The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-07-27
Cabinet Official Investigat-
ing CapsiZing of East
land at Chicago
TOTAL DEATH TOLL
MAY EXCEED 1900
Coroner Hoffman Of the Opinion That
600 to 700 Bodies Remain in the
Hull or in the River Near the
Wrecked Vessel.

Hull or in the River Near the
Wrecked Vessel.
| CHICAGO, Ill, July 2T-With the arri-
val here today of Secretary Of Commerce
Redheld steps were taken to formulate
the federal investigation into the capsizing
OF the steamship Eastland at her dock last
| Saturday.
| Secretary Redield, following President
Wilson's request for a thorough investiga-
tion, is preparing to 90 into the case in
dependently of the federal steamboat in
spection service. With the entry of a cabi-
net member into the case no less than
eight separate Investigations are in pro-
gress or contemplated The situation is
complicated by the clash between States
Attorney Hoyne and the federal authori-
ties over the evidence gathered by the
lChicago police and which by the latter's
order was turned over to the government
agents tor presentation to the federal
grand jury. The county grand jury start
ed its hearing at the criminal court build
ing and the coroners jury began taking
of testimony at the county building
The latest estimate of the loss of life is
1,5OO. The death total may exceed these
figures, because it is reported and not de-
med that IN the computation of passengers
no count was made of babies in arms and
very small children, for whom no tickets
were required.
} Up to midnight last night S26 bodies
had been recovered. The Western Elec-
trio company's tabulation of missing CON
talns 391 names, and the number of 9TH
ers missing is estimated as high as 300
: 1t Is believed that several hundred
bodies are still imprisoned in the hull of
the Eastland, which cannot be reached
until the vessel is raised, which task viii
take probably 10 days, perhaps longer. 1t
is also believed that under the hull are
still more bodies buried in the mud. Coro-
ner Hoffman is of the opinion that within
! and without the hull there are between
800 and 700 bodies. If his opinion proves
correct the death roll will exceed the ,517
shown in the above computation
Because of the turbid condition of the
water in the vessel-it is black and filed
with debris, such as luncheon baskets.
chairs, furniture, and other articles the
t work Of recovering bodies yesterday was
: exceedingly slow; only II bodies were
= taken out. Many others were seen by div
/ ers. Some of the divers said there were
t at least 300 bodies in the forward part Of
t the ship, access to which was barred by
It heavy steel gratings and other impedi-
ments impossible of removal below water
2 One of the bodies recovered yesterday
Y was that Of Mary Clark, voted recently
J. the prettiest girl in the Hawthorne plant
b. of the Western Electric company. She
sr was Is years old, blond and fair She was
1t to have been Queen of the Festivities" at
the picnic Saturday.
n Investigation of the causes of the disas-
ter are being continued by the federal
TO and state authorities. All passenger YES
!: seis sailing out Of Chicago are to be exam
.. ined to ascertain whether their carrying
of caapicty is overrated. The greater ques-
ne tions involved are:
id Who was responsible for giving the
Eastland a rated capacity of $500 pas
IN sengers, whereas year ago her rating
Ii was only 1900, and whereas only a few
a. years ago her rating at Cleveland allowed
e. her to carry only 653 passengers, and
"a then only so long as she did not venture
more than five miles from shore
pni Who passed upon the stability of the
is vessel, which had a tublike bottom and
he topheavy superstructure?
n This branch of the inquiry involves the
,r- federal inspection service, the owners o.
at the boat, and the officers of the company
nd operating the Eastland. The federal Law
no throws both owners and inspectors into tn,
ng same category. 1t provides that fraud
ed neglect, connivance, misconduct, or viola
les tion of law on the part of owners, charter
as ers inspectors, or other public officers tina
IA. leads to destruction of life shall constitut
manslaughter The maximum penalty is
ri fine of $4,000 or confinement at hard la
He Dor for 10 years, or both.
tb 1t is said that the custom Of the East
he land was to expel water ballast on com
an ing into the river, which made the Graf
IN all the more topheavy. William OlandeI
at secretary of the Seamen's Union, charge
lis that the condition of the Eastland wa
such that lake sailors gave the ship
he wide berth, and that of the crew only fou
ity or five were sailormen.
he The chief engineer, Erickson, says h
.he struggled with the valves for II minute
ar and they would not work. Who was II
sponsble for the condition of the valves
The ship gauger, Elbert, says the capital
told him to rouse the crew. Why was tn
warning not given to the passengers
These questions States Attorney Hoyn
ned land other authorities took up today.
Charges of connivance between govern
ment officials and the owners to allo1
asi- tovercrowding on the Eastland also are b,
rn ing investigated by States Attorne
at fHoyne and United States District Alto
ned ney Clyne.