Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1915-07-30
EXCURSION STEAMER, LOADED
WITH PlcNlcKERs. cAPslzEs
AT DOCK IN THE HEART
OF CHICAGO, ILL.
DIVERS SEARCH HULL
OFFICERS ARRESTED DOUBLE
INVESTIGATION STARTED
TO FIX BLAME FOR
DISASTER.
western Newspaper Union News Service.

ordered the arrest Of every official Of
he Indiana Transportation Company,
the steamer Eastland which
,apsized Saturday morning with a
party Of excursionists, nearly 1,5OO Of
whom we're reported drowned. No in
iividuals we're mentioned in the coro-
ler's announcement.
w. c. Steele, secretary and treas
irer of the st. Joseph-Chicago Steam
ship Company, which owned the East
and, built on Lake Erie in 1903 and
femodeled later because topheavy, 1t
Is said, was arrested and locked up at
he police station.
The cororer at IL o'clock Saturday
hight said hat he had hopes that the
number of dead would not exceed
1000. The number Of bodies in the
morgue, according to official count,
vas sO9. The orone said that any
bodies in addition to the 500 we're in
he river or the hull of the Eastland.
The big steamer capsized within a
few feet of land as it was about to
leave its wharf in the Chicago river
with $500 relatives and friends Of
employees of the Western Electric
Company for a trip across Lake Michi-
gan. The ship rolled on its side in
twenty-five feet Of water within five
minutes after it began to list.
Coroner's Physician Springer de-
clared that 1900 persons were killed
while other estimates ran as high as
2,100, but these did not agree with the
statement that not more than $500
passengers were on board the vessel
During the day more than 500 bodies
were taken from the river and the
hull Of the overturned vessel, whose
sides were cut open with gas flames
to admit divers. Several persons
we're taken alive from the cabins in
the ship after it had lain on its side
in the river for four hours, but the 200
other persons said to be in the hulk
are all dead.
Under the glare of searchlights
scores of men worked in the hull OF
the vessel to remove the bodies. The
steamer lay on the bottom of the river
one-half of its side protruding from the
water.
The cause of the capsizing had not
been determined Saturday night, but
federal, city and state officers were
conducting Investigations to determine
whether the ship was t~opheavy from
faulty designing, was improperly bal
lasted, or was poorly handled in
warping from the wharf.
Under misty skies, 1000 men, won.
en- and children wendell their way tc
the river wharf to fill five large lake
steamers with holiday mirth in a trip
to Michigan City. The steamer East
land, brought to Chicago from Lake
Erie, after an unsatisfactory career
was the first to be loaded.
Rain began to fall as the wharf su.
perintendents lifted the gang planks
from the Eastland, declaring that the
government limit of $500 passengers
had been reached. White dresses
peeped from raincoats. as those aboard
waved goodbye to friends on shore
waiting to board the other vessels.
Then the passengers swarmed to the
left side of the ship as the other
steamers drew up the river toward the
wharf. A tug was hitched to the East.
land, ropes were ordered cast off and
the engines began to hum.
For nearly five minutes the ship
turned before 1t finally dived under
the swift current of the river, which
Ouyfpg 70 tha drafnaga canal ev.to-
flows from the lake. During the
mighty turning of the ship with its
cargo Of humanity, lifeboats, chairs
and other loose a-ppurtenances on the
decks slipped down the sloping floors.
crushing the passengers toward the
rising waters.
Then there was a plunge with a
sigh OF air escaping from the hold
mingled with crying of children and
shrieks of women, and the ship was
on the bottom of the river, casting
hundreds of its 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 a crowded
bathing beach. Many seized floating
chairs and other objects. Those on
shore threw out ropes and dragged in
those who could hold these lifelines
Employees Of commission firms along
the river threw crates, chicken coops
and other floatable things into the cur.
r,nt. but most OF these we're swept
away by the stream.
Rushed to Aid Of Drowning.
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
efforts at fescue.
One mother grasped her two chill
dreh In her arms as she slipped from
the steamer into the water. One child
was torn from her, but she and the
other were saved.
At Q o'clock Saturday night SOC
bodies had been removed TO the Sec
ond Regiment armory. They were laid
In rows Of e%ighty-five acros the. whole
length Of the armory.
Revised figures show 176 bodies haC
been Identified. OF ia partially iden
titled bodies. forty-seven we're men
forty-eight women, seven boys anC
twelve girls