Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-07-26
REPUBLICAN. MARsHAILTowN. IOWA: JULY 20 1915

his two children were imprisoned in the
hull. With an AK and an oxygen flame
he pierced the shell-apparently unob-
served by the vigilant Peterson-ano
crawled below.
Crawling and swimming, he made hii
way thru the topsy-turvy rest rooms
until at last he came upon three bodies
he recognized. Had not fremen found
him Schleiert might have Joined his
family in death. He was carried from
the hull unconscious and rushed to q
hospital.
Woman Proves Heroine.
A husband and wife rushed into one
another's arms at St Lukes hospital
after four hours OF separation, not
knowing the fate each Of the other
They were Mr.. and Mrs. John ]
Schlemmer, Of HOP Sedgwick street
Each was real hero and heroine after
they lost one another. for Mrs. Schlem
mer had rescued a fat man and her
husband had rescued many women.
II did not lose my head at all" said
Mrs. Schlemmer. II saw fat man was
sinking and another woman and my
self gave him a lift out of the water.
Mrs. Schlemmer has an ugly cash on
her forehead from the rescue work.
Patience Of Mother.
81 saw mother floating about Win
her baby lying on a life preserVer. !
never saw any one SO contented as that
baby was. But only the mothers dark
head was visible above the water. She
did not struggle: she just depended up
on the 'corks to rescue them both. "A
fireman rescued them.
4 saw woman hanging by her
hand for five minutes. Her fingers
were caught in q partition. Her feet
were out of the wafer and she was
hanging there in agony. never saw
such a brave woman. When the peo-
pie walked above the weight closed the
partition, crushing her hand, but per-
haps saving her life A fireman chop
ped the partition away and rescued
her.
Il helped pull women thru such
small portfolios that one could hardly
believe they would get their heads
thru much less their bodies. we
struggled and changed their positions
to get them thru. almost pulling them
10 pieces in doing SO,
Two large women who could not
swim sank by their weight. They were
dead SOON
ASLEEP on Job" in Engine Room.
Statement by a leading Chicago ma
rine engineer, who refused to permit
the use of his name:
Investigation will show that the ac-
cident was caused not by overlooking
or by any fault of the specifications OF
the boat, but by carelessness in the en-
CINE room Some one failed to give
proper attention to the ballast. 1t is
human nature TO make mistakes. and it
was simply case OF some one going TO
sleep or the job in the engine room.
THE boat began TO feel the weight OF
the crowd on the deck side and to list
slightly. The one who should have
watched the dial and noticed the list
and shifted the water ballast neglected
10 do SO. Consequently the boat listed
more.
Then the crowd noticed 1t and ran
TO the other side, with the result that
the boat was caught as II in back
ward roll and capsized. Perhaps he
crowd rushed in order to give the boat
a llCue hlCh. Adt WOHO uOSo SoAOSN
a slight list before the recotl.
1.-The equipment of the Easuand was
up to standard. altho think that there
should have been more life RATS The
boat was not too narrow. Its beam
was as wide as the depth Of the
decks
IAN the laws In the world would not
have prevented that accident. AS
matter Of fact. one-half of the people
on the boat could have tipped 1t over
by a sudden rush. Especially is this
true when a boat is stu. Had it been
running 1t would have been hard to
tip it.
THE owners and inspectors Of these
boats are careful. that is, careful to
comply with the laws governing load
ms, equipment. etc. The trouble is
we have no laws properly directed. a
boat like the Easrland should not De
used for excursion purposes. 1t should
carry freight in its hold and about 500
passengers.
1--WE should have laws governing ths
construction OF vessels for specific pur-
poses. For instance, an excursion ves-
sci should be built according to speci-
fcations OF beam. ballast etc, which
would insure greater safety. Boats
like the Eastland were not intended 70,
such purposes
Questions to Be Put.
Here are some questions which g
steamship man OF experience says are
pertinent In the investigation:
What was the stability line Of the
Eastland?
Under the marine law, lake steamer.