Evening star., 1918-07-06
Steamship Columbia, From
Pekin, Hits Obstruction
and Sinks.
PASSENGERS LEAP INTO
WATER IN DARKNESS
Shore But Few Feet Away.
Frantic Dancers Trampled to
Death.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
PEORIA, Ill, July 6.-Approximate-
ly $50 people were drowned or tram
Piled to death last night when the ex-
cursion steamship Columbia, carrying
more than 500 persons, struck an OBJ
struction in the Illinois river and sank.
The excursion party started from
Pekin, fifteen miles distant from here,
early in the evening and spent several
hours at an amusement park near this
city, and when the return trip to Pekin
was about half completed the steamer
ran into the obstruction on the Peoria
shore during fog, smashing a big
hole in her bow. The pilot signaled
full speed astern, and as soon as the
vessel pulled clear of the log or rock
she began to settle and within a few
minutes sank, carrying many persons
down.
Leap Overheard in Panic.
Soon after the steamer struck a
panic occurred among the passengers
and many men, women and children
jumped into the water without secur-
ing life preservers. Those who could
swim reached shore. which was only
a few feet away. The second deck of
the boat, where the dance hall is
located, was crowded when the crash
came. and it was here that many were
crushed to death in the panic.
Ray Jones. fireman on the steamer.
estimated that between $50 and 200
persons were on the dance floor when
the boat struck and he believed many
of these perished.
When the boat settled on the bot
tom, the water reached the state
rooms Immediately below the pilot
house on the listed side. The, pilot
when he found his boat was sinking
sent distress signals and within
short time boats from various direc-
tions came to the rescue and began
to pick up those struggling In the
water, but on account of the darkness
their efforts were badly hampered.
Captain Puts Dead at 100.
The police of Pekin early today es-
timated the number of dead at $50.
but Capt. H. f. Mehl of the steamer
said he believed the number Of dead
was not more than 100.
Search for the bodies was aoan-
doned at o'clock this morning until
daylight came. Approximately TWEEN
ty had been recovered, only a portion
Of whom had been identified.
This morning only the hurricane
deck of the steamer is visible above
the water.
Divers Recover Bodies,
With the break of day divers went
down into the sunken steamer to
bring up bodies of the 100 or more
victims of the disaster believed to be
between the crushed decks OF the
boat
One of the underwater men was
George Holverson. who recovered
many bodies from the Eastland when
that boat capsized in the Chicago
river in 1915.
Almost at the same hour hearses
began arriving from Pekin from the
scene of the disaster, bringing the
first of the bodies of the victims. Sol
diers detailed from Camps Bradley
and Herring were IN Pekln early 10
preserve order.
Coroner e. L. Clary of Tazewel
county early this morning swore in
a jury and left with the members Tor
the scene.
been identified and seven injured per-
sons were in hospitals. All known
victims were residents of Pekin or
villages
Volunteers Seek Bodies.
AS dawn broke and the unsettled
mist which hung over the river lifted,
volunteer workers vigorously prose-
cuted the search for bodies.
COLLAPSED and shattered the super.
structure of the sunken boat stood
out in clear outline against the morn
ing sky.
son of TaZewell county, the volunteer
workers climbed aboard the craft.
Weird memories of an excursion
crowd were seen on every hand- Knit
ting, which some mysterious matron
had been laboring on just before the
crash, was found lying between the
decks of the boat. The needles hung
loose in the folds of the sweater OF
khaki warn which she had started.
Girl Tells of Horror.
Miss Pauline Dineuel of Pekin. who
was aboard the boat, told the follow
ng story of the disaster:
.aThe steamer had three decks. /
was on the upper one On that below
was going on. The bottom
leck was occupied principally by men
who were talking and smoking.
"I do not believe many of the per-
IONS on the first two decks, who con-
,tituted by far the larger portion of
he crowd, could have escaped.
II was chatting with friends. We
selt the boat rise out of the river. It
vas clouded with fog. There was a
crash, For a moment no one moved
ind then almost everybody rushed to
,ne side of the boat. The crew and
he officers, as soon as they realized
What was happening, cried for the
to even the load, but ~
vas too late. The Columbia tilted and
hen suddenly overturned. was
brown into the water
'When I came to the surface people
we're swimming about. too daZed to
znow what direction to follow. The
mist hung low above the overturned
BOAT, