South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-07-06

Police Of Peoria and Pekin. scores
Of doctors and nurses, and hundreds
of civilians are At the scene of the
wreck. aiding in the work Of recoy-
ering the bodies and in caring for
the survivors. No accurate list OF
the survivors or the victims is yet
avsila bic. and the death toll may
exceed $50 or may be less than
that figure
Chartered for Picnic.
The Columbia, a huge fat bottom
ed excursion boat, owned by the
II. F. Mehl Excursion Co. had been
chartered by the south Side Social
club Of Pekin for river outing.
Four hundred and nifty members of
the club were on board and an add
ed hundred persons or more were
picked up at Kingston Mines. The
boat was returning from Al Fresco
park when the tragedy occurred.
The known dead at o'clock this
morning were
MRS. MAMIE HOLDEN. Bloom
ington.
MRS. L. o. HERRIN. Pekin.
MR.. And MRS. CLYDE WIS
HART and three children, Pekin.
MRS. MARTIN RICHLER. Pekin.
MRS. JOHN RUELING, Pekin.
MRS. AL O'HARA, Pekin.
Scores Of bodies taken from the
river have not been identified.
Many Badly Hurt.
Many passengers aboard the boat
were seriously injured and were
brought to hospitals here or taken TO
Pekin as fast as they were rescued.
At an early hour il had been
definitely established that 100 per
/ sons had been rescued
1t is believed that scores who We're
/ not drowned were crushed or MAIN
! cd when the steamboat broke in two,
I the upper decks era shing down on
the dance floor. where the greatest
crowd was centered.
il is believed that the Colum Dia.
+ feeling her way along the river in
! dense fog, steered a course too close
! to the shore and thus encountered
( the log. The boat. after striking.
backed away. and water poured in
through the huge hole torn by the
. log.
Boat Sinks Rapidly.
The steamboat sank rapidly and
horror was added TO the scene when
the lights OF the boat went out
throwing the entire surroundings
into inky darkness This and the
dense fOg seriously hampered the
J work of rescuing the victims
Horror At the scene of the wreck
F was indescribable a. the psssen gers.
I who a few minutes before had been
eaily dancing ON the deck. We're
/ plunged into the water Their
/ screams ard cries Of terror We're
heard 10y persons fal. from the river.
Many men leaped into the river
and swan ashore and women and
4 children either Ieaped into the water
/ or were jostled overheard by the
panic-stricken revelers. Others clung
4 I'm terror 20 The founderins stes m
boat
Relatives Throns Banks.
News of the disaster dashed
. through the district and hundreds
I this morning througed the river
I seeking for their friends and rela-
tiVes who were aboa I'd the boat
IL IS estimated that 800 people
We're dancing on the center deck Of
the boat W hen she grounded. Water
quickly poured over the decks and
scores were trapped as they vainly
tried 70 breast the torrents that
poured down companionways and
. blocked the exits 70 the upper decks.
children We're thrown far from the
boat into the river and mothers
erew frantic in the panic-stricken
throng.
started on Last Dance.
The band had just begun the
strains Of Home. Sweet Home the
final dance. when the crash came.
With the lights o. the boat eXtin
eui~hed. .auteru~ of re~cu-rS ou the
shSre and The headlights of 3ul0mo-
hiles that quickly gathered along the
river cast weird glare over the
tragic waters and afforded the only
Hsht available 90 aid the rescuers
in their task. 4 lack OF rowboAss