The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1915-07-30
OVER 1000 DROWN WHEN EXCURSION
STEAMER TURNS OVER At CHICAGO

UILhIuLII
Chicago, July 28.-Seven thousand
people, employees of the Western
Electric company and their relatives
and friends, gathered at the docks
Saturday morning for lake trip on
five steamers that had been charter
ed for the purpose. The death-ship,
Eastland, was the first to take on it's
passengers, and twenty-four hun
dred tickets were collected at the
gang planks.
Ship Sank at the Dock
When ropes were cast off, and with
the assistance of tug it began to
warp away from the dock, the heavi-
ly laden ship wavered sidewise, lean
ing first toward the river bank. The
lurch was so startling that many
passengers joined the large group
already on the other side of the
decks.
The ship then heeled back. 1t
turned slowly but steadily toward it's
left side. The whole cargo was
impelled towards the falling side
of the ship. Water began to enter
lower portfolios. and the ropes snap
ped off the piles to which the vessel
was tied.
For nearly five minutes the ship
turned before it finally dived under
the swift current of the river, which,
owing to the drainage canal, flows
from the lake. During the turning
of the ship with its cargo of human
ity, 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 a
sigh of air escaping from the hold,
mingled with the cries of children
and shrieks of women, and the ship
was on the bottom of the river, cast
ing hundreds of its passengers into
the water.
Many Did Not Rise
Many sank entangled with cloth.
ing and bundles and did not rise
but scores cam to the surface
Many seized floating chairs anC
other objects. Those on shore threw
crates, boxes, chicken coops anc
other floatable things into the cur.
rent, but most of these were swept
away by the stream.
Boats were put out, tugs rushed
to the scene with shrieking whistle.
and many men snatched off theil
coats and sprang into the river tt
aid the drowning. With thousand
Of spectators ready to aid and th'
wharf within grasp, hundreds wen
to death despite every effort at res
cue.
Holes Torn in Side
The ship sank in twenty-five fee
of water, and lay upon her sid
with a part of the hull projectin,
above the surface. Crews were pu
to work with pneumatic drills AM
chisels, to tear off the plates iron
the ships sides, to give entrance t.
the hulk. By noon, several plate
had been removed and the work o
removing the dead began.
Three Found Alive
A thrill passed through the crow
as word came from the steamer tina
girl baby had been found aliv
among the hundreds of dead in tn
ship. The child was discovered i
starboard stateroom where sh
had been held from the water by
chair that jammed against the berth
The baby only half awakened as
was carried to land. Its mothe
could not be found.
Two women were found alive j
another stateroom on the protru'
side Of the Eastland, but that ende
the hopes that any number had e
capped death in the death trap itsel
There were still at least 800 person
, in the hold when these three person
!, were taken out alive, and the e,
plorers of the hulk said that all wei
, dead.
q Injured May Die
Scores of persons taken from tt
water were severely injured an
4 these were taken to the Irquit
hospital, built in memory of tt