The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-07-29
CHARGE CAPTAIN
IGNORED PER|LS
Accusations Made BY Chicago
HarbOr Master and Others.
VESSELS LIST NOTED BY ALL

Adam Weckler Alleges That He
Warned Captain Peterson If East
land Was Not Righted He Would
Not Permit Her to Pass Bridge
Secretary RedfieId Arrives.
Chicago, July 2S.-Captain Harry
Peterson was directly blamed for the
Eastland disaster by witness after
witness at the coroner's inquest. Har-
Dor Master Adam Wekler, a marine
expert, testified he noticed the dan
gerous list of the vessel and warned
Captain Peterson that he would not
open the Clark street bridge and per-
NIT the ship to pass out into the lake
until the vessel had been righted.
James R. Linn, assistant harbor
master, testified that in his opinion
Captain Peterson was guilty of negli-
gence for not ordering the crew to
get passengers off after he had failed
10 fill the water ballast tanks in sew
enteen minutes. The fact that there
were bubbles in the river showed that
the Eastland was stuck in the mud,
he said, and the mud undoubtedly
prevented the water from being
pumped into the ballast tanks.
w. K. Greenbaum, general manager
OF the Indiana transportation COM
pany, charterer of the ship, testified
that he believed if the water ballast
tanks had been filled the Eastland
would not have toppled over. He put
the blame for the tanks alleged to
have been empty on the captain and
chief engineer, J. S. Erickson, whose
father-in-law is federal Inspector, ].
M. Reid of Grand Haven. It was Reid
who granted papers increasing the
Eastland's carrying capacity.
Other witnesses told of the list of
the boat and asserted it was heavily
overloaded, one witness, A. G.. Rick.
ey, testifying that there must have
been between 5000 and 1000 passen-
gers on the ship"
Coroners Inquest Under Way.
The coroner's inquest which was
directed in large part by States At
torney Hoyne was the first of the sew
eral investigations to swing into ac-
tion. Preliminary to the government
inquiry ordered by Federal Judge
Lands to begin Thursday with the
1mpaneling of a grand jury, bench
warrants were issued by Judge Ian
dis for the arrest of Martin Flatow,
Chicago manager of the st. Joseph
Chicago Steamship company; Chief
Engineer Erickson, Captain Peterson,
Delbert Fisher, first mate, and Peter
Fisher, member of the crew, to insure
their presence before the federal
jury.
RedfieId Arrives.
William G. Redfeld, secretary of
the department of commerce, arrived
in the city and Immediately went into
conference with United States District
Attorney Cline in connection with the
governments investigation Mr.. Red
field visited the scene of the disaster
and his first act was to direct that a
search be made for the safety first
sign which federal regulations require
all steamers to carry So far the sign
has not been found. Mr.. Redfield also
directed his attention to the life pre-
servers on the boat and pointed out
that all bore the government stamps,
showing that they had been inspect
ed five times in the last five years.
The secretary said he was ready to
appear before any of the investigat-
ing bodies and that he had summoned
various employees in the governments
inspection service to Chicago that
they would be within the jurisdiction
of the courts and could be called to
testify and tell what they knew. He
defended his subordinates and quoted
the bible and Shakespeare in pleading
for suspended Judgment until more of
the facts are learned.