Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-07-06
SCORES PERISH<1N
RIVER DIf,ASTER,

Mrs. Edith Lee, Pekin. -
James Blackborn. Pekin.
Ed Vollman, Pekin.
Mdss Ada Sapp, Pekin.
Mrs. ---- ---- Montgomery, and year
old baby boy, Pekin.
Two children of Mrs. Wisehart,
Pekin. tr
stella Murphy. domestic for Judge
Green, Pekin.
Hunter 6-year girl
Miss Hazel Jones. Peoria,
Woman carrying card Of Mrs. Il. w,
Luke, Peoria.
Miss Letha Black. Pekin.
Jimmy Gay. Pekin.
Slater. boy, Pe.dn.
Kenneth Saunders. Columbia orches-
ira.
Miss Edith Lee, PelSin.
Ed Vol, Pekin.
Mrs. Charles Harbolt. Pekln.
Two children of Mrs. Harocl. and
grown daughter. Pekin.
Mrs. William Freeland, Kingston
Mines.
Miss Lena Davis. little girl. Canton
Lawrence X. Duffin. PelSin.
United States sailor from Great
Lakes aviation corps
Miss Reta Bryan. Pekin.
Miss Lillian Schinn. Pekin
Woman with initials IL. L. NJ on
wrist watch. a.
Boat Breaks in Two.
An investigation by the United States
government into the sinking or the Col
umbia was promised by John Dougher-
tok, ftnr e.
ternoon.
Survivors OF the disaster charged
that the steamer, loaded with 500 ex-
cursionsts, ran on sand bar in a dense
fog and did not hit a hidden snag, as
at first reported.
1t is declared that altho the ship was
within ten feet of the shore. she was
backed out into deep water without
waiting to ascertain the damage she
had sustained. AS the ship reached
she suddenly broke in two
and sank.
Wierd Memories Of Victims.
= AS daylight came on workers hur-
ried out to the sunken craft. Collapsed
and shattered. the superstructure stood
out In clear outline against the morn
ing sky. Wierd memories Of an ex-
cursion crowd were seen on every hand.
Knitting. which some industrious ma
tron had been laboring on. was found
floating between decks. The needles
hung loose in the wool OF the sweater
Of Khaki yarn which she had started.
Lavender slippers, made for boudoir
wear. were fished out of the swiftly
flowing stream--ope was completed:
the other had been topped" only at the
sole.
Queer irony of irresistible fate showed
in the brilliant red letters Of Call
Again which traced the companion
ways Of the boat.
Shoes, hats. dancing pumps and
wraps Of all character were hauled
from the water covered checking room,
in the dance floor lobby.
The cafe on the lower deck floated
myriads Of gum packages. candies and
even soggy ice cream cones.
Life Rats Wrecked.
Over the life RATS jumbled In a pile
of wreckage. seekers of bodies Of loved
ones, friends and acquaintances crawled
with precarious footing
Then the wreckage was cleared of
all save undertakers. officials and
men. The work Of recover
ing the bodies began.
With their arms thrown UP In queer
altitude, protection from impending
death and fear Of the terrible watery
darkness. bodies were pulled from the
wreckage. If the bodies were identified
tags were attached to the blankets in
which they were placed and then were
taken to shore. -
y If none Of the crew and officials knew
the blue distorted faces they were care
fully covered and hurried to Pekn.
Divers appeared on the scene at S
o'clock. Because of the mixed up shape
of the boat 1t was believed n number
of days would pass before the work of
reclaiming all the bodies would be over.
Few Men Lost.
One woman survivor. who was among
the 200 persons in the dance hall, which
because Of narrow exits proved death
trap. said that after the first slight
shock OF the collision the orchestra
faltcred Some one cried, "on with the
dance and the music continued until
the boat lurched over on its side and
water rushed thru the windows Wild
panic followed.
Out Of The first twenty- -four bodies
recovered only one was man. The
majority were those Of girls 20 to 81
years Of age. Rescuers hauled out n
body OF woman whose hands chung
tightly to the handle of baby car
riage. The carriage was empty. Later
the body of baby was found.
Two wrist watches found on wrists
OF victims had stopped at 1905. The
distress call was sent out at 11:5s.
Diver Halverson to. Aid.
Chicago, July 6.-Diver Halvorson.
who at the time Of the steamship East
land disaster in this city, in 1915, re-
covered many bodies from the Chicago
river will work today in bringing out