Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1915-07-29
STEAMER CAPS|zES
IN CHICAGO RIVER
THOUSAND LIVES LOST WHEN
CROWDED VESSEL MEETS
WITH ACCIDENT.
More Than Twenty five Hundred Men
Women and Children Thrown Into
Water in Dense Mass, While
Many Drown in Cabins.

Chicago.-A thousand persons lost
their lives in the Chicago river on
July q by the capsizing of the eXcur-
sion steamer Eastland while warping
from its wharf with more than $500
employees of the Western Electric
company and their relatives and
friends on board, bound for a pleas
ure trip across Lake Michigan. Many
were drowned in the cabins.
The bodies of 500 victims had been
recovered Monday morning. after for
ty hours of searching by divers
around the steel hulk. still lying on
its side, half submerged.
The total dead as a result of the
turning over of the ship still remains
at approximately 1000. according to
estimates made by Coroner Hoffman.
whose reports indicated that probably
200 bodies still were held in the mud
of the river by the superstructure of
the overturned boat.
Efforts to discover the cause of the
accident were begun long before the
work of rescue was over. Federal
| VIM ~OuhNs SAoAQ were
a coroners jury was impaneled and all
the officers and crew of the Eastland
were arrested.
President Wilson has ordered that
a complete investigation be made by
the department of commerce into
the sinking Of the excursion steamer
Eastland. Acting Secretary Sweet. Of
the department, sent him word that
the cause of the disaster would be
looked into and the president directed
that nothing be left undone to fix the
responsibility.
Capt. Harry Petersen, 81 years old.
! who was in command of the steamer
Eastland when it capsized. said:
Il was on the bridge and was about
ready to pull out when | noticed the
boat begin to list l shouted orders to
open the inside doors nearest the
dock and give the people chance to
get out. The boat continued to roll
and shortly afterwards the hawsers
broke and the steamer turned over on
her side and was drifting toward the
middle of the river. When she went
over | jumped and held on to the I'D
per side. 1t all happened in two min
| utes.
The cause is a mystery to me. I
nave sailed the lakes for twenty-five
years and previous to that sailed on
salt water twelve years and this Is
the first serious accident l ever had.
do not know how it happened"
Fully 1000 men, women and chill
dren came down to the river wharf to
board the boats for a holiday excur-
sion. The lake steamer Eastland had
been loaded, a tug was hitched to the
Ill fated vessel. ropes were ordered
cast off and the engines began to
sum. The Eastland had not budged.
| however
Instead, the heavily laden ship
wavered sideways. leaning first to-
ward the river bank. The lurch was
SO startling that many passengers
Joined the large concourse already on
the other side of the decks.
The ship then heeled back. It
turned slowly but steadily towards
its left side. Children clutched the
skirts of mothers and sisters to keep
from falling. The whole cargo was
impelled towards the falling side of
the ship. Water began to enter low.
er portfolios, and the ropes snapped
off the piles to which the vessel was
| tied.
Screams from passengers attracted
the attention of fellow excursionists
on the wharf awaiting the next
steamer. Wharfmen and picnickers
soon lined the edge of the embank
ment, reaching out helplessly towards
the wavering steamer.
For nearly five minutes the shin
turned before it finally dived under
the swift current of the river. which.
owing to the drainage canal system
nows from the lake. During the
mighty turning of the ship with it's
cargo of humanity, lifeboats, chairs
and other loose appurtenances on the
decks slipped down the sloping floors.
crushing the passengers toward the
rising waters.
Then there was a plunge with q
sigh of air escaping from the hold.
mingled with crying of children and
shrieks of women. and the ship was
on the bottom of the river, casting
hundreds of its passengers into the
water Many sank entangled with
clothing and bundles, and did not rise
but scores came to the surface. giving
the river the appearance of a crowde 4
bathing beach. Many seized fioatrns
chairs and other objects.
Those on shore threw out ropes and