New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-25

into the line room to warn him the
lines TO shore had not been cast Off,
and he and the steward jumped into
the water together.
Flannigan's testimony was contra
dicted by Arthur Mcdonald engineer Of
the tug. who said the Kenosha had not
begun TO tow when the EastlaNd over
turned.
That sudden rush of persons on the
deck Of the Eastland to port side to
look at n speeding launch caused the
catastrophe was che assertion of Jack
Ebert, gauge tender of the steamer.
Say Launch Caused Rush.
He said he and J. NJ. Erickson, chief
engineer, escaped drowning by wading
through water in the hatch and crawl
ing out Of a portfolio into the river.
1.-THE steamer Eastland was kept
stable by means Of a water ballast sys-
tenn" said Ebert "Water Is pumped
into the chambers in the ship until she
becomes steady. This is done before
freight is taken on board The first
the Eastland began to lean 10 star
board. Erickson, the chief engineer,
was in charge Of the pumps used to
pump the water into the chambers. He
said, Boys, steady her up a little and
then we pumped water into the other
side until she was up even and all
right. We had just evened her up
when a launch came down the river
past the Eastland, and the crowd on
board rushed over to the port side to
look at it. The weight all on one side
apparently proved too much, and the
Eastlard began to list badly
owe worked franticallj at the pumps
20 try to bring her back, but she was
too far gone"
Eyewitnesses informed the police
that there was a man in the launch
with n motion picture camera and that
this attracted the attention of passen-
gers or the Eastland, who rushed to
one side of the boat.
Efforts were made by States Attorney
Hoyne and other officials to rent the
main building of the Coliseum as
temporary mOrgue. They were blocked
in this plan by the fact that decorators
are under contract to begin work on
Monday in preparation for a meeting
there on August 3. In the absence Of
her husband, Mrs. Stewart Spalding.
wife of the agent, offered the use Of
the Annex. Two floors were made
ready to receive the Eastland victims.
Crew lnterfered with Rescuers.
Later in the day fifteen of the crew
were arrested for interfering with the
work Of electricians, who were cutting
holes in the boats side with acetylene.
Six government inspectors were
working on the docks when the East
land turned over They were in charge
of Inspector K. II. McCurry.
1.-TWO inspectors were assigned to
the Eastland" McCurry said, "tO see
that the boat was not overcrowded
The ship had taken on all that she
could hold and the two inspectors had
turned many others away. She was
ready to sail when the accident Oc-
Cured.
"The sinking of the ship came to me
like a streak of lightning. 1t all hap
pened so suddenly"
Albert Wycoff, chief steward. said:
81 was in the lunchroOm on the main
deck when noticed the boat begin
ming to list. Dishes fell out Of the
rack and scene of wild excitement
followed. ! shouted for the people to
save themselves. A moment later |
jumped into the water and managed to
rescue three women"
William Barrett, a deckhand, said:
81 was on the main deck at the stern
line. ready to cast il off, when the boat
started to list | shouted warnings to
the passengers around me and tried TO
let 90 the hawser. When the boat went
over ] climbed on the upper side and
helped get number of passengers into
boats. 1t all happened in a few min
utes."