davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25
BIG CROWD WATTS
HOURS FOR NEWS

IL Is the worst excursion boat hor-
rOr on record in America. 1t claimed
more victims than did the fire
%scourged steamboat General Slocum
eleven years ago off Hell Gate in New
York harbor.
All day long and at night great
crowds thronged the waters edge and
.ChOkcd the streets leading to the
scene ~ the disaster. on the side OF
the boat, which protruded several feet
above the water, groups Of men gath
cred around the portfolios and with
ropes dragged up the dead bodies as
fast as the divers could get them.
Many bodies are stiil in the boat and
in the river. II Will he days before
the final number of dead Is estab-
lished.
Policemen drafted from nearly
every station In the city had a hard
night al day To hold back the hum
Greds of thousands of persons who
swarmcd toward the Clark street
bridge intent ON viewing the over
turned l;astland and the work OF re-
covering the bodies.
The bridge approaches from Lake
street on the south to Austin ave-
nue. on the north were held by a
dozen police lines, So strict were
Supt. SChucttlcr's orders that even
officials and newspaper men had diff
Guilty in getting through the cordons.
Inside he innermost OF the police
lines a score of artificial respirators
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25
TWO u. S. INQUIRIES.
Sten m boat inspectors and sccre-
tRry RedA~Id Busy.

WASHINGTON. July @4.-OfHclals OF
TIE Fedora Government concerned to-
day began a thorough inquiry to deter
mine who. II anybody. was at fault for
the accident to the steamer Eastland At
Chicago. which capslzed with . heavy
loss of life. This inquiry will be in
char ge of D.. y. Hoover. acting super
vising Inspector-General of the Steam
boat Inspection Service, who left for
Chicago tonight to examine the vessel
and 10 i~nterrogate witnesses in an effort
to fix the responsibility.
Early to-day the local officials of the
steamboat inspection service in Chicago
were instructed to make a preliminary
investigation.
The inquiry will be complete in
every way" said Mr. Hoover just be-
fore he left.
The records OF the steamboat inspec-
ton service show that the Eastland re-
ported in good condition twice his year,
the last time at Grand Haven. Mich,
where she was inspected on June :.
officials denied to-day the truth of a
report from Chicago that the vessel was
topheavy owing 10 equipment required
by Federal Law The list of equipment
required for the Eastland will be- made
the subject of n conference between the
Secretary of Commerce and Assistant
Secretary Sweet OF Syracuse. MI. Sweet
left tonight for Syracuse on telegraph!c
Instructions from Secretary Iiedheld.
Pending the investigation begun to-
day Department officials declined To n
dictate Just what requirements the Gov
wanted to impose on the East
land.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25
MANY NEW WORKERS
IN WESTERN PLANT
Transfer Of Works in 1914
Took 1000 Employees
20 Hawthorne.
COMPANY SEEKS LISTS

Within an hour after rove r.. e..
Eastland disaster had rcn,h.I .l. .
eral offices Of tho Western E,o.'r. Con.
pany at <s3 West street, YESTERDAY M.
Of the three telephone lines ope-a.i,.
between here and Chicago bad h.s,
taken over by tho company A. a ir.p,,,
line connecting directly w!,h the ,,-
All dav and well into the nigh, freq.s.,
bulletins came over this from onj-.a
OF the company In addition. a fore.
~ ste~nographers was kept on hand :,
make up the lists Of identified dad On,
rescued. which we're te'erraphAi As .a.
as they could be collected
Tho number OF friends and ~re'1,iy.
Of Chicago employees who called n.
ONCE for Information was unusually
large. because over 1000 persons v.r.
transferred from the Western E.e,,-,
employ here IN the shift n the Haw.
thsrnc works In 1894. ", ORC KNOW
as a former New York ,H..'.teA lad
been sent on the ,!st OF dead 1890 TO A alta
hour yesterday. and IN response 20
query by P. L. Thomson. advertising man.
aser OF the company, who wac In charge
Of the New York end of the wire. W +
Hcndry. technical superintendent o. n.
telephone shops at Hawthorne and FOR
mer superintendent of the shops when
located here. was summoned and sal
that so far rs he knew Mt that time none
Of the former New York employees had
been lost.
Almost the hBt men 20 he reached
from the offices were President II p
Thayer and Vice-prcsident II A Ham.
gan. who were at their summer homes,
In New Canaan. Conn and Princeton.
Mass. respective, VI Thayer a, orcs
came to New fork md took the I've.
t!eth Century limited West. while N-
Halligan started for Springfield, Mass.
hoping TO catch the Boston section "
the same train. The highest uri,!a. 4,
the scene OF the accident was said &,
be ii. f Albright. superintendent % u.
Hawthorne works.
Word came early that al r~1w.-a,,
officials. most OF whom we've i~rc-.,-s
the emharkation and waiting 'o- "a
last boat. were safe. = W willard o..
technical superintendent ~ no roo
works. however. accordjrg 20 q u..-ta
received in the afternoon. bal ',.,r
Eastland n when she r'1cl ut..
throwing a rope from hoy -. i.f ....l
= large number struggling jr e.,
The only New York or..r1
to attend the picnic. Auditor ~ re- r
ardsOn. talked with NJ r. l..., ..
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25

