The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1915-07-29
EXCURSION VESSEL
UPS[TS;; 1000 DIE
Piuidey Poured Into River
Few Feet From Shore.
MANY DEAD Still REMAIN IN WATER
Local and Federal Authorities Bus,
Endeavoring to Fix Blame for
Awful Steamer Disaster.
MANY DEAD STILL REMAIN IN WATER

Chicago - A thousand persons lost
their lives in the Chicago River Satur-
day by the capsizing of the excursion
steamer Eastland, while Wrapping from
it's wharf with more than 2400 en-
ployes of the Western Electric COM
pany and their relatives and friends on
board, bound for pleasure trip across
Lake Michigan.
After ceaseless work all day and far
into the night, the bodies of 842 vic
Tins of the catastrophe, most Of them
women and children, were collected
from the temporary morgues and taken
to the Second Regiment armory.
When these bodies had been tagged,
Coroner Hoffman, taking into consid-
GRAFTON estimates Of bodies thought to
be in the hold of the steamer lying on
its side in the river and in the stream
itself, said he had hopes that the total
dead would not exceed 1000.
The Eastland, said by marine archi-
tects to have been top-heavy and bal
lasted in an uncertain manner, turned
over inside of five minutes after II
began to list, pouring its passengers
into the river or imprisoning them in
its submerged hull.
Every effort was made by thousands
of persons on the river wharf to rescue
the drowning men, women and chill
dren, but many drowned almost within
, grasp of the river bank.
Mothers went to death while theil
children were snatched to safety
Other children died in the arms Of
their parents, who were finally saved
: Hunrdeds Of girls, freed for day
from their tasks of making telephones
and other electrical apparatus in thu
factory Of the Westeron Electric com
: pany, dressed in their smartest whit
: frocks, drowned miserably.
! Chicago = Bodies of 800 person
5 killed in the capsizing of the steame
Eastland at its wharf in the Chicag
river had been recovered Sunday nigh
t after 40 hours of searching by diver
e around the steel hulk, still lying on it
: side, half-submerged, where it role
Saturday while laden with 240S excu1
sionists.
The total dead as a result of tn
8 turning over of the ship still remain
l. at approximately 1000, according
estimates made by Coroner Hoffman
e whose reports indicated that probabl
200 bodies still were held in the mu
u of the river by the superstructure {
the overturned boat.
Chicago-"Who is to blame?"
u Chicago faces a task of fixing tt
T. responsibility for the Eastland Ct
re- lamity.
Of While divers are still cropping on tt
u river bed and in the hold of the Eas
land for bodies of victims, while Il
morgues are filled with lamentatior
of bereaved and cemeteries are recei
a ing harvest of death, all authoriti
TT having jurisdiction will open their i
vestigations.
TT The Federal government, stat
p county and city will search for caus
of the disaster. They will determil
who was guilty of negligence and tai
steps for the punishment of those 7
Ii sponsible.
"Who is to blame?" is the Wit
RI question to which the combined a
thorities will seek an answer.
The chief questions to be settled ar
Was the Eastland overcrowded?
so, who is to blame?
Was its water ballast out of adjul
ment? If SO, who is to blame?
Was the carrying capacity of t
n Eastland overrated by the inspecte
il of the Federal government? If I
who is to blame? Was the hull of
vessel modelled on lines giving
3 requisite stability? If not, who is
blame for granting it permit?