The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-07-28
lone THOUSAND LIVES ARE LOST
IN CHICAGO STEAMBOAT DISASTER
EXCURSION STEAMER TURNS
OVER AS SHE IS LEAVING
HER PIER ON EXCURSION
TRIP ACROSS LAKE -
President Orders A.
Sweeping Inquiry
Latest Reports Say 400 Lost Lives
When Steamer Went Down
Exceeds Titanic Disaster.

Exceeds Titanic Disaster.
Chicago, July 26.- More than L.
900 persons, possibly 1900, most Of
them women and children, were
drowned within a few feet of landry
the capsizing of the steel , steamer,
Eastland, as it was about to leave its
wharf in the Chicago River with O.
500 relatives and friends Of employ
'ees of the Western Electric Company
for an excursion across Lake Michi-
gan. The ship rolled over on its
side in twenty-five feet of water
within five minutes after it began to
list. ~. ~.
The cause Of the capsizing had not
been determined tonight, but federal
and state officers were conducting in
'vestigations to determine whether
the ship was top-heavy from faulty
designing, was improperly balasted
or was poorly handled in leaving the
wharf. . ,.r:el-itE> I !, '..'.:.
Design Declared Faulty.
!. Marine architects asserted that the
Eastland was faulty. in design, that
the top deck had been removed, be-
cause of the tendency of the ship to
list and also pointed to the possibility
that the ship had been unevenly or
insufficiently ballasted. J., >
|. The Eastland used. water ballast,
so that it could pump: out some on
entering shallow lake harbors, so
some investigators are working on
a theory that the ballast, tanks were
not filed and the rushing Of passen-
gers to one side of the decks caused
it to, roll over: e: W,
Under misty skies 1000 men, .wo-
men and children went to the Clark
Street dock early today to fill FIVE
large lake steamers with holiday
mirth in q trip to, Michigan City.
The steamer Eastland was the first,
to be loaded. = -, -" 8
=. Rain began to fall as the wharf su-
perintendents lifted the gang pfanks
from the Eastland, declaring that the
government limit of $500 passengers
had been: reached. y =.
~ Pa...ngsrs On One Side.
l The passengers swarmed :, to the
left side Of the ship as the other
steamers, drew up the river towards
the wharf. A tug was hitched to
the Eastland, ropes were ordered
cast off and the steamer engines be-
gan to hum. The Eastland had not
budged, however. :.
Instead, the heavily laden ship wa
vered 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. It turn
ed. slowly, but steadily, towards its
left side. Children clutched the
skirts of mothers and sisters to keep
from falling. Water began: to enter
lower port holes and the hawsers tore
out the spiles to which the vessel was
tied. Screams from passengers att
tracted the attention Of fellow:excur-
sionists on the dock awaiting the next
steamer. :Wharfmen and picnickers
soon lined the edge Of the. embank-
nnent, reaching out helplessly to-
wards the wavering steamer.
. StSSnssr ,Turus Over ,-.-..
For nearly five minutes the ship
turned before it finally. dived under
the swift current of the river. Dur
ing the listing Of the vessel lifsboats,
chains and other loose appurtenarices
on the decks slipped down the sloping
floors crushing the passengers to-
wards the rising waters. .-~ ....
Then there was a plunge with sigh
of air escaping from the hold, mingl-
ed with crying Of children and shrieks
of women and the ship was on the
bottom of the river, casting hundreds
of living creatures to the water.
Many sank, entangled with cloth
ing and bundles, and did not rise,
but hundreds came to the surface
and seized floating chairs and other
objects. Persons on shore threw out