The Washington times., 1915-07-25
INQUIRIES UNDER WAY
TO SOLVE DISASTER
Opinions Differ as to What
Caused the EastIand to Cap
size at Her Pier.

SYRACUSE, July 24.-"Leave
nothing undone to determine
cause of disaster to steamer
Eastland and fix responsibility
for same. Inquire strictly and
fearlessly whether any official
neglect or incompetence. You
will be given any needed help
from Washington. Go to the bot
tom of the matter"
Secretary of Commerce Red.
field has sent this message to
Deputy Supervisor General
Hoover, of the Steamboat In
spectiOn Service, Chicago.
CHICAGO. July 25.-Half dozen .in-
vestigations of the cause of the East
land catastrophe are IN progress today.
In fact. several had been started before
| half the bodies had been recovered from
| the steamer.
There are two big questions which the
| various bodies will seek to have answer
| ed:
/. Was 1t because of a defect in its
water ballast system that the Eastland
! capsiZed?
2. Were more passengers permitted
aboard than its official carrying capac-
ity of $500?
| Already there have been several an
swers to these questions. r. NJ. Nc
| Crary. navigation inspector. says he
/ turned away all prospective passengers
after his automatic counter registered
3,7OO Aboard Is Charge.
| Contradicting McCrary's assertion is
the estimate of two officials in charge
of the outing that 3.70O persons. of
| whom the women outnumbered the men
four to one. had crowded on board the
| Eastland.
Coroner Hoffman has ordered the
arrest of every official of the Indiana
| TRANSPORTATION Company, which leased
/ the Eastland.
| The first inquiry under way was that
Of the police department, of which AS
sstant Chief Schuettler assumed charge
as soon as he had blocked approaches to
the bridge with double lines of police
men.
Under the first deputy's direction de-
| tectives began roundup of the East
| lands officers and of responsible of
lvcials of the two lake lines involved, the
st. Joseph-Chicago Steamship Company,
which owned the boat. and the Indiana
| Transportation Company, through which
| 1t was chartere by the picknickers.
States Attor'. ey Hoyne. Coroner Hoff-
man. United States District Attorney
Clyne. Judge Lands. and the Federal
steamboat inspectors. Ira B. Mansfield
! and William Nicholas, started other in
vestigations.
Grand Jury Ordered.
Judge Lands cleared the way for Fed
| h,,o o,la
of the grand jury. The Federal in
| quisitors will begin the examination of
witnesses Thursday afternoon. by
which time it is expected the steamship
ins pectors and the police will have
exact knowledge of Just what happened
| and why.
Two of the first persons arrested by
Schuettler's orders We're Harry Peter
son: captain of the Eastland. and Dell
aboard the fireboat Graeme Steward,
and later transferred to the first dep
uty's office. where Assistant District
Attorney Charles Center Case and Coro-
ner Hoffman were waiting to assist in
the questioning.
Later in the day fifteen Of the crew
were arrested for interfering. with the
work of the men cutting holes in the
boats side with gas flames.
Ship To Be Inspected.
Arrangements are being made to get
at the sunken vessel to determine the
underlying causes of the accident. Der
ricks on scows have been taken to the
side of the Eastland. and marine en-
gineers engaged to inspect the treach-
erous ship.
Those in charge of the various
works Of clearing up the toll of casual.
ties and determining the responsibility
for the capsizing OF the boat said that
the endeavor would necessarily be slow
because of the large number of persons
aboard the Eastland and the difficulty
of getting at the hull of the steamer.
Corners Jury Impaneled.
Coroner Hoffman impaneled the fol-
lowing jury:
DR.. William A. Evans, former COM
missioner of health.
William F.. Boden, vice president OF
Reid, Murdoch & Co.
Henry A. Allen, mechanical engineer
in charge of the department of public
works.
J. S. Keogh. general manager of w.
F. MCLAUGHLIN g. Co.
Engene Defeld. manager Hotel
Sherman.
Harry Moir, proprietor Hotel Morri-
son.
DR.. Evans was chosen foreman. and
ing, the bodies Of the victims;
planned by other officials, Alderman
Murray said that when the specia
council meeting convenes at ocioch
tomorrow afternoon to investigate the
disaster. he will insist on adoption OF
resolutions calling on the authorities &c
demand Imprisonment and not fines as
punishments if individuals are found
to have been criminally negligent.