The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-07-05
CURRENT BLAMED
FOR Loss OF Is
OWNERS OF WHALEBAcK Elk
PLAIN MILWAUKEE ACCIDENT.
% PASSENGERS ARE MISSING
Excursion Steamer From Chicago
Crashed Into Tank Holding rs, 1000
Gallons of Water-Passengers
Crushed to Death.

Milwaukee, July "a sudden cur
rent in the Milwaukee river is blamed
for the Christopher Columbus excur-
siou boat disaster, in which ID persons
are known to have lost their lives and
more than score were hurt.
The explanation was made by III. w.
ThOrp, general manager of the Good
rich Transportation company, owners
of the boat, after he had talked with
Capt. Charles +. Moody.
"There was Il tug at the bow and
one ut the stern when the Christopher
Columbus came down the Milwaukee
river to where the Menominee runs in,
forming a ~" Thorp said. 1.-THE ing
at the back swung the boat into the
Menominee so IL could go down the
stream. The current was too strong 10
turn the whaleback In, and 1t swung
into the bank.
"Such currents are not unusual and
there have been more this year than
ever before, not only in the Milwaukee
river, but in the Chicago river also. In
he last few months the Chicago river
has risen and fallen as much as two
feet in two hours. The cause is not
definitely known and the currents can
aot be anticipated"
The death total was brought to 10
when the body Of woman victim was
taken from the river. Six of the in
Jured are in critical condition and
tWenty-three passengers are reported
missing.
These Known to Be Dead.
The revised death list follows:
Fred Blum, Milwaukee.
Mrs. Blanche Cooper, Cherokee,
Kan.
Bertha NJ. Comstock, Kenyon, MINI.
Thomas III. Creel, Parkersburg, w.
Va.
Robert Downs, cOlored, Chicago.
Eva Eatman, Chicago.
Alfred B. Murray, Chicago.
Cecil Neil, Billings, Okla.
Bertha Parsons, Chicago.
A. G. POllak, Dubuque, Ia.
Alta Roberts, Morrill,, Kan.
Frank Saukup, Chicago.
William Steenberg, Milwaukee.
Adelia Swanson, Kenyon, MINI.
Unknown man.
While searchers were dragging the
river for additional victims, officers of
he Goodrich line lunched in the club
room of the ship and planned an in
vestigatiOn of the tragedy.
v. S. May Make Arrests Soon.
Federal agents opened an inquiry,
and it was limited that arrests will be
made.
Capt. Charles Moody, who was on
the bridge at the time of the accident,
spent all night pacing the decks of the
boat. His face was white and bag
gard when he appeared at the office of
the steamboat inspectors In the federal
building to face the star chamber grill
ing by Inspectors Collins and Van Pat
ten.
Before going into the room he told
his story to reporter.
II saw it coming u long way off" he
began. Il knew something terrible
would happen when we hit the en-
bankment. AS soon as l saw trouble
ran down from the bridge and grabbed
the wheel from James Brody and start
ed to back with all my might. didn't
stop the engines. The engines did
that when the crash came.
"When we hit / still tried to back
up, but the next thing l knew the pilot
house was lying all around me and
Brody was nowhere to be seen. must
have been stunned.
Many of the survivors told of seeing
the catastrophe coming, but We're
rooted to the spot through fear.
How Accident Occurred.
Fifteen eXcursionists We're killed
late Saturday when a 25,000-gallon
tank toppled from steel tower 100
feet high and crashed onto crowded
decks of the whaleback Christopher
Columbus, on which were teachers and
pupils of the Northwestern university,
University of Chicago and other sum-
mer schools.
More than 400 passengers, the ma
jority of whom, it is believed, were
members of the school outing party,
were aboard.
Thousands of gallons of water,
loosed by the bursting tank, flooded
every deck. Staterooms were awash,
saloons running with water, and de-
bris and confusion reigned.
Many passengers, seeing the rush of
water, with visions of repetition of
the Eastland disaster, leaped into the
river. One young woman's body was
found almost nude, her clothing torn
from her in the crash.
Rescuing parties were met by har-
rowing sights. One woman was taken
out of the wreckage almost dead. One
of her legs had been torn off. Later
the leg was found floating.
Charriae Hnnaa Ltnh