The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1915-07-24
Great Steamer
Crowded With
Pleasure Seekers
Turned Turtle

Chicago, July 24-The best accounts by wit
said the steamer after rolling slightly twice,
then turned further and that hundreds of screaming
and struggling men, women and children slid across
the sloping decks, fought for room in companion
ways, clutched at companions and deck chairs or any
object that came handy.
Women and children by the hundreds were
caught below decks, and the scratched faces, torn
clothing and bruised bodies of the dead bore mute
evidence of the desperation with which they fought
for chance for life. ......
The whole tragedy occupied less than five min
utes. The members of the crew shouted warnings,
and Captain Peterson ordered the lower deck ports
opened and directed all passengers ashore. There
was no chance, however, for such measure to sue
ceed. - .-#F .1
Seven thousand tickets had been distributed for
the excursion and Ave steamers had been chartered
by the company. 4t
The Eastland first received it's quota and when
it's chartered capacity reached federal inspectors
ordered that no more be taken aboard The boat was
docked the south side of the river When hundreds
hurrying to the boat turned back from it, they
streamed the Clark street bridge to the steam
er Theodore Roosevelt which to take the second
boat load The screams of the Eastland victims halt
ed this rush. and the bridge, jammed with people
til it was feared it would collapse was cleared by po
lice.
Every resource of the city was turned to the res
cue work. Remembering the Iroquois disaster, mer-
camille in the vicinity hurried motor trucks
to the laden with blankets to warm the living
or cover the dead Pulmotors by the were sent
to the dock, and more than 800 physicians treated
the rescued or partially drowned.
For the first two hours attempts were made to
revive every person taken from the wreck Then,
the hopelessness of resuscitating became apparent
divers summoned to explore the depths of the
boat. Equipped with ropes, the divers CROPPED their
way into the innermost recesses of the hull. Every
other minute their assistants were signalled to
''pull" and another victim added to the number
ed dead. 1t the results of the divers work that
caused the coroner and police estimates that the
dead would mount above the thousand mark. Police
and fire tugs organized river craft into rescue
fleet. Boats directed to cruise down the river
and watch for bodies and the sanitary district rus
tees were asked to close the dam at Lockport, ILL.,,
thus shutting off the current In the river.
Chicago ILL.,, July 24-From 500 to 1000 men,
women and children were drowned In full view of
thousands the bridges and shore, when the big
steel steamer Eastland loaded with $500 employees
of the Western Electric Co. and their families and
friends annual holiday, turned turtle at her
dock at the Clark street bridge in the Chicago river
shortly before o'clock this morning
For some reason not clearly explained by the
owners of the Eastland, the heavily loaded lake
liner began to list while still tied to the dock AS the
hawsers loosened the craft rolled on her side
and foated toward the middle of the river.
The officers and crew shouted warnings. but it
was too late. A moment later amid the shrieks and
of the women and children, and the shouting
and cursng of men, the Eastland turned over on her
side, rolling heavily, and then, in the middle of the
Chicago river, enacted catastrophe that promises
to exceed the Iroquos theatre horror for tragic de-
tails in bizarre setting.
For in addition to thousands of Chicago's 8
o'clock business crowds pouring from the north side
the Rush street. Clark street and Wells street
bridges foot surface cars, elevated trains and
tomobiles, there were grouped along both sides of
the river close to 10000 ytay interested spectators
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