Evening star., 1915-07-25
JUR|ES TO INQUIRE
INTO THE DISASTER
Investigations Ordered by Fed
eraI Judge Lands and
County Coroner.
MEMBER OF CREW SAYS
TUG PULLED TOO SOON
Another Story Has It Water Ballast
Was Pumped Out to Increase
Capacity.

Capacity.
CHICAGO, July 24-Federal Judge X.
NJ. Lands ordered a special grand jury
impaneled to make an investigation OF
the Eastland disaster. The jury will meet
next Thursday.
Steamboat Inspector William Nicholas
is investigating a report that water pal
last was pumped from the hold or the
Eastland as the passengers boarded SO
that the boat would rise and that more
might be carried.
One theory of the cause for the over
turning Of the vessel Is that the steamer
had stuck in the mud and had failed to
free herself when the engines started,
causing the outer side of the steamer to
list. The weight of the large crowd
aboard augmented this to such an extent
that the boat could not right itself, but
caused the hawsers to break and the boat
continued to list until it overturned.
Says Tug Pulled Too Soon.
James Flanagan. a member Of the East
lands crew, testified at the investigation
he had received the signal to cast tow
line to the tug Kenosha. which was to
take the Eastland into deep water
Il did so," said Flanagan, "and the
tug began to pull. Then 1 discovered
that the lines attached to the dock
had not been cast off. The tug was
pulling hard all the time"
Flanagan said a steward had rushed
into the line room to warn him the
lines to shore had not been cast on
and that he and the steward jumped
into the water together.
Flannigan'S testimony was contra
dicted by Arthur Mcdonald, engineer
of the tug, who said the Kenosha had
not begun to tow when the Eastland
overturned.
Orders All to Be Held.
LET no one go until we fix the
blame for this tragedy"
This was the order late today OF
States Attorney Hoyne. He had Capt.
H. Petersen, Engineer ]. NJ. Erickson
and other officers of the boat, together
with thirty Of the crew, in his Offices
at the criminal court building.
There they were examined by
Charles Center Case, jr., and Edwin ].
Haber two of his assistants.
inc prosecutor himself spent TIC udy
with Coroner Hoffman, carefully going
over every bit of evidence.
Coroner Impanels Jury.
Coroner Hoffman impaneled the fol-
lowing jury:
DR.. William A. Evans. former commits
sioner of health; William F. Bode, vice
president of Reid. Murdoch & Co.;
Allan mechanical anOfnaPr
in charge of the department of public
works; ]. S. Keogh, general manager of
W. F. Mclaughlin & Co.; Eugene Bel
field. manager Hotel Sherman, and
Harry Moir. proprietor Hotel Morrison.
DR.. Evans was chosen foreman and
then the jury spent several hours view
ing the bodies of the victims.
After a brief session the coroner's
jury adjourned, subject to call.
Coroner Hoffman had a number of
photographs of the boat taken and
then ordered 1t pumped out and raised.
Chief of Police Healy. who inspected
the hull late in the afternoon, express
ed the opinion that there were still 800
bodies in the boat. which cannot be re-
covered until the boat is raised.
Disclaims Responsibility.
w. Il GreeneDauIn, manager Oh the
Indiana Transportation Company. made
the following statement late in the
day:
THE Indiana Transportation Company
expresses its deepest sorrow and SYM
pathy for the bereaved in the Eastland
catastrophe. The Eastland was not
overloaded. There were 2,40S tickets
taken up at the Eastland gangway by
the Eastland collectors under federal
The government capacity
mark is set at $500.
AT this time the Indiana Transpor-
tation Company Is unable to voice an
opinion on the cause of tho accident
because the Eastland was hired for the
day and the captain and crew were not
employees of the Indiana Transportation
Company.
I'VE are doing everything in our
power and will continue to do SO, both
in the work of rescue and in aiding all
Investigations, both by legal authori-
ties and by the press.
ITO both we have thrown open every
facility for Information and relief at
our command"