Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-27

when the Eastland turned over, and II
| viii be charged that the ballast tanks
! were not properly filled. The filling OF
the tanks, the states Attorney will
charge. is the duty of the chief engineer
STATEMENT FROM ERICSSON
Ericsson later told his story to States
! Attorney MacLay Hoyne. And that
| official said that when this evidence is
| presented to the Grand Jury the '1id
! will be torn completely Off the Eastland.' -
! Forty others of the Eastland's crew have
| given sworn statements TO the States
attorney.
1--WE were listing for seventeen min
utes before we started" said Engineer
Ericsson. II was flooding the right side
| OF the boat | had five water ballas st
tanks on each side of the boat | was
working though with only two tanks on
each side"
Asked why he was not using more
tanks, Ericsson said. 'G thought two were
enough"
did you attempt to communicate with
the captain regarding the listing OF the
boat7' he was asked.
NO" replied the chief engineer. "but
/ sent my assistant to order the pas
sengers to scatter around the decks to
help right the boat"
Ericsson gave this statement as his ex-
PLANTATION Of why the vessel overturned
1T was due to one of these three
things: First, the fender OF the boat NAV
nave caught under the dock, SO that the
pressure was released all at once on one
side when she was pulled away. Sec
ond, the boat may have been wholly. mr.
In part, resting on the bottom OF tho
river Third, she may nave Been 'oveR
loaded" ,aF.''H-'-' 'r r-'r
States Attorney Eoyne added tha, ba
had evidence that $500 persons with spa
oial excursion tickets were admitted 10
the Eastland before she went over on her
side that so others were admitted with
regular tickets to Michigan City ana that
in addition. there were members Of tbA
orchestra, peddlers, a crew of 10 and an
unaccounted number of persons who went
aboard without tickets OF any kind.
LIFE WORTH SIX CENTS.
The balance sheet, showing the exact
financial dealings between the Western |
Electric Employees Association and tbs |
Eastland owners was made public TODAY. |
The owners got $500 for their share the |
Indiana Transportation Company. which |
leased the boat, $780, and the association |
S825. for total OF Sls75. This total was |
received from the sale of $500 exclirslon |
tickets at 75 cents each. The extra 500 |
uckets-sold as the result of Increasing |
the authorized load of the boat from 2OO0
to 25OO-brought in 1915. AT least 1900 |
souls were lost, placing the money value
Of life at 31h cents.
1880 DEAD.
The latest estimates of the dead In
he Eastland disaster last Saturday give
he number at 1sSs. Eight hundred and /
llneteen bodies have been Identified.
seven are still unidentified at the 2d Regi-
nent Armory. The Western Electric
reports 43 persons still missing,
In the recesses of the hull groups al
,odies are now located between decks |
n the forepart of the ship The water
s IS feet deep and diving is dangerous.
3odies are also known 10 be in con-
iderable numbers underneath the pilot
louse and tammed In the bow. Between
he scene of the wreck and the Lock-
'ort docks floating bodies have been re-
'orted and win be caught at Lockport.
More than half million dollars win
,e paid out before the end OF this week
n insurance policies 10 the families OF
ietims Of the Eastland disaster.