Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-26
GAMBLING WITH HUMAN
LIVES TO MAKE DOLLARS
Eastiand Tragedy Laid at Door of
inspection Service, Which Yielded
to Ship Owners.
WARNINGS HAD BEEN AMPLE,
senator La Follette's Secretary Points
out mat Eastland Was Permitted
10 larry Only 147 Passengers. Eek.
cept During Excursion Season
Especial to The Times. Dispatch

Especial to Tho Times-Dispatcb
|. WASHINGTON. July 25coIa,
Johh Hannah. secretary to Sen,to
Follette.~ author OF the seam.., 49,.
ana an authority on questions connoo,
ed with the merchant marinn
S."'e'neht to-day charges that the Ens,
rama disaster at Chicago was dr. -,
ioNity on the part of the steamboat w
spec'ioh service. The La Toilette ar,
n.y. peCofnc operative until No
TehD"f T. In his statement Co,ono,
Human says: Noiohei
l. requires some great calamity rk.
the Eastland to drive home tho M,
Oh stringent laws to curb the greed oe
life. ""'u human
The Chicago tragedy IS d;rcc,,, =,
.rlbutable to the loosencss OF our ~
opcst'oh law and to the lax regulation,
provided by the steamboat Ipennr,J,'
service Tor the control Of passengcr
steamers. especially those In tbe 81
cursion business.
WIDE ELASTICITY
ON PASSENGER RULES
n may be that there was c,,
paoiHty upon the part OF tho r,sta.
t u other oihcers OF the Eastland Ths
sntesuGation has not gone far enough ~
E,s,, 'ne mat with certainty. The
f1"s'iahd was permitted IN 80 ,-
passengers at all seasons n, ~ 80
Sn" was permitted to carry o5oo 80.
si"E 10 to October ID, provided ,u
t 1oat went not more than Ave n,1as
elasticity in the certificate nr eucn
IT'S IT'S 'he cause Of the Chicago trared,.
fastiand was overloaded IT,
,,laSeay was the result OF this go
w.s ~ was not an accident II
was me direct result Of the noi,c,. .,
dollars '''es 70 make
me inspection service cannot cIsir
mas not been warned victor
LANDER has frequently been bcforn ~.
c,n, ,,sHs inspector general and m.
tees Of Congress, reDrcsen,inc
inc Lake Scamcn's Union ~. -
d''ch'ioh TO the danger OF oycrloadi,a
especially directed attention Ia .hn
OF crowds placed on boats ~
,he, ,h type. He pointed out
~ ~, such an event, that hundreds ~
HFcs would be lost He moi on,,.
picaocd with the department To baIn
.nc rules changed with respect n Iat.
SINNERS put has pointed our in man.
ways the laxity OF inspection rerw,.
on the Great Lakes. Presum,h,,. ~
eau"e ne has represented the Inter
OF inc men employed upon the
eesois MS pleas were discounted and
ms warnings unhecded
pHS NJ SoSCEP1ION
OF DUTY TO PUBLIC
An inspection service that will Is
sue ana defend certificates such as
was held by the Eastland ha. NO Gov
ception OF its duty to the public n
issuing those certificates, the service
mas bowed 10 the wishes of shin owners
me service has permitted the doinr
OF nose things which were primarily
responsible for the Chicago d;s.s,a.
The service never has. and never vii
DC ahlc' TO convince the public thar a
snip which on May IA. going not more
IMAM nVe miles from shore, would. n.
permitted TO carry only l47 passengers
a'oui" De permitted TO carry on the
same route upon the day folIouine
Z'5o9 passengers. and that il can do so
and have regard for the public inter