The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1915-07-31
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.


CeiCago.-A thousand persons lost
their lives in the Chicago river ON
July "a by the capsizing of the excur-
sion steamer Eastland while varying
from its wharf with more than $500
employees Of the Western e ectric
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.
Fuiiy 1000 men, women and chill.
dren came down to the river wharf to
board the boats for holiday excur-
sion. The lake steamer Eastland had
been loaded, tug was hitched to the
III rated vessel, ropes were ordered
cast OF and the engines began to
mum. The Eastland had not budged.
however.
instead, the heavily laden shin
wavered sideways, leaning first to-
ward the river bank. The lurch was
80 startling that many passengers
joined the large concourse already on
the other side of the decks.
The ship then heeled back. n
turned slowly but steadily towards
It's left side. Children clutched tba
skirts Of mothers and sisters to keen
from Falling. The whole cargo was
impelled towards the falling side of
the snip. Water began to enter low.
or portfolios, and the ropes snapped
or 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 towarda
the wavering steamer.
For nearly five minutes the sb,n
turned before 1t finally Owed under
the swift current of the river which
owing to the drainage canal system.
nows from the lake. During the
"ishty turning Of the ship with its
cargo OF humanity, lifeboats, chairs
anu other loose appurtenances on the
decks slipped down the sloping floors,
crushing the passengers toward the
rising waters. tQ
men there was q plunge with 4
sign 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.
put scores came to the surface. giving
the river the appearance Of a crowded
pathing beach. Many seized floating
chairs and other objects.
Those on shore threw out rones and
dragged in those who could hold these
life lines. Employees of commission
nrms with houses along the river
threw crates, chicken coops and other
Notable things into the current. but
most OF these were swept away by the
stream.
Boats were put out, tugs rushed To
the scene with shrieking whistles, and
many men snatched off their coats and
sprang into the river to aid the drown.
ing. With thousands of spectator,
ready to aid and the wharf within
grasp, hundreds went to death, DESPITE
every effort at rescue.
One mOthor urocnad - 49, -.
dren In her arms as she slipped from
the steamer into the water. One child
was torn from her, but she and the
other were saved Fathers were
drowned after aiding their wives and
children to safety
Stories Of heroism were almost a.
numerous as the number of persons on
the scene Immediately after the disas
ter
Dlvers were placed at work as soon
as possible, and as the divers gained
entrance to the hull the scene of dis
tress moved for the time being from
the river to the improvise6 morgues.
warehouses Of Wholesale companies
along the river were thrown open and
bodies were laid In rows on the floors.
scores OF persons taken from the wa.
ter were severely injured and these
were taken to the Iriquois hospital,
built in memory Of the 500 women.
cnlidren and few men who were
burned and crushed to death in the
lroquois theatre New Years eve sew.
eral years ago.
Efforts to resuscitate those taken
from the river were unsuccessful, ex.
cept In two or three instances. 1t was
also said that many Of those injured
would die.