The Monroe journal., 1915-07-27
A THOUSAND ENCCRSIONISTS
WERE DROWNED SATURDAY.
Chicago Steamer Loaded With $500
Men, Women and Children Turned
Over a. She Was Leaving the Pier.

One thousand men, women and chill
dren were drowned early Saturday
at Chicago when an excur-
sion steamer, the Eastland. capsized
when about TO leave her pier. The
people were mostly employees of the
Western Electric Company and were
about to go on an excursion on Lake
The steamer, three
decker. rolled over on its side in 25
feet of water. and the people were
drowned like rate.
In churches and homes throughout
the city prayers were offered on Sun
day for the thousands whose hearts
have been pierced by grief. The day
was one of gloom. The sky was
cloudy and a mist hung in the air.
There was more than the usual Sab
bath quiet everywhere and the great
crowds of outdoor pleasure seekers
were thin.
Various theories as TO what caused
the Eastland to turn over were dis
cussed. but without prospect of def
mite explanation. The most discuss
ed theories are four: That the boat
was overloaded; that she was not
properly ballasted that a tug that
made fast to draw the Eastland from
the docks started pulling too soon /:
that congestion of passengers rushing
TO the port side attracted by some
passing sensation tipped the steamer
over.
Under misty skies. 1000 men, wo-
men and children wendell their way
to the Clark street dock Saturday
to fill five large lake steamers with
holiday mirth in trip TO Michigan
City. The steamer Eastland, brought
to Chicago from Lake Erie, after an
unsatisfactory career. was the first
loaded.
Rain began to fall as the wharf
men lifted the gang planks from the
vessel, declaring that the government
limit of $500 passengers had been
reached. White dresses peeped from
raincoats along the shore rails as
those aboard waved goodbye to
friends on shore. who were waiting
to board the steamer Theodore
Roosevelt and other vessels.
Then the passengers swarmed to
the left side of the ship, as the other
steamers drew up the river towards
the wharf.
A tug was hitchd to the Eastland
ropes were ordered cast off and the
steamers engines began to hum. The
Eastland had not budged however.
Instead. the heavily laden shiI
wavered sidewise. leaning first to
wards the river bank. The lurch wa.
so startling that many passengers
joined the large concourse already OF
the river side of the decks. The shiI
never keeled back. Ii turned slowly
toward its left side. Children clutch
ed the skirts of their mothers and sis
ters to keep from falling. The Who'll,
cargo was impelled towards the fall
ing side of the ship. Water began Il
enter lower portfolios and hawser,
tore out the piles to which the vesse
was tied
Screams from passengers attracted
the attention of fellow excursionists
on the dock awaiting the next steam
er. Wharfmen and picnickers soor
lined the edge of the embankment
reaching helplessly towards the wav
ering steamer,
Turns in Five Minutes.
For nearly five minutes the shiI
turned before il finally dived under
the swift current of the river, which
is owing TO the drainage canal system
which flows from the lake. During
the mighty turning of the ship will
its cargo of humanity, lifeboats
chairs and other loose appurtenace'
on the decks slipped down the slop
ping floors, crushing the passenger,
towards the rising waters.
Then there was a plunge with 9
sigh of air escaping from the hold
mingled with cries of children and
shrieks of women and the ship wa:
on the bottom of the river. casting
hundreds of living creatures to the
water.
Many sank. entangled with clothing
and bundles and did not rise. Hun
dreds came TO the surface, seized
floating chairs and other objects
Those on shore threw out ropes and
dragged in those who could hold
these lifelines. Employees of commits.
sion firms along the river threw
crates, chicken coops and other float.
able things into the current, but most
of these were swept away by the
stream, which runs five miles an
hour.
One mother grasped her two chill.
dren in her arms when she slipped
from the steamer into the water. One
child was torn from her. but she and
the other were saved Fathers were
drowned after aiding their wives and
childrn to safety.
One man was seen to cling to q
spike in the side OF the wharf while
two women and three children step.
ped up his body as on a ladder to
safety. He fell exhausted into the
river as the last one of the five reach.
ed the pier.
Heroes Numerous.
Instances of heroism were almost
as numerous as the number of per.
sons on the scene. Boats as soon as
full took rescued passengers to the
wharf or to the steamer Theodore
Roosevelt, which was tied up opposite
the Eastland.
In an'hour the water was cleared
of eXcursionists. Those who had moi
been taken to land had sunk or were
swirling down the river towards the
drainage canal locks at Lockport. ILL.,
many miles away. The locks were
raised to stop the current, and ar.
engagements were made to take bodies
from the river along It's course