Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-08-06

>~seSes'SS
the struggle, but got the other wom-
an to shore safely.
"All three of them might have been
saved If that fellow hadn't been scared
into a frenzy. 1 am glad that l saved
one, anyway.
ALL EXCEPT SON SAVED.
Casper Laline, Sr., of 371s ogden
avenue, his wife and their daughter
Cecilia, thirteen years old. were res
cued, but their son. Casper. Jr., eight
years old, is believed to have been
drowned.
The Laline family was in state
room when the boat began to list and
water began to rush into the room.
They climbed upon a table, whence all
were pulled through a portfolio to the
upper side of the overturned boat.
There the boy. Casper. disappeared.
and 1t was believed he had slipped on
the boat in the confusion and been
drowned.
Frank Spencer of 5259 South Robey
street saved two woman companions.
Mrs. X. Jena and her daughter Anna
of 1858 West Fifty-first street.
THE instant the hawsers were let
go the boat began to tip" Spencer
said. IL suspected what was coming;
and lifted Miss Jena up over the rail-
Then together we managed to get her
mother up. and l scrambled up after
them. We all crawled up on top OF
the boat as 1t turned over"
POLICEMAN SAW TRAGEDY.
With water dripping from his hair
and clothing. Policeman John II.
Sescher, probably one of the first to
go to the rescue of the passengers,
stood on the Clark street bridge and
gave a detailed description of the ac-
cident and of the scenes he witnessed
as men, women and children were
flung into the water.
He said he had assisted about fifty
persons to reach shore.
81 was standing on the bridge gaz-
ing at the boat" the policeman be-
gan. wiping the water from his eyes
and wringing his hair.
Il noticed that there was an awful
crowd on one side of the boat and
that it was leaning out towards the
water believed there were about
five hundred men, women and chit
dren on that side of the steamer. The
promenade decks were lined. Then |
noticed the boat suddenly flop over.
1t lust went over on its side without
the slightest warning.
81 saw scores of men and women,
many holding children. plunged into
the water. | rushed down to the riv-
er and jumped into a rowboat.
pulled out the drowning as | reached
them. | think / got about fifty ashore.
Then came the fireboat. tugs and row.
boats, and believe that all together
one hundred or more were taken from
the water. We grabbed the nearest
first and put them ashore. AT one
time | had four women in the boat
with me. Others l aided by simply
lifting them from the water to the
landing"
WOMEN PULLED AWAY.
Joe Lannon. who was at the soda
fountain on the lower deck, said:
when the ship first started to turn
over everybody took 1t as joke. The
dance floor on the lower deck was
crowded with men and women. most
ly the latter Then when the boat
listed over so far that the people be-
gan to slide across the floor the panic
began. Women and children first?
Not on your life! ! saw men tear
women and girls from where they
were clinging to rails above the water
In order to get positions of temporary
safety. There was nothing like chiv-
alry. The stronger dragged down the
weaker into the water and usurped
their places, and usually the stronger
were men and the weaker we're girls
and women. Oh II the men had only
been as brave as the women. the loss
of life would have been much less!
remember one girl-she was only
about sixteen-whom l pulled through
the portfolio. AS she reached safety
she tainted dead away. In another
case was lifting woman out of the
water. She was heavy and I could
hardly raise her. A man grabbed my
foot. I shouted to him that all three
OF us would be in the water and lost
II he did not let go, but he hung on.
Finally I raised my foot and kicked at
him. The shoe slipped OF my foot
and he disappeared. | got my own
footing again and hauled the woman
out"