scene were choked with humanity.
while hundreds OF policemen sum-
moned on AN emergency formed ines
to keep back the throngs and to give
the rescuers full opportunity.
In the loop district business was
practically suspended. The great
crowds seemed to walk about unmind-
full of AFFAIRS OF ordinary life. to 10
weighted down by the sudden tragedy
that had bcfailen the city.
The Loop was without policemen.
There vas an absolute necessity to
hold back the throngs which besicged
the river bank. scarcely three blocks
from the centre OF the business dis
trict. Every policeman on duty was
rushed there. Traffic went as 1t willed.
The panic which was notable along
the river bank-the mad rush OF rela-
tives and friends--was duplicated In
the business district. Every street
car, elevated and suburban train
brought hundreds back and forth be-
tween the various receiving stations
had been allotted to receive the
bodies.
The news OF tho tragedy spread
throughout the city long before the
afternoon papers had flashed h dis
aster.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25
CAPTAIN SAYS IT'S A MYSTERY.
E%astIand's skipper Cannot Account
for the Accident.

CHICAGO. July 2+-Capt, Harry Pc
dersen, ffty-seven years old, of Benton
Harbor. Mich. who was In command OF
the boat. said tonight
Il was OF the bridge and was about
ready to pull out hen | noticed the
boat begin to list. ] shouted riders :,
open the gangways nearest the dock and
i've the people a chance to get out. Tho
boat continued to roll and shortly after
ward the hawsers broke and the steamer
turned over on her side and was drift
ing toward the middle OF the river.
when she wen Owe ! jumped and
held on to the upper side, 1t all hap
pencd In two minutes. The cause is n
mystery to me. | have sailed the lakes
for twenty-five years. and previous to
TINT sailed on salt water twelve years,
and this is the first serious accident !
ever had. ! do not know how II hap
pened,"
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25
TITANIC SURVIVOR
RESCUER OF MANY
Guides Three Dozen. Trapped
in Saloon. to Safety
Through Passage.

CHICAGO. July 2i.-John V. Ebert. a
survivor of the Titanic disaster. was
employed AZ gauge man on the Eastland
ana again escaped with his life In adj
dition 10 waking up members Of the
crew and saving their lives he guided
three dozen persons imprisoned in the
after saloon to safety. lie was at work
in the engine room md gave a lucid sc-
count Of what followed the accident.
The captain told me TO wake M some
OF the crew that were still asleep away
up forward said he, when IL looked
as II there was going to be trouble. |
ran up there just In time, and yelled
abandon ship Some Of the boys got
out whcn the water was beginning to
come over the side.
IL was OF deck when she settled on
her side, and | got safely ON to the o.her
SIDE, ] knew every inch Of the ship
and | knew that there were a lot OF
people imprisoned In tue lounging room
IN the after part Of the main deck
My locker was on the starboard
side, the side than was up. and ! got
down and put on my bathing suit |
crtwlcd back through the plSstgcway
leading nft to the saloon without amy
trouble | didn't meet any on, there.
but there must have been half u hun
dred persons IN the lounging room
They Were cl,ngine to the moulding,
{ chairs and lita preserv,rs. ard
guess there were several who Wee
drowned IN the water which flied the
under half Of the cabin. ! told them
| could get them out II they only hung
to the lie prescrvers long enough Their
We're SIS III the first party | let up
forward. They couldn't get out the way
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25
RESCUER " HIS
FAMILY is DEAD

