The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1915-07-29
MOST BODIES RECOVERED
EXCURSION Trip is Suddenly
Ended and All Chicago is
Thrown in Mourning


ound, most of them women and
:hldren, who were drowned within
few feet Of larG by the capsizing OF
he steel steamer Eas.land as it was
bout to leave its wharf in the Chicago
ivcr with $500 relatives and friends
f the employees of the Western Elcc-
ric company, for an excursion across
AXE Michigan. The ship rolled over
II its side in 25 feet of water and with
five minutes after it began to list
Tho total dead remained at approx
mately 1000 according to estimates
" Coroner Hoffman, whose reports
ndicatcd that possibly 100 bodies were
cid in the mud of the river by the
teamerS supcrStructurc. While only
.002 Of the 2,40S passengers Of the
Iastland have registered as saved, it
vas thought that about 475 survivors,
including the crew of 70, had failed to
eport.
Several persons we're taken alive
rom The cabins Of the ship after it had
aid on its side in the river for four
iours. the the others said to be in
he hulk all are dead.
Under the glare Of searchlights at
light, scores Of men worked in the
ull Of the vessel to remove the bodies.
NE steamer lay on the bottom of the
ivcr, one side prOtruding like a monu-
lent to the hundreds It had drowned
it turned over.
The cause Of the capislzing had not
cen determined but federal, city and
tate officers were conducting investi-
ations to determine whether the ship
as top heavy from faulty designing,
as improperly ballasted or was poor
handled in warping from the wharf.
Marine architects asserted that
he Eastland was faulty in design,
lat the top dock had been removed
ecause Of the tendency Of the ship to
st and also pointed to the possibility
nat the ship had been unevenly or in
efficiently ballasted. The Eastland
sed water ballast, SO that it could
ump out some on entering shallow
axe harbors, so some investigators
re working on a theory that the bal
ast tanks were not filled and the rush
ng of passengers to one side Of the
eek caused 1t to roll over.
Under misty skies, 1000 men, wo-
nen and children wended their way
O the Clark street dock early in the
lay to fill five large lake steamerers
With holiday mrth in a trip to Michi-
gan City, The steamer Eastland
brought to Chicago from Lake Erie,
after an unsatisfactory career, was
the first to be loaded.
Rain began to fall as the wharf su-
perintendent lifted the gang blanks
from the vessel declaring that the gov
ernment 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 Roosevelt and 9TH
er vessels.
lhen the passengers swarmed to the
left side of the ship as the other steam
ers drew up the river towards the
wharf. tug was hitched to the East
lahd, ropes were ordered cast off and
the steamer engines began to hum
ever
Instead, the heavily laden ship wav
cred sidewise, leaning first towards
the river bank The lurch was SO
startling that many passengers join
ed the large concourse already on the
river side of the decks.
The ship never heeled back. 1t turn
ed slowly but steadily toward it's left
side. Children clutched the skirts of
mothers and sisters to keep from fall.
ang. The whole cargo was impelled
towards the falling side Of the shin.
water began to enter lower portfolios
..'u lne hawsers tore out the piles
~ "hich the vessel was tied.
screams from passengers attracted
the attention Of fellow excurs,on,sta
on the dock awaiting the next steam
er. Wharfmen and picnickers .onn
lined the edge OF the emhon,,,
reaching out helplessly towards mo
iwavering steamer. ''''
FOR nearly five minutes the shin
turned before 1t finally dived undor
enc SWIFT current Of the river. which
owing to the drainage canal svston,
flows from the lake. During the
mighty turning OF the shin with its
cargo Of humanity, 1ifeboats. chair,
and other loose appurtenances or
the decks slipped down the s,onins
floors. crushing the passengers towarf
the rising water
Then there was plunge with 6
sigh OF air escanue from the hold
mingled with crying OF children am