Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-07-06
More Than 100 Persons
J Drowned in Illinois
River Near Peoria.
MOST OF VICTIMS
PEKIN RESIDENTS
Steamer Columbia Strikes Obstruction,
Hull is Smashed and Panic Ensues
MANY Jump Into Water Without
Procuring Life jority
Of Victims Women and Young Girls
Divers Bring Up Many Bodies.

Peoria, ILL.,, July 6.-With dawn today
two divers went down to the sunken
steamer Columbia. near Wesley City,
three miles south of Peoria. to bring
up bodies of the 100 or more victims
believed to have perished on the boat,
which went down at midnight with it's
load of 600 excursionists from Pekin.
Virtually all the victims were from
Pekin or nearby Illinois cities, but there
were two from Iowa-Dorothy White,
from Story City, and Orville Shryock,
Of Brighton.
At the same hour hearses began ar
irving in Pekin from the scene of the
disaster. bringing >the first bodies OF
A great crowd surrounded the
morgue in the little river city. Sol
diers detailed from Camps Bradley and
Herring were in Pekin early to pre-
serve order. Coroner e. L. Clary. Of
swore in his coroner's jury and left
with the members for the scene. Time
for the inquest will be set later.
Thirty-two bodies had been removed
from the wreck at 10 o'clock this morn
ing, thru the efforts of the Barnewolt
brothers, volunteer divers from Peoria
Many Women Victims.
All the bodies were taken from the
main deck and dance floor of the boat
and were being removed as fast as
small boats could carry them TO shore.
Among them were many women and
young girls.
Identification was difficult but was
being accomplished as rapidly as pos
sible. Bodies were being removed to
Peoria and Pekin undertaking shops as
rapidly as viewed and listed by Coroner
Clary -
Boats Hull Smashed.
The excursion party started from
Pekin, fifteen miles distant from here,
early last evening, spent some time at
Al Fresco Park, near this city. and
when the return trip to Pekin was
about half completed the steamer ran
into an obstruction on the Peoria shore
during fog, smashing big hole in her
bow. The vessel pulled clear Of the
log or rock and began to settle and
soon sank.
A panic occurred among the passen
gers and men, women and children
Jumped into the water without secur-
ing life preservers.
Recovering the Bodies.
Just as dawn broke and the unsettled
mist which hung over the boat waited
away the first workers. under the di-
rection Of Sheriff Jack Wilson; of Taze-
well county, plunged into the work.
\ Edith Lee, Of Pekin, daughter of
Nose Lee, was the first to be extracted
from among the mass Of wreckage near
the stern.
An unidentified woman about 25
years old came next, and an unidenti-
fed girl, about 20 years old, who is said
to have embarked on the boat at King
ston Mines, was dragged forth.
That's Jimmy Blackburn" ex-
claimed Sheriff Wilson as the workers
dragged forth one of Pekin's most
widely known saloonkeepers. A young
woman next was taken from the wreck
age on the dance floor deck. She was
said to be about rs years of age.
A young man identified as Edward
voll, OF Pekin. and an unidentified
woman about IS years Of age. wearing
a locket with the initials I'D. NJ" on it.,
was found a few feet away from him.
The last body to be recovered before
the divers arrived was that of an un-
girl. about 10 years old. who
wore a white dress, white stockings
and white shoes.
Casualties in Dance Hall. /,
3 Those who, could swim reached the
shore, which was only a few feet
away. The second deck Of the boat
where the dance hall was located. was
crowded when the, crash came and 1t
was here that many were crushed to
death In the panic.
up to 1f:l5 o'clock fifty-one bodies
had been recovered by the divers.
The identified Dead.
The identified dead are:
= Clyde Wisehart, Pekin. /.
Mrs. clyde Wisehart. Pekin, and
their two children,
Mrs. Marvin Ritzler. Pekin.
Mrs. John Heuling. Pekin. I
al O.fIeArn, aPekin.
Z Mrs. --- Clayton, Pekin.
Mrs. --- ------.- q !. Johnson. Pekin.
~ Hslvin Meuenbick Cboy), Pekin-