The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-07-25
Drowned within A STEP Of SHORE:
/ IN AMERICAS GREATEST RIVER ,1lORR0R

uvIU uUuulUll
steamship owners to comply with
laws, only to have the order re-
reversed by federal official, who
insisted he was acting under IN
structions from Washington. !aoyne
promised to look into the 'S,arge,
but admitted that he was In doubt as
to what course to pursue even II ne
unearthed apparent corroboration OF
OIanders declaration.
Regardless OF what action was
planned by other officials, Alderman
Murray tonight said that when the
special council meeting convenes at
2 o'clock Monday Afternoon to investi-
gate the disaster, ne will insist on
the adoption Of resolutions calling
upon the authorities TO demand m
prIsonment and not fines as punish
ments II individuals are found to
have been crlmlnaily negligent.
Late tonight, 1,o7s rescued or their
friends had turned In their names to
the information bureau established In
North Clark street. On tho figures OF
2,606 given out by Manager Green
baum, az the number who were on
board, this would leave 1929
drowned or missing. While an.
nouneement Of 1,079 saved was be-
ina given out, however, Police Lieu
tenant J. J. Mcmahon declared that
II the boats capacity was $500, az
stated by Manager Greenbaum, ne
Was convinced there were at least
200 over that number on board. He
said he watched the loading Of the
boat and sttimated those on board at
probably 2,7Oo, Il was this ever
varying and shifting ef the aetua.
/ number on board, In the abscnce ot
AZ official count, that made all death
lists compiled only approximations.
Greenbaum, himself, earlier today,
said he aaw Inspectors turning away
PROSPECTIVE passengers after the
ships capacity had been reached.
HEROIC DEEDS.
To eounteraet the unpleasant
stories Of men who beat down women
In the terrible panic that continued
for many minutes after the Eastiand
had turned over, wore stories told to-
niaht by survivors Of heroic deeds
also done.
Policeman L. Jacobs said he saw
mere slip Of boy scramble through
port-hoIe just before It went under
the water, dragging baby with him.
Jacobs said the boy could have saved
himself easily had he not struggled to
hand the baby to man In a boat
nearby. Tho moment 1t took the boy
to save the child proved fatal for by
that time the side Of the boat pushed
him under to his death.
Policemen who worked in the part
Iy submerged wreck told Of locating
two women who were taken out alive
from a stateroom In which they had
been shut up for more than seven
hours with q veritabIe jam Of bodies
Of women and children and three men.
The stateroom was reached by the
plates being torn away.
Their finger nails had been worn
away and tho flesh on their fingers
cut and torn to the bone by grabbing
at an inch wide ledge by which they
barely held their heads above water
seven feet deep. Their clothing was
literally in shreds as they were led,
wild-eyed, to Reid, Murdoch and Com
pany's plant, which held most Of the
recovered dead.
At sight Of the fresh horrors con-
taIned there, the reason OF both fled.
At st. Luke's hospital physicians fear
ed tonight they may be weeks reeov-
erina their mental poise.
LIGHTNING CHANGE
To the thousands gathered gaiIy on
the Docks and on the other four boats
chartered by the Western Electric
company, the sinking Of the great
EastIand came like lightning quick
change Of scene on 4 stage from COM
edy to tragedy. Even 10 many on
the Eastiand, the first two Iurches to-
ward the river were inperceptibIe. IL
seemed to eye witnesses that there
was less than a moment when the
biq ship Was the picture of gaIety
and joIlity until men turned into
veritabIe beasts and were beating
down women and children in their
strueeIe to get to the rail or grab
stanchions or life preservers.
II was during this struggle for life
or for mere hope for life. that doz-
ems upon dozens of those saved re-
eeived ugly sastes and had their
clothing torn from them.
Il was among the crowds on the
outer rail on the lower decks and In
tho state rooms where the mortality
will be the greatest. Persons at
these points had hardly chance
from the very first. Even when they
got to the rail and jumped they were
either borne down by others jumping
or crushed into the Shiny ooze OF