The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-07-24


the entrance the water would be from the ship reduc
ing her draft The water would be taken again when he
vessel emerged from harbor
the theory of the officials that mos of tho baIost
hau oeen forced from the tanks anticipation heavy
0ad today the steamer was thus rendered top heavy was
housht and this fact would explain why capszed
so quickly
CHICAGO July 24-IIundeds of persons drownsd today ban
ne steamer Asnd crowded with $500 employees of the Western
Electric company capszed the Chicago river For hous fa
accident reuers still taking bodies from the boat through
chopped IN It's hull and estimates of the list ran from
700 to 1900 and 1900 " ~
At eleven o'clock nearly 500 dead had been found
Ihe crowdng of of the boat is pposed
nave caused the tragedy but authorities satisfied with this
EXPLANATION ordered the officers of the boat and Cantar
larry Peterson and Dell Fisher first mate we're taken TO police
Panic struck the when the boat began to turn over
% accounts of witnesses said the steamer rolled slightly twice
en turned farther and that of screaming struggling man
women and children slid across the sopng decks fought for ]
"u e1 AT companions deck chairs any object that
Women and children BY the hundreds y,ro b h,,, ,.,
a" e scratched faces torn clothing and bruised bodies of the
Hd bore mute evidence Of the desperation with which thew had
The big steamer over in less than five minutes Mho
rev shouted warnings as the steamer first tilted and Captain
ordered lover deck ports open and all passengers ashore
mere was no chance for such TO succeed
Some seven thousand tickets had been distributed for the o
So ana hVe steamers chartered by the company The Eaand
was m to receive ITS quota and when chartered capacity of 500
was reached federal inspectors ordered that po moro .G
ard the boat was docked the south side of the river and
When the hundreds huyng to the boat were turned bo f ~
they eamed across the Clark bridge TO the steamer TeJ
Roosevelt which was to take the second load
screams OF the Easand victims halted this rush and the brdo
was Jammed with people until police fearful that the src,r 1
colaspe ordered It cleared ""'"
livery resource OF the city was turned the rescue work Re-
memberng the lroquOls theatre disaster mercantile corc - A.
Vicinity hurried motor trucks the scene laden with bI '
warm the ylng or cover the dead Pumotory by be scr ~
sent TO the dock Physicians police femn government Tsyo
anu nurses were summoned and all hospitals norpns notified m
prepare for patients corpses ' ="
Inc steamer toaed on its side into midsream and n,s ,
ooas and other river craft warmcd about it Frmn bI tS
hnlb forced openings in the hull and broyh boso LI
the cabins for possible victims ' ''"''"'"
hooer H. McCreary chief of the marine burea ~ ,b ,.
c was present the dock from 40 clock this mornno With
TWO o ms steamboat navigation inspectors He declared that tba
exact huoer OF persons on the boat $500 that e bost a
not overloaded and that he passengers coud no bov - ~
accurately counted they had known there would he an scdr,
The American and Federal league baseball games Ii,
orr many theatres announced that doors wo no closed h
ana chuches summoned their members 10 prav for ba d GA
offer comfort to the living Flags were lowered 70 bf at S
mourning symbols were daped many business establishments
tray eauen clouds that Overhung the city early in h dv r
hNer toward noon and steady dre turned into rain Wetob
ers the wreck held their places despite the iscomrno or
and searchers for missing persons continued their wearnu ronn ~
the mOrgues ''e ''' VI
Aceyene blow pipes rushed to the boat and the ,sk ~
mehg mole through the uptuned side Of the steamer wa.
eneed on by hundreds of anxious relatives friends many Of
Nho made attempts 10 force their through the police lines
identification Of the bodies was slow because o The widely .sr
aad places to which they taken m two Of the larger down
Town private mogue thousands Of rcamed at one door
End ont at another 80 -
One theory Of the Of the accident ia that the STEAMER had
stuck IN the mud and had failed when the engines wars
started causing the outer side of the list The weight
the large crowd aboard augmented this extent that the
boat continued to list until It overturned