Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-07-25

hum. The Eastland had not budged
however.
Instead the heavily laden ship wa
vered sidewise, leaning first toward
tne river bank. The lurch was so
startling that many passengers joined
the larger concourse already on the
river side of the deck. The ship
never keeled back, but turned slowly,
but steadily, toward its left side.
Children Clutch Mothers.
Children clutched the skirts Of
mothers and sisters to keep from
falling. Tie whole cargo was impel-
led toward the falling side OF the
snip. Water began to enter lower
water port holes and the rope snap,
ped off the piles to which the vessel
was tied. Screams flom passengers
attracted the attention of fellow ex-
cllrsionists awaiting the next steam
er.
Wharf men and picnicers soon lin
ed the edge OF the embankment,
reaching out helplessly toward the
waveling steamer. For nearly 1--WE
minutes the ship turned before it
finally dived under the swift current
of the river. which, owing to the
drainage canal system, flows from
the lake. During the mighty turning
of the ship, with its cargo of human
ity lifeboats, chairs and other loose
appurtenances on the deck slipped
down the sloping floors, crushing the
passengers toward the rising water
Voices of Children.
Then there was plunge with
sigh of air escaping from the holes.
mingled with the clarified cries OF
children and the shrieks of women,
and the ship was on the bottom OF
the river passing hundreds OF living
creatures into the water. Many sank,
entangled with clothing and bundles
and did not rise, but hundreds came
to the surface, giving the water the
appearance of 2 crowded bathing
beach. .. ........s... p. .-... ..... 4.
Seized Floating Chairs.
Many seized floating chairs and 9th
er objects. Those on shore threw out
ropes and dragged those who caught
hold of these life lines. Employees
of commission firms with houses
along the river, threw crates, chicken
coups, and other foatable things into
the current, but most OF them We're
swept away by the steam, which runs
five miles an hour. .. .
Boats were put out, tugs rushed 10
the steamer with shrieking whistles,
and many men snatched off their
coats and sprang into the river to
aid the drowning.
With thousand of spectators to aid
and the wharf within grasp, hundreds
went to death despite every effort at
rescue.
Mother Clasps Child.
One mother grasped her two child
rem in her arms as she slipped from
the steamer to the water. One child
was torn from her but she and the
other were saved. Fathers were
drowned while aiding their children
to safety. One man was seen to
cling to spike in the side of the
wharf, while two women and three
children climbed up his body as on
a ladder to safety. He fell exhausted
back into the water, as the last one
of the five reached the pier. Wheth-
er he was lost could not be discov.
cred.
Instances Of Heroism.
Ins tances of herois-l were almost
as numerous as the number of per-
sons on the river. In an hour the
water was cleared Of excursionists.
Those who had not been taken to
land had sunk, or were swirling up
the river toward the drainage canal
lock at Lockport, ILL.,, many miles
away. The locks were raised to stop
the current and arrangements were
made to take bodies from the river
along its course through the south.
west part of Chicago.
Divers Are Used.
Shortly after the water was clear:
ed, ship engineers and helpers were
on the exposed side of the Eastland's
hull. cutting through its steel plates
with gas flames. Divers were hur-
ried into underwater suits. A bridge