Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-08-03
WOMEN ARE CALM.
MEN IN A PANIC
Thrilling Stories Told by Those
Rescued From Death Trap
in Steamer.
TRAGIC SCENES ARE ENACTED
Men Fight MadIy for Their Lives,
Dragging Women From Tempo
rary Places of Safety-Eyewit-
nesses Tell of Tragedy.

Chicago, July 26.-Stories Of joy
a Joy which found expression in tears
were told by those rescued from the
river or from the death-trap hull of
the steamer Eastlapd.
In the crisis the women were the
stronger. While men fought madly
for their lives the women and girls,
after the first panic, quickly recov-
cred. Either they chung patiently to
rails and bits Of wreckage, or, II
trapped In the hull, they waited calm
ly for rescue or death. Rescued, their
thoughts for the most part were for
those not so fortunate.
With the men it was different. They
dragged the women from places Of
temporary safety in order that they
might be saved. They struggled mad
ly to save life, not for others, but for
themselves. And some, when rescued,
stood stunned and helpless, watching
others at work.
RECOGNIZES HIS DAUGHTER.
Fred Swigert, a city fireman.
worked three hours lifting bodies
from the hold. Then diver handed
him the body of little girl. Swigert
placed the little body on a stretcher
and looked closely at the child's fea-
lures. He gasped and fell uncon-
scious across the body. 1t was his
own daughter.
Not until four o'clock did the divers
recover most Of the bodies from what
was known as the second deck. Until
that time they had made no attempts
to locate any bodies on the first and
cabin decks.
"BEST LITTLE FELLOW" GONE.
George Maley, Office boy In depart
ment No. 2136 at vne Western Elec-
trio, was everybody's friend. His
cheering smile, his rapid thinking, and
his ability to please, even under the
most trying circumstances, inspired
in all the stenographers and woman
clerks of the department a sisterly
love and In the men a big brother
attitude.
In the morning he was among the
first aboard the Eastland, distributing
programs, smiling cheering greeting,
and making himself the pet of the
| crowd. During the afternoon more
than fifty women and girls tramped
from morgue to hospital and from hos
pital to information bureau to inquire
as to the fate of George.
At the bureau at ZIG North Clark
street three pretty stenographers
| gathered around the desk marked
Names from ]. to NJ" and asked
about George Maley.
"a relative?" one Of the clerks
asked sympathetically, when no report
was found in his index
mo. But the best little fellow you
ever knew" answered one, and led
the group away.
FAT MAN SCARED; TWO DROWN.
"I heard her flop over with a crash
and a splash" said William Raphael
Il jumped out to the door and saw
what had happened. l saw two wom-
en- come bobbing up to the surface not
! far from the shore piling. l jumped
in to grab them.
Some fat man, his face green with
terror, was making for them, too.
got hold of the women and started to
| pull them out.
THE fat man held on to the won-
ems dresses, and l couldn't swim with
the whole load. yelled at him, tread
ing water as l fought. He wouldn't
let go.
81 kicked him in the face and made
him let go. lost one of the women in