Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-25

held on to the upper side. 1t all hap
pened in two minutes. The cause is Il
mystery to me. have sailed the lakes
Tor twenty-five years. and previous to
that sailed on salt water twelve years
and this is the first serious accident
u ever had. do not know how 1t hap
pened.
Chief Steward Ibert wycoH said:
Il was in the lunchroom on the main
deck when I noticed the boat beginning
to list. Dishes fell out of the rack.
and scene of wild excitement fol-
lowed | shouted for the people to
save themselves. y moment later |
jumped into the water and managed
10 rescue three women"
1 William Barrett. a deck hand. said:
II was on the main deck at the stern
line ready to cast it off when the boat
started to list. l shouted warnings to
the passengers around me and tried to
let go the hawser. When the boat went
over l climbed on the upper side and
helped get number Of passengers
into boats. IT all happened in few
minutes"
Mrs. Emma O'Donnell, Of Berwyn,
H., said: THE steamer was getting
ready to leave, and was crowded with
excursionists The officers OF the boat
pushed back the crowds which were
around the gangplank, in order to
pull ii in. think this Is what caused
the boat to list. 1t never stopped when
IT started to roll, and n few moments
later ii was out in the middle of the
river on It's side
Il saw dozens Of people drown
around me. but was unable to give
assistance. BY great effort I was
able to climb on the upper side of
the boat and managed to hold on until
taken off by rcscuers'
REPORT SHOW a,5OO
PASSENGERS on BOARD
w. X. Greenebaum. manager OF the
Indiana Telephone Company. who was
in charge of the excursion, said:
we had chartered five steamers for
the excursion OF the Western Electric
ComDanys employees to Michigan City
to-day. We had the steamers Eastland,
Petoskey. Theodore Roosevelt, Racine
and haywood The Eastland was the
first boat to load. and the docks were
crowded with passengers. who were to
be taken on the other boats nearby
One United States steamboat inspector
and two assistants watched the East
land load They stood at the gang
plank and counted the passengers as
they went aboard. Their report shows
there were 2,aon passengers on the
Eastland. its full capacity under the
United States steamboat regulations.
| have no idea how the accident oc-
Cured"
The Eastland was built in 1909, and
was owned by the Eastland Navigation
Company. OF Cleveland. O. 1t was 265
f..
of % feet with net tonnage of l.2lS.
II was brought TO Chicago In 1908 and
was used in the excursion business to
South Haven, Mich for several wears
Later it was taken back to Cleveland
and placed in the excursion service
there. This spring it was remodeled
and put on the run from Chicago to
St Joseph, Mich. It has steel hull.
and was known as one of the fastest
excursion boats on the Great Lakes.
IL had speed of twcnty-one miles an
hour.
tire"nebaum was summoned to the
State attorneys office shortly after the
accident and questioned by State At
torney Hoync. Mr.. Hoyne notified his
assistants TO make II thorough inquiry.
The Eastland nearly met with SINH
lar accident eight years ago. when in
commission between Chicago and South
haven. Mich. Crowded with passen
! gers, she listed badly in the South
Haven harbor when the water ba,Ias
WAS being taken aboard The passen
gers were driven to the other side.
probably avertinG disaster.
ACCIDENT CASTS GLOON
OVER CITY OF CHICAGO
scenes similar TO those that followed
the lroquois Theatcr disaster i'm 1904
! cast gloom over the city to-day. Along
south Water Street Chicaeo's great
produce center commission firms Drac
hcaily suspended business and threw
open their establishments as tenn
h"fary morEues and hospitals All the
big downtown department stores hur
r!ed truckloads of blankets to cover
Inc dead and the drcnched women and
chiinreh VINO were huddled in groups