Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-07-27
1890 or More
Aboard Eastland
TssG%Bs Sst.
DETECTIVES SEIZE TICKETS TO
NUMBER OF 2,s5o.
s2s BODIES IDENTIFIED
Children, Musicians and Crew of ~
Figured in Estimate Of 2,soo-Fed-
sraI. State and City Investis alton.
Are Planned.

Chicago, July 26.-Plans for investi-
cations by federal. state and city Of
fetal bodies, to determine who was to
blame for the capsiZing of the steamer
day with a loss of hundreds of lives,
were completed tonight A coroners
jury will start an inquest tomorrow
while federal departments, headed by
Secretary of Commerce Reddeld and
officers of the states attorney win
quiry in allegiance until the inquest has
progressed as far as possible.
Between 1000 and loo Victims.
Efforts were continued today TO re-
move victims of the disaster from the
wrecked ship and to determine wheth-
er the total death list would remain
around 1000, as many believed, or
creep up to 1900 or more. as others
predicted. Registration of employees
showed nearly 400 missing, but many
Of the names Of these were included
in the list of S26- bodies already iden-
titled. 1t was said that probably a
goodly number did not report at the
plant, although safe.
The probability Of swelling the list
above a thousand was suggested by
the announcement Of detectives from
the states attorneys Office that they
had seized the tickets taken from pas
sengers boarding the Eastland for the
excursion to Michigan City, Ind. They
asserted that these tickets numbered
2.550 and did not account for chill
dren, musicians and the 72 members
OF the crew. They estimated that
the total number of persons aboard the
steamer might have been $500 or
more, instead of the 2,4s0 previously
announced by officers of the Indiana
Transportation company. The lessees
OF the ship asserted that 2.4Os pas
senger tickets had been collected.
States Attorney MacLay Hoyne, in
pursuing his investigation. tonight
seized correspondence which had pass
ed between oficers of the western
Electric Employees organisation. which
gave the picnic and the Indiana
transportation company, operating the
Eastland and four other steamers set
aside to carry more than 1000 persons
Company Advised Sale Of More Tickets
The states attorney said, this cor
ship company had avised that the more
tickets Sold. the greater would be the
rebate paid to the employees organiza-
uon- Tickets were to be sold to en-
ployes of the Western Electric COM
pany for as cents at the factory, or 81
at the wharf. According to the sttae's
attorney the letters showed there
would be a rebate of one third on all
tickets over 1000 and something less
on those above 2,500
Employees Almost Compelled to Buy
Tickets.
Complaint had already been made
by several employees of the Western
Electric company that they had been
almost compelled to purchase tickets
for the excursion by fear that officers
or the Employers organization, who
Gn16
those who failed to go on the excur-
sion. The picnic to Michigan Cjey
has been an annual affair and these
men said that employees who had refus-
ed to buy tickets in previous years had
been given less remunerative work or
discharged although probably without
the sanction of executives of the COM
pany.
To the confusion of determining the
total number of lives lost there was
added much 6rangling among officials
OF different Jurisdiction over tentative
plans to right the Eastland, which still
lies on its port side where it sank
Dozen Bodies Recovered Yesterday,
Despite an an-day search of the hulk
by divers and constant dragging of
the river bed between the wreck and
a net stretched across the river a
block down the current only dozen
bodies were found.
Estimates of the number still held
under water varied from $50 to 500.
The steamer, with width of 3s feet,
protruded twelve or thirteen feet above
the river. This divers said, indicated
that the lower edge Of the deck did
not sink more than foot into the
muddy bottom.
Identification OF recovered victims
was all but completed tonight. Funer-
ais were held for few Of the dead and
many more were planned for tomor-
row, but most of the burials will take
place Wednesday. Bishop Mcdowell
Of the Methodist church and Bishop
Samuel Fallows of the Reformed
Episcopal church. took charge of the
funeral sermon arrangements and
gathered volunteer c1ergymen to Of
f1ciate at the obsequies Of those who
had no other arrangements.
100000 Contributed.
The public subscription fund Of $780,
900 was two thirds complete tonight
AL. classes contributed
Seoy. Redfield Goes- 10 Chicago.