The Spectator., 1915-07-27
MORE THAN 800 BODIES
 HAVE BEEN RECOVERED
Under the Glare of a Searchlight Scores of Men Worked in the Hull of the Vessel to Remove the Bodes-Steamer on Bottom of the River.

Chicago.-More than 1000 persons, possibly 1900, most of them women and children, were drowned within a few feet of land by the capsizing of the steel steamer Eastland, as it was about to leave it's wharf in the Chica- go river with 2,500 relatives ami friends of employees of the Western Electric Company for an excursion across Lake Michigan. The ship rolled over on it's side in 25 feet of water within five minutes after it be- gan to list
 Coroner's Physician Springer de- clared that 1900 persons were killed, while other estimates ran as high as 2,000, but these did not agree with the statement that not more than 2,500 passengers were aboard the vessel. During the day more than 500 bodies were taken from the river and from the hull of the overturned steamer, whose sides were cut open with gas flames to admit divers. Severel per sons were taken out alive from the
  it's side in the river for four hours, but the 300 other persons said to be in the hull are all dead. Seventy-five per cent of the passengers were women and children.
 Under the glare of searchlights. scores of men worked in the hull of the vessel to remove the bodies. The steamer lay at the bottom of the river, one side protruding.
 Cause of Disaster Not Decided
 The cause of the capsizing has not been determined, but federal, city and state officers were conducting inves- t1gations to determine whether the ship was top heavy from faulty de. signing, improperly ballasted or was poorly handled in warping from the wharf.
 Marine architects asserted that the Eastland was faulty in design, that the top deck had been removed be cause of the tendency of the ship to list, and also pointed to the possibil- ity that the ship had been unevenly, or insufficiently ballasted. The East land used. water ballast so that it could pump out some on entering shal- low lake harbors, and investigators are working on a theory that the bal last tanks were not filled. and the rushing of passengers to one side of the decks caused it to roll over.
 1000 in Five Ships.
 Under misty skies, 1000 men. wonl- en and children wended their way to the river wharf early to fill five large lake steamers with holiday mirth in q trip to Michigan City. The steamer Eastland. brought to Chicago from Lake Erie, after an unsatisfactory ca reer, was the first to be loaded.
 Rain began to fall as the wharf SUI from the Eastland, declaring that the government limit of 2,500 passengers had been reached. While dresses peeped from rain coats along the shore rails, as those aboard waved good dbye to friends on shore. waiting to board the steamer Theodore Roose welt and other vessels.
 Then passengers swarmed to the left side of the ship, as the other steamers drew up to river toward Che wharf. tug was hitched to the Eastland, ropes were ordered cast of and the steamer engines began tc hum, The Eastland had not budged however. Instead, the heavily lader ship wavered sidewise. leaning towart { the river. The lurch was so startling that many passengers joined the large concourse already on the river side ol the decks.
 Ship Never Righted.
 The ship never heeled back. Il turned slowly, but steadily toward its port side. Children clutched the skirts of mothers. The whole cargo was i'm pelled toward the sinking side Wa ter began to enter lower port holes
 FARM NOTES.
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