Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-07-25

the United states steam boat regulations.
have no idea how the accident oc-
Cured"
The steamer Eastlsnd was built In 1908
and owned by the Eastland Navigation
company of Cleveland, o. 1t was 965 feet
long. 81 feet wide and had a draft OF
% feet, with a net tonnage Of 1913. II
was brought TO Chicago in 1904 and was
used I'm the excursion business to South
Haven. Mich, for several years. Later
It was taken TO Cleveland. o.. and placed
In the excursion service there. This
spring the boat was remotelsd. It was
then brought to Chicago and put on the
run to St Joseph. Mich. 1t
had steel hull and was known
as one of the fastest excursion boats on
the great lakes. II had speed OF twen-
ty-one miles an hour.
Similar Disaster Averted.
The Eastland nearly met with a similar
accident eight years ago when In COM
mission between Chicago Rud South
Haven, Mich. The boat, crowded with
passengers listed badly In the South
Haven harbor when the water ballast
was being taken aboard Officers OF the
ship drove the passengers to the other
side OF the vessel and probably averted
repetition of today's disaster.
John lhorey, a Western Electric COM
pany employe, was one OF the rescued.
II was on the upper deok." said Morey,
when the boat began TO list. thought
the boat was rocking at first, then kept
turning on one side caught hold of
the rail and held on as the boat went
over on it's side.
"a loose chair swung around and struck
me on the forhead. Something else hit
me. don't know what It was but man
aged to keep my hold oil the rail until
was helped to land.
There were more than 500 on my side
Of the boat at the time and many of them
must have been drowned
Scenes slmilsr TO those that followed
the Iroquois theater disaster cast gloom
over the city along South Water street,
Chicagos great produce center. Commits
sion firms practically suspended business
and threw open the doors OF their estab-
lishments as temporary morgues and hos
pitfalls.
All the big downtown department stores
hurried truckloads of blankets to cover
the dead and drenched women and chill
dren vino were huddled in shivering
groups.
Newspaper men we're denied permission
to go aboard the Roosevelt and police
men guarded its gangways They declined
to say how many bodies were aboard the
ship, but rows OF corpses could be seen on
the decks. Frantic efforts were being
made to revive victims. A score OF pull
motors were brought into use and when
life was found to be extinct the bodies
were carried 10 another part OF the ship
and placed In rows.
All available employees Of the city hall
we're sent 10 the scene by Commissioner
of Public Works Moorehouse. acting
mayor. to assist in the work OF checking
up the names OF all persons saved and
the dead. Tugs In the service OF the city
were sent blocks below the scene 10
search for bodies which had drifted.
Grand jury investigation was forecastsd
when Walter K. Greenebaum, general
manager OF the Indiana Transportation
company. which chartered the steamer
Eastland for the outing was summoned
to the states attorneys office and ques-
toned by States Attorney Hoyne. Mr.
Hoyne was at his home when informed OF
the. disaster lie Immediately notified
mis- assistants to make the inquir,
There were more than 200 doct, Work.
ing over the victims In the temporary
hospitals by 10 o'clock. Rev. Father ]. X
Fielding and Father John o'Hearn were
soon at the scene administering the last
rites.
Nine girls and I were IN the state
room having a little party Of our own
when, all OF sudden. we felt the boat
going over said Mlss Lottis Anderson,
one Of the survivors.
we all fell into heap. The screams
and shrieks OF the women In other state
rooms were maddening I fell into the
water and did not see my sister or any
OF the eight others after that"
Joe BroEak related how he was saved
from death because his coat caught ON
nall. II was with a party OF four
and they were all drowned said Brozak
Ny coat caught on a nail and when the
boat went over, was held 0bove the
water. II II had not been for the nail
I should now be at the bottom OF the
river l suppose. with the others OF my
party"
Six government inspectors were work
ins on tho docks when the Eastland
turned over They were In charge OF
Inspector r. II. 1Ircurry.
Two inspectorswere assigned 10 the
EAatland." McCurry said. TO see that
the boat was not overcrowded The
ship had taken ON ell that Il would
hold and the two inspectors had turned
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