Louis SChleiert. employed by the
city fir prevention bureau, was a
cscutr who went To- work with a def
mite end in view. Schleiert's wife and
hi .two children were imprisoned in
the huh. With an aNe ana an oxygen
flame he pierced the shell-apparently
III. 6served by the vigilant Peterson
and crawled below.
Crawling and swimming he made
his W. throughout the topsy turvy
rest rooms untli at last ne came upon
three bodies he recognized. Had not
firemcn found him Schle!crt might
have joined his family in death. He
was carried from the hull Unconscious
and rushed to a hospital.
WIKI the bodies a few survivors
were brought out by the fremen.
Among them were two women wa
had been trapped together In a state
room. Both had been driven insane
by their experience. Their names
were not ascertained.
Capt. Peterson and Fisher. the mate.
were arrested at Schuettler's orders
following the Captains Interference
with the rescue work. They were
kept for "A time aboard the Grlcnic
Stewart and then were started to-
ward the first deputy's office. where
Coroner Hoffman ana Charles Center
Case. Assistant States Attorney, we're
waiting To- question them.
on the way to tho city hail pste--
sons escort of twenty policemen was
attacked by n mol anxious to get at
the man held responsible for the dis
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25
TWO BIG QUESTIONS
FOR INVESTIGATORS

Although the Eastland was known
over the lake for her lack Of balance.
neither officers ~ crew warned the
passengers Of the danger until 1t was
too late. On hat the stories Of tho
survivors agree.
There are two big questions which
the various investigating bodies will
seek to have answered.:
/. Was II because Of n defect in
her water ballast system that h
Eastland capsized?
2. Were more passengers per-
mitted aboard then its official
carrying capacity of $500?
Already there have been several
to both questions.
II. NJ. McCreary. the navigation In
spcctor. says he turned away all
prospective passengers after his au-
tomato counter registered $500.
~Contradic,ing McCreary's assertion
is the estimate of W. officials In
charge of the outing that 1900 per-
sons. OF whom the outnum-
bered the men four to one, had been
crowded aboard the Eastland.
The E%astland's gauge tender came
forward late in the afternoon with
the 81. Joseph-Chicago steamship
Company's version OF the capsizing.
A sudden rush of passengers TO the
port side Of the excursion boat to
view a passing launch carried the
Eastland over. he said.
But in their stories the survivors
say there was no such rush-that the
crowd, great though 1t seemed
evenly distributed over the vessel.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25
MANY ARE SAVED
BY LIFE RATS

Hardy had the Eastland capsized
when IN the surface of the river which
a moment before showed only the
scum OF commerce appeared "a hun
dred bobh.ng heads. a crew ess and
plssenger.ess lifebuat that had tioated
lrec Of It's davis and a coupe Of auto
matically released lie RATS.
The life RATS meant the saving of
many who MANAGED to reach them.
The one lifebyat that drifted away from
the Eastland got Only a SINCE pas
Z songer. a red haired boy Of 6 plucked
from the river and tossed onto il.
Employees OF the commission houses
which back on the river threw crates
and barrels overheard and more, cling
Ing to these, were taken from the
water a. the rescue forces assembled.
But the biggest factor in the business
OF life saving was the kenosha. APP
parently her captain rea lied what was
coming before the Eastiand's own
Officers.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25
BABY TAKEN OUT UNHURT.
GROVE Cheers A. Little One smiles
At RrscuinI Fireman..

cHrcAGo. July 2i-A baby. possibly
"A year old, its little white dress
drenched, Vas taken from the hull OF
the i;astland by rescuers thi> afternoon.
Cheers came from the spectators uu
the Clark street bridge as the infant
WAS taken ashore, Al the hospital n
physician said the child had suffered
only n slight scratch and had fallen in
a position where II was not immersed.
The hahy SMILED as u FIREMAN. hold
ing it In his arms, climbed to the pier.
4 white stocking and blue boot had
been lost from one chubby leg.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25

crowded with these and other sur
vivors,
Coroner's Physician Joseph Springer
examined most of the bodies as they
were brought ashore. BY %pinching
the throat of each victim with his
fingers the physician determined how
they had net death. whether from
drowning or suffocation. DR.. Springer
said the majority had been suffocated.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25

II was a hill there was no climbing,
a hill that grew sleeper and more i'm
possible with each instant. There
seemed to he silence for a second as
the deck was swept clean. The water
rose to the port rail. II vas the
signal for a chorus of which
the water quickly drowned.
Some Of the passengers on the open
upper deck. confident of their ability
to swim-boys and men, for the most
part-jumped overheard. The rest, the
women and children. were slid into
the river.
Below. on the boxed in between
decks. it was different-worse. At the
last moment. with the Eastland can
ing at an angle of 45 degrees, there
had been a rush for the companions
ways. \ few reached the upper deck
and comparative safety and then. with
hundreds of men. women and children
damned in n death tangle. the grand
staircase gave way. Thus the main
ESCAPE from the %entrapping lower
decks was blocked.
Close to the Eastland's berth the
river is only a little moro than 20
feet in depth. The big excursion
boat. with n beam Of more than 40
feet. went no further when her port
side found the bottom. She lay like
n toy boat Of tin wrecked in a
gutter. her starboard half rising clear
of the water.
On to the s%tarboard climbed the hand
full, perhaps 200, who had been for
tunate enough to be close to the upper
rail and who had the presence OF
mind to cling to it.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25

