The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-27
PLANS FOR PROBE ON
 EASTLAND DISASTER
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steamers set aside to carry more thaa 1000 persons across the lake.
 Hayne Seizes Correspondence


 steamers set aside to carry more thaa 1000 persons across the lake.
 Hayne Seizes Correspondence
 The states attorney said this correspon- dence showed that the steamer company had advised that the more tickets sold the greater would be the rebate paid to the employees organization. Tickets were to be sold to electric company employees for 70 cents at the factory or Sl at the wharf. According to the states attorney, the letters showed there would be re- bate of third on all tickets over 1000 and something less on those above 2500
 Complaint already had been made by some employees of the electric company that they had been almost compelled to purchase tickets for the excursion by fear that officers of the employees or ganization who sold them would discrimi- nate against those who did not go on the excursion. The picnic had been an annual affair and these men said that employees who had refused to buy tickets in previous years had been given less remunerative work or discharged, al- though probably without the sanction of executives of the company. To the confusion or determining the total number of lives lost there was added much wrangling among officials of diff ferent Jurisdiction over tentative plans to right the Eastland, which still lies on it's port side.
 Despite an all-day search of the hulk by divers and constant dragging of the river bed between the wreck and a net stretched across the river a block down the current, only a dozen bodies were found. Estimates of the number still held under water varied widely from 15O to 5O0 Marine engineers said it would take from 10 to 30 days to put the East land on it's keel, and 1t was said that until the ship was removed it could not be de- termned how many bodies had been caught under the hull and superstruc- ture.
 Coroner Hoffman. the states attorney and city officers today reiterated their assertion that all possible causes for the disaster could be charged to negli gence by federal inspectors, or failure of federal officers to enforce marine laws. The last inspection of the East land was made by Robert Reid, gov ernment inspector at St. Joseph, Mich, who this spring found the steamer fil and procured a position as chief en- sineer on the boat for his son-in-law | J. M. Erickson.
 | Secretary of Commerce Redheld will | be in Chicago tomorrow to take charge | of the government end of the investiga- | tion He has been directed by President
 
 close responsibility for the upsettins 1 of the Eastland and to discover ways of preventing a repetition of such an accident.
 | To make sure that none of the crew would avoid the inquest and other in- Quiries more members of the ships complement were arrested. Nearly all the 72 men employed on the ship are now held in addition to Walter C. n of ba | Ing the boat
 Grand Jury in Session | The county grand jury was ordered | held in session to take coznizance of any evidence of criminal negligence in | connection with the disaster. The grand jurymen went over the wreck, but 1t was said they could do nothing further at present
 | Members of the coroner's jury, six | business. and professional men. with pr. w A Evans. formerly health cont missioner of Chicago, as foreman, also | inspected the steamer and made per sonal Investigations of conditions al the morgues.
 Identification of bodies recovered was all but completed tonight. Checking | against Implications in the various lists proceeded steadily. Funerals were held | for few of the dead and many more were planned for tomorrow, but most l of the burials will take place Wednes- 1 day. Bishop Mcdowell of the Methodist church and Bishop Samuel Fallows oi the Reformed Episcopal church, took | charge of the funeral sermon arrange ment and gathered volunteer clergy men to officiate at the obsequies oi l those who had no other arrangements
 The public relief fund of s30o000 was | two thirds complete tonight. All classes contributed.