Evening star., 1915-07-25
DEATH TOLL OF 1000
FIGURES OF CORONER
IN CHICAGO DISASTER

Continued from First Pase)
the Eastland declaring that the govern
ment limit of $500 passengers had been
reached. White dresses peeped from rain
coats along the shore rails as those
aboard waved goodbye to friends on
shore waiting to board the steamer Theo-
dore Roosevelt and other vessels
Then the passengers swarmed TO the
left side of the ship. as the other steam
ers drew IN the river toward the WhaTi-
A tug was hitched to the Eastland. ropes
were ordered cast off and the steamer en-
gines began to hum. The EaStiand hao
not budged. however.
Instead. the heavily laden ship wav-
cred sidewise. leaning first toward the
river bank. The lurch was so startling
that many passengers Joined the large
concourse already on the river side OF
the decks.
Hawsers Tear Out Spiles.
The ship never heeled back. 1t turned
slowly but steadily toward its left side.
Children clutched the skirts of mothers
and sisters to keep from falling. The
whole cargo was impelled toward the
falling side of the ship. Water began to
enter lower portfolios and the hawsers
tore out the spiles to which the vessel
was tied.
Screams from passengers attracted
the attention of fellow-excursionists
on the dock awaiting the next steamer;
Wharfmen and picnickers soon lined
the edge of the embankment, reaching
out helplessly toward the waverlns
steamer.
turned before it finally dived under
the swift current of the river. owing
to the drainage canal system "hlch
flows from the lake. During the
mi f1r nf shin
cargo of humanity. lifeboats. chairs and
other loose appurtenances on the decks
slipped down the sroping floors. crush
ing the passengers toward the rising
waters.
Goes to Bottom of River.
Then there was plunge, with sigh
of air escaping from the hold. mingled
with crying of children and shrieks of
women, and the ship was on the bot
tom of the river, casting hundreds OF
living creatures to the water.
Many sank. entangled with clothing
and bundles and did not rise. but hum
dreds came to the surface. seized float
ing chairs and other objects Those on
shore threw out ropes and dragged in
those who could hold these life lines.
Employees of commission firms along
the rive threw crates, chicken coops
and other f1oatable things into the cur
rent, but most of these were swept
AWAY Dy the stream, WHICH runs uVo
miles an hour.
Boats put out, tugs rushed to the
scene with shrieking whistles and
mauy men snatched OF coats and shoes
drowning. With thousands of specta-
tors ready to aid and the wharf within
grasp. hundreds went to death despite
every effort at rescue.
One mother grasped her two children
In her arms as she slipped from the
steamer into the water. One child was
torn from her. but she and the other
were saved. Fathers were drowned
after aiding their wives and children to
safety.
Rescuer of Five Dies.
One man was seen to cling to a spike
in the side of the wharf while two wom-
en- and three children stepped up his
body as on ladder to safety. He fell
exhausted into the river as the last
one of the five reached the pier.
Instances of heroism were almost as
numerous as the number of persons on
the scene. Boats as soon as full took
rescued passengers to the wharf or to
the steamer Theodore Roosevelt, which
was tied up opposite the Eastland-
hGur the TSass %assr ss cleared ssa not
been taken to land had sunk or were
swirling down the river toward the
drainage canal locks at Lockport. Ill,
many miles away. Inc lOChb "cIS
raised to stop the current and arrange
ments were made to take the bodies
from the river along its course through
the southwest part of Chicago.
Shortly after the water was cleared.
city hremen. ship engineers and help
ers were on the exposed side Of the
Eastland's hull. cutting through its
steel plates with gas flames. Divers
were hurried into underwater suits. A
tug was moored as a bridge between
the pier and the capsized ship.
As the divers gained entrance to the
hull the scene of distress moved for
the time being from the river to the
extemporized morgues- Warehouses of
wholesale companies along the river
were thrown open and bodies were
placed in rows on the floors. Scores of
persons rescued from the water were
injured and these were taken to the
Iroquois Hospital, built in memory of
the 900 women, children and a few men
who were burned and crushed to death
in the Iroquois Theater New Year eve
several years ago.
Few Were Resuscitated.
Efforts TO resuscitate those taken
from the river were generally unsuc-
cessful. Only two or three were thus