There was "a Iiuglc of bells aboard
the tug, which backed until her stern
rested against the horizontal bow OF
the excursion boat. Then the bow of
the tug was swung IN 10 the dock and
a bridge 10 shore was formed for those
who had gained the uppermost side
of the f.astland, over the bridge
scores walked dry footed to safety.
Within IA few minutes the fireboats
Graeme Stewart and ID. j. SwcnIe
with other tugs and launches. raced
up the river To- the rescue. Those
who had cluEg TO the starbOlrd ral!
and climbed oversize were put ashore.
Their places on the hull were taken
Ivy %rescuers, Garland and his crew of
Ike savers from the Government sta
ton at tho mouth of the river. fire.
men. policemen and "A hastily organ
Ized medical staff.
Police ambu,anccs. hospital 'mhu-
lancos and undertakers' ambls noes,
called from all parts OF the city,
Trucks and wagon brought lung mo-
tors and other artificial respiratory
apparatus.
After an incipient panic aboard the
Roosevelt had been checked by the
vessels officers. who kept the passrn-
gers below decks until their excite
meht had ahatcd, the second excursion
boat was turned into a temporary
morgue.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25

and %puimotors were kept at work as
victims were brought to the sidewalk
by the stream OF stretcher bearers
that moved back n forth over the
deck Of the kenoshs between the
curved upturned side of the Eastland
and the pier.
After several hours as the bodies
came forth stifY and stark the pul-
motors were gradually retired from
use. The physicians contented them
selves with administering injections
of ~strychnine.
In the rare cases in which strych-
nine seemed to wake a spark of life
the respirators were called into SER
vice again.
A Majority Su6ocatrd.
Coroner's Physician Joseph Springer
examined most OF the bodies AZ
they were brought ashore. BY pinch
ing the throat Of each victim with
his fingers the physician determined
how II had met death-whether from
drowning or suffocation.. Dr. Springer
said the majority had ben suffocated
The report that the Eastland took
on board between 500 and 1000 more
persons h she was licensed to carry
is denied by the Government inspect
ors. Robert II. McCreary, chief OF the
marine bureau. says an exact check OF
the passengers was taken and that as
soon as $500 had gone aboard no more
were allowed admission.
Among the first to appear before
States Attorney Hoyne was w. X.
Greenbaum. general manager Of the
Indiana Transportation Company,
which chartered the Eastland for the
day from the St. Joseph-Chicago
steamship Company. He said that as
soon az the listing began he started
the work of rescue.
General Managers story.
AT TAO" he testified. Il was stand
ing at the docks watching the Theo-
dore Roosevelt loading when shouts
warned us that something was wrong
on the Eastland. Rushing up to the
East.and | saw she was listing to
port. Returning to the Roosevelt |
ordered the captain to blow the eSner-
genCy whistle and sent the crew
among the passengers begging them
TO throw life p~reservers and life RATS
10 WI 20 ui"' uo"" ."e li'er
nv ~ neAt oio'h, where the Last
and was turning over.
assS'a"'e N'o'h Tue i'oose'eIt
sa'eu many Pe.sons' o"e ooat re-
WIN '"H''-h'e' 1 o'u not see
~ r's''anu 10 over because i was
VIZ" res.ue Wo'h On 'he
i'ooHeN ~ ihioihieu 'hal uo'-
et"''e"l ,"spe,'o,e "ele piesei' "heh
~ f's'aHu "au oee" 'oaueu W ca
p"N"! ~ .nu, an. '"''"ef au'i's-
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25

The policeman who was on duty
at the pier says that when the listing
began the strain on the moorings was
So great that the post over which the
bow line was thrown began to break,
H." at oncc sent in an emergency call.
Some Of the witnesses say the listing
was first noticed at least fifteen min
utcs before the capsize and before the
gangplank was taken In.
The theory of decreased ballast Is
founded on reports from members OF
the crew. who say that in order to
move mp part of the ballast was re-
moved. When the passengers crowded
To the river side or the vessel and the
listing began the ballast was not suffi-
Cient t. counterfeit II.
Henrtrending incidents happened at
the morgue Parents who had been
torn from their children, mothers and
fathers whose boys and girls had left
home In the early morning in high
spirits for IA day on the lake, and men,
women and children who had relatives
and friends On the craft fiocked to the
temporary mortuaries.
Such dense throngs collected that
the sidewalk In front of Gavin 4 Sons
morgue in North Clark street col
lapscd and twenty men and women
were precipitated into the basement,
several being injured.
News Of the catastrophe travelled
rapidly. Half and hour after the East
land had overturned the elevated
trains as far north as Evanston were
bringing persons down town who were
anxious over the fate Of friends and
relatives.
From all directions they came and
within an hour the streets leading to
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25
NC ENSUES AS CRAFT CAREENS; MANY VICTIMS SUFFOCATEL

were TO start across he lake later
aboard the Theodore Roosevelt.
Further over leaned the Eastiand.
Chairs began to slip from beneath
their occupants. Still the captain
stuck to his bridge, his voice ringing
reassuringly. The musicians continued
their nddiiig and digging their heels
>xo the deck to keep from. sliding
Uown hill over the deck.
Everything was all right. 1t seemed.
The river was narrow; the l:astland
was big and therefore safe. There was
the dock comfortably near. the big
warehouses throwing their shadows
clear across the street, cars and trucks
rumbiing over the bridges. the crowd
IN the Roosevelt waving farewells:
then. with a tinal lurch Of the top
heavy hull, tragedy took a hand in the
picnic.
The music stopped in the middle of
a bar, down hill against the port rail
tumbled the musicians. scattered and
mixed among the rolling. struggling,
panicstricken passengers.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25
SURVIVORS TELL OF
THRILLING RESCUES
Deckhand Fished Up Many Persons With Boathook-
Last Man Aboard Was First Saved-All
Agree as to Overcrowding.

CHICAGO. July 24.-Many vivid stories
OF the l.astland catas,ronh. were told
.. 80. ,u. ,l-
W " eu'''~o'e ""'' ~
rand, limbed UP the gansway In the
top side OF the half submerged ship.
shaking with sa,iyus and neryous reac-
A.. ~
"o"' "'' 's'"s W ''''ue '"''
victims He had been hshins with 4
long. n nike I'm the half Of the
v....l ,,asr wa,ar for hodics rirs, he
1t. -. - ID. ia ,,.,r
"ou'u '"s'ch 'e p'ne "o'
clothing and then fetch them up where
his mate could tie a rope TO the corpses'
Men above. on the side OF the vessel
drew them UP to be carried away on
stretchers dfeped with
u went TO the open sahsw"y on .he
north side or the ship n saw mo
water only three feet below w. While
! was looking at II. just a second or TWO.
wondering. a woman with a child In her
arms Jumped or fell on the rail- into the
water.
Trtcs TO Rescue wOman and Chiid.
-,
! jumped IN 10 get her. IN iess 'hhn
u second they pesah ropp'n IN nv
ureds OF them mat jumped IN. inc
water was thick win them ohe MT me
On the shoulders ana drove ME under
again. i was excited and lost sight OF
the woman and child ] went after. |
forgot them. ] swan with the current
out OF the crowd. Some OF those In the
water tried 10 grab me. but l lodged
l knew IL was my only chance. wan
around the boat. got to q dock and
climbed out.
After I got on the dock | stealied
myself for "A minute or two. Then |
ran back to where | could get aboard
They had got som. portbo,es ON The
upper side opened. Thr,uSb ,hesa the
Messengers capgh, In m. rab,r. on tho
ton s,ls ~ no. u.rs ho,nv ,,L.n ou,
'I, w,s s,ror,. ,,y, go ,sovr.,
b.,v,,, ,i.h, -, 49,,
water Som. I ,oo,.a IT, a, ,,a ~,
,o,, o,,a- ~, -.
go -. Co., 80
III =. a.. -, -
ions. ~, - 49, -
80, 80 ~: ""u ~" n"'u e'rr'I
az" -. - .a".c ., eoane ~
~" 80" .V ""''''
Sn"n.e le"natn. 'one on, .' :
zee ,ne oo"t go ou.. RESUMED W wv
tsnteen-year-o boy iorhhlhs a huHsn
'""in anu resCu'hS 'hree souhs "o'"e"
as ,neE "oa'eo uhuer tne LARK street
wirnse !" II tar''y WreVheu hiepoa''
me "o!H are rFdHh he'her anu Jo''''
stewart