Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1915-07-31
STEAMER CAPS|zES
/ IN CHICAGO RIVER
THOUSAND LIVES LOST WHEN
CROWDED VESSEL MEETS
WITH ACCIDENT.
More Than Twenty-Five Hundred Men,
Women and Children Thrown Into
Water In Dense Mass, While
Many Drown In Cabins.

Chicago.-A thousand persons los
their lives in the Chicago river on
July "a by the capsizing OF the excur
sion steamer Eastland while warpine
from its wharf with more than $50,
employees Of the Western Electric
company and their relatives and
friends on board, bound for q pleas.
ure trip across Lake Michigan. Many
were drowned In the cabins.
The bodies of 800 victims had been
recovered Monday morning, after for.
ty hours of searching by divers
around the steel hulk, still lying on
Its side, half submerged.
Fully 1000 men, women and chill
dren came down to the river wharf to
board the boats for a holiday excur-
sion. The lake steamer Eastland had
been loaded, tug was hitched to the
Ill rated vessel, ropes were ordered
cast of and the engines began to
hum. The Eastland had not budged,
however.
Instead. the heavily laden ship
wavered sideways, leaning first to-
ward the river bank. The lurch was
30 startling that many passengers
joined the large concourse already on
the other side of the decks.
The ship then heeled back. II
turned slowly but steadily towards
its LETT side. Children clutched the
skirts of mothers and sisters to keen
from falling. The whole cargo was
impeiied towards the falling side of
the ship. Water began to enter low
or portfolios, and the ropes snapped
off the piles to which the vessel was
tied.
screams from passengers attracted
the attention OF fellow excursionists
on the wharf awaiting the next
steamer. Wharfmen and picnickers
soon lined the edge of the embank-
ment, reaching out helplessly towards
the wavering steamer.
For nearly five minutes tho shin
turned before 1t finally dived under
the swift current of the river, which.
owing to the drainage canal system.
nows from the lake. During the
mighty turning of the ship with its
cargo OF humanity, lifeboats, chairs
and other loose appurtenances on the
decks slipped down the sloping floors,
crushing the passengers toward the
rising waters.
Then there was a plunge with a
sign OF air escaping from the hold.
mingled with crying of children and
shrieks of women, and the shin was
on the bottom of the river. casting
hundreds of it's passengers into the
water. Many sank, entangled with |
clothing and bundles, and did not rise. |
but scores came to the surface, giving
the river the appearance of q crowded
bathing beach. Many seized foatink
chairs and other objects.
Those on shore threw out ropes and
dragged In those who could hold these
life lines. Employees of commission
nrms with houses along the river
threw crates, chicken coops and other
hoatable things into the current. but
most OF these were swept away by the
stream.
Boats were put out, tugs rushed to
the scene with shrieking whistles. and
many men snatched off their coats and
sprang into the river to aid the drown
Ing With thousands of spectators
ready to aid and the wharf within
grasp, hundreds went to death, DESPITE
every effort at rescue.
One mother grasped her two chil.
dren in her arms as she slipped from
the steamer into the water. One child
was torn from her, but she and the
other We're saved. Fathers were
drowned after aiding their wives and
to safety.
Stories of heroism were almost an
numerous as the number of persons on
The scene Immediately after the disas.
ter.
Divers were placed at work as soon
as possible, and as the divers gained
entrance to the hull the scene of dis.
'ress moved for the time being from
ne river to the improvised morgues.
Of Wholesale companies
llong the river were thrown open and
,odies were laid In rows on the floors.
scores OF persons taken from the wa
er were severely injured and these
we're taken to the Iriquois hospital,
'uilt In memory Of the 600 women,
'hildren and few men who were
'urned and crushed to death In the
roQuois theatre New Years eve sew.
ral years ago.
Efforts to resuscitate those taken
rom the river were unsuccessful, ex.
ept In two or three instances. 1t was
'lso said that many Of those injured
EQula aiA u