Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-07-29
TOpheavy from the Great Weight
Above She Started while
MOOred to Wharf Breaking
All Her Cables.
d0RR|FY|NG SCENES ENSUE
River Was Thick with Bodies in
a Minute--WOrk of Rescue
Very Prompt--ThOusands of
Doctors ard Nurses Rushed
to the Scene to Give Aid.

thicdUo. july .5-Thero were $50
passengers on the Eastland, the i'll fated
steamer which sank in the Chicago river
saturday, and a crew Of y. commanded
by Captain Henry Petersen, according
to a statement issued by w J. Green
baum general manager of the Indiana
Transportation company. after he had
checked up the returns Of the ticket
takers.
The task of establishing the causes
and Of fixing responsibility has begun.
\ special federal grand jury, called by
Judge Lands. will begin an invest!ga-
ton at once. States Attorney Nlclay
Hoyne opened an inquiry within two
hours after the tragedy.
Aboard the Eastland at the hour set
for sailing. 40 a. m, were approx
matelv 800 excursonists. Some say
there were more and that the disaster
vas caused by overlooking the steamer.
It is known that United States Custom
House officials boarded the boat a short
time before she went down and caused
between 400 and 80 persons to be re-
moved on finding that the steamer was
carrying many more passengers than
allowed by law
going to the annual picnic of the Vest
ern Electric company to its employees.
About 1000 tickets had been distributed
and a fleet of five steamers had been
chartered to take the picnickers across
the lake to Michigan City, Ind. where
there was to be big parade and great
festivities. The Eastland was the first
- the fleet scheduled to depart for
~; ole,
ored for admittance.
The passengers aboard swarmed to the
eft side of the ship as the other steam
ers drew up the river toward the wharf
\ tug was hitched to the Eastland
ropes Were ordered cast off and the
steamers engines started. but the East
land did not bulge. Instead. the ship
began to list sidewise and never held
back. II turned slowly but steadily to-
ward its left side Children clutched the
skirts of mothers and sisters to keep
from falling The whole cargo was i'm
pelled toward the falling side of the
ship and water began to enter the lower
port holes.
None of the hawsers had been cast off.
orders had been given to cast off, not
withstandinG that for a considera Bile
time the boat had been gradually listing
When the order to cast off was given il
was too late. BEFORE it could be carried
ont the boat had turned on her side
the hawsers. still attached to the ship,
tearing the pilng from, the pier. The
hawsers arc still attached to the semi
sunken steamer. the federal and local
authorities having strict orders that they
are not to be disturbed. vending n
VestiCation.
Screams from passengers attracted the
attention of felow-excursionists on the
pier awaiting the next steamer Wharf
men and picnckers soon lined the edge
of the embankment. reaching out help
lcssly toward the wavering steamer
For nearly five minutes the ship listed
before it finally dived under. Then there
was plunge. with a sigh Of air escap-
ing from the hold mingled with crying
of children and shrieks of women and
the ship was on the bottom Of the river,
Hundreds ON the upper deck were
thrown into the water. and Tow es-
capped. Most Of the other passengers,
caught below in the cabins or on the
lower decks. persisted without a chance
for life. They We're swallowed up in
the Clark street bridge the Nha;ves,
/ and adjoining streets on their way to
the other boats chartered tor the ex-
cursion
It was all q matter OF only Few MN
utes Many witnesses say IT was all over
In six minutes
The surface Of the river was thick with
struggling people. Babies perished in
sight Of those on the docks and bridges
Men and women in frcnzied battle Tor
life churned the water, then sank
On the side Of the boat were some who
had clambered over the rail as the boat
settled on its side. Some escaped with
ont even wetting their feet The whistles
of tugs and excursion boats shrieked the
alarm and boats put OF. south Water
street commission mon tossed barrels and
crates and chicken boxes into the river.
whore they were seized by the drowning
Forty miles away At Lockport the Bear
Tran dam in the drainage canal was
closed to stop the rivers current. Fire
boats and tugs spread out like a fan
around the death ship ana began the
work of taking out the bodies.
one mother CRASHED her two children
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 Fathers We're drowned after aid
ing their wives and children to safety
Nearby streets and warehouses were
turned into morgues. Bodies were piled
I'm rows. Ambulances, vans, and delivery
trucks We're pressed into service as death
wagons, while as fast as the bodies were
taken out hundreds of physicians strove
to bring back life,
At the south approach to the Clark
strete bridge respiration machines were
operated on the sidewalks, Victims were
wU1ked over the moment they reached
shuf< and emergency hospitals were es-
Ia blished within few feet Of the wreck
The Theodore Roosevelt one of the five
boats chartered for the excursion, which
was moored on the opposite side Of the
Clark street bridge, was turned into a
morgue and hospital
| AS soon as the news became known
| doctors and nurses by the hundreds vol
| unteered and for hours strove in the
work of resuscitation Few we're revived
however. for the bodies had hecn in the
water too long The spectac,es were har-
| rowing. Policemen wcpt as tho bodies 81
| women were taken out. with their la
| hios still clutched To their bosoms In