blazed out; rescued In
state of collapse after loss of furs ana
purse.
Iusitania-Mr. and Mrs. Charles A
Plamondon drowned; bodies recovered
and returned to Chicago for burial.
Eastland-E. K. PlaEaondon, 45zS
Jackson boulevard. cousin of Charles
A Plamondon, his wife and two
daughters, Irene, IT years DID, ana
Mary, Is years old; Mr.. Plamondon
brother, Ambrose, and the latters son
and daughter-in-law, Mr.. and Mrs. W.
j. PIamondon, Abs Indiana avenue
All were thrown into the water ana
all were rescued.
Two daughters of E. K. Plamonoon
were sent to St Luke's hospital.
After the boat turned over e. X
Plamondon seized one of his daughters
and got to place of safety. Ambrose
rescued the other daughter ana mrs
u
shore with his wife with nothing more
serious than a soaking and the at
tendant shock from fright.
Two younger daughters of r. K
Plamondon, GenevIeve and Ethel
were at first reported to have been
with the party and to have lost their
lives. They decided not to take them
at the last moment and the two child
dren were playing at home at the time
the boat plunged the other members
of the family into the water
The PIamondons, who recently at
tended the double funeral of Mr.. and
Mrs. Charles A. Plamondon, boarded
the Eastland in the morning for the
anticipated lake trip.
Mrs. Plamondon is reported to have
expressed some uneasiness as the big
crowd pushed on to the ill fated boat,
but her husband treasured her In the
midst of the gayly attired picnic
throng, mostly women and children,
it seemed, with laughter and happy
voices sounding over the river, there
came sudden lurch of the boat, then
a single scream. In an instant the
steamer rolled over on her side.
Screams of terror came from 5000
threats.
One of the thrilling stories of almost
miraculous escapes that came out of
the Iroquois theater holocaust was
that furnished by the experience of
Charlotte Plamondon, whose father
ana mOIner IOunQ d WdleTy grave III
the torpedoing of the Lusitania-
Miss PlamOndOn was a member of a
box party given by Mrs. Rollin "A.
Keyes, of Evanston, whose daughter
was a classmate of Miss Plamondon
at the Sohmer School for Girls in
Washington, D. c.
The writer of this interviewed Miss
Plamondon the night of the tragedy in
the Plamondon apartments in the Chi
cago Beach hotel She was in a state
of semi-cOllapse, Dur managed coher-
emily to piece together a gripping
narrative of her experience.
She sat in box A, at the railing, so
near the stage that she almost could
reach out and touch the stage. Her
first warning was when a piece of
the burning curtain fell in her lap and
rolled to the floor of the box. At that
moment Eddie Foy rushed on the
stage and cried:
For Gods sake, keep your seatsi"
F'oy feared death by trampling in the
panic, and at that moment didn't
think 10 fire SERIOUS