Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-23
EASTLAND PLANNED
FOR 500 CAPACITY
Builder Is Called as Witness
in Hearing on Disaster Held
at Grand Rapids.
SAYS SHE SLID DOWN
ON SIDE AT LAUNCHING
Head of shipbuilding Company Saw
No Reason to Doubt Boat Could
Be Safely Used.

GRAND RAPIDS. Mich. January %.
Sidney c. jerks of Port Huron,
Mich, head of the shipbuilding COM
Eastland, which turned over in the
Chicago river last July, carrying more
than 500 persons to their death, was
the principal witness today in the ex-
animation of the six men who were
indicted for alleged neglect in connec-
ton with the tragedy.
He testified that he was told by the
first owners of the vessel that they
wanted a fast ship for transporting
fruit from South Haven to Chicago.
and he designed a boat to make twenty
miles an hour and capable of carry
ing 500 passengers.
Called to Stand by Court.
jerks had practically refused to ap-
pear as a witness for either side in
the present hearing. and was called
to the stand by the court. Clarence
barrow of Chicago of counsel for the
defense asked jerks if he ever in
quired into or worried about the fact
that the Eastland had been converted
into an excursion steamer, with ca
pacity of $500 or more passengers,
when he designed and built the steam
err with a maximum capacity of 500
passengers.
Il had no way of knowing the guam
tity of its business after it left our
yards" said jerks. NO, / did not
worry about the Eastland."
did you consider it a safe boat for
the uses to which it was put after you
turned it over?" questioned Attorney
barrow. IF you had designed a ship
that you thought would have capsized
under certain conditions. wouldn't
you have given warnings to that eff
fect?"
Certainly I would have done So"
replied jerks. II considered the boat
safe for all uses to which it was put
which were in my knowledge"
fitting Stunts at Launching.
In answer to question by the gov
ernment's attorneys. jerks stated that
there never was an actual stability
test for the Eastland after it's launch
ing in his yards. The boat slid int .
ing" he said, and when it dropped
into the water it tilted in the oppo-
site direction to an angle of forty-five
degrees, then righted itself as straight
as a church, satisfactorily demonstrate
ing it's stability"
The first survivor of the Eastland dis
aster who has appeared in the present
hearing was put on the witness stand
late today. when the defense called
Frederick w. Willard. an engineer in
the employ of the Western Electric
Company. many of whose employees per-
ished when the ship turned over.
II went aboard the Eastland about
7:15 am, July "a. 1916" said Willard
After / had been on board about ten
minutes noticed the vessel was listing
to port Then there was a slight pause,
followed by a second list which car
ried the ship clear over. Water came
rushing in over the closed lower half
of the gangway door. and ! was push ed
to the starboard side against cabin
partition. People began slipping off
their feet and falling into the water,
but I managed to grasp a steel cable
overhead and gained a foothold on the
molding of the cabin door. I think 1
was in this position from fifteen to
forty minutes. Finally some one as
sisted me on to the ships side