New Britain herald., 1915-07-28
BLAME CAPTAIN FOR
 EASTLAND DISASTER
Witnesses Say He Was Warned of
 Listing and Failed to Act

Chicago, H., July 2S.-Overloadine
 under-ballasting and grounding on 1 the river bottom were cited in testi- 1 mony yesterday at the coroner's in- quest as seasons why the steamer Eastland toppled over Saturday at it's wharf and drowned hundreds of ex- cursionists. Adam F. Weckler, har- Dor master, and Joseph R. Lynn, as- sistant harbor master, both of whom ! were present when the steamer oap- sized with 2,50O persons, it's licensed capacity aboard, in ascribing the ac- cident to these causes, told the cor oner,s jury that the boat was cranky, and should never have been permit ted by government inspectors to carry more than 1,200 persons.
 While the jury was hearing this and other testimony, Secretary of Commerce RedfieId looked over the upset boat and watched divers, searching the wreck and surrounding waters, recover three more bodies, He said that government supervision had not been lax and that the East land had safely carried many more passengers than were aboard when the ship rolled over. He said that federal officers would do everything possible to fix the blame if there was any, let it rest where it might Warned Captain To Trim Ship. Harbor Master Weckler testified that he arrived at the Eastland's wharf twenty minutes before the fpa a an,.r d11n f, cfo ,et the boat was listing to port. He said he called to Captain Harry Pedersen of the Eastland to trim the vessel, shouting that he would not open the Clark street bridge until the boat was righted.
 MT. Weckler said the captain tried to right the ship, but seemed unable to take water into the ballast tanks fast enough. The harbor master said he had no doubt the tanks had been pumped dry, but that the captain should have been able to fill them in from three to six minutes if nothing had been wrong with the valves.
 Boat Cranky
 never saw the Eastland loaded so heavily as it was Saturday morn ing" said MT. Weck1er. The boat
 
 came back slightly and again started oyer, and kept on going. A boat that is difficult to handle under all cir cumstances is known as a cranky boat and have noticed the Eastland to be cranky constantly
 VI don't think that the East1and should have been allowed to carry more than 1,200 passengers because it did, not have enough draft and stability to carry a larger load. 4Only last Tuesday I told Captain Peder- sen that his boat needed trimming as it was constantly travelling on its ears. He said that the twin screws kept the Eastland on an even keel while under way. .lE.
 After his arrest I heard Captain Pedersen say that he tried for seven ten minutes to trim the steamer, but could not get water into the ballast tanks fast enough. don't believe that Captain Pedersen realized the danger until the final plunge came.'
 MT. Lynn testified that he arrived just as the Eastland was due to start. He saw the dangerous list of the steamship and called the police and fire departments, returning to the wharf to see passengers leaping from the decks to the river.
 Believes Ship Touched Bottom.
 1T believe" he said, "the ship was on the bottom aft of midship. If she lay on a bank sloping towards the middle of the river and was being jammed down against this bank, she would naturally tip toward the rivers center. If the captain tried for sev- enteen minutes to right the boat with out attempting to get off those on board, there was negligence"
 MT. Lynn said that he saw many while the ship was careening.
 Captain John H. O'Meara of the tug Kebosha, which was hitched to the Eastland to tow the ship out of the river, testified that he did not take hold of the Eastland until after 7:25 several minues after other wit nesses said the ship had begun to list. Even then he waited for word to go ahead and the captain of the Eastland was not working out the stern as was necessary to protect the screws. Cap- tain O'Meara said he finally got the word to go ahead but before the tow line was taut, the Eastland listed dangerously and he stopped, but the ship never lighted He had lowed the Eastland four times, and she all ways listed, he said.
 Permit To Take 2,57O Passengers.
 l.. c. Wheeler, assistant division su- perintendent of the department of justice, submitted government inspec- ton certificates, including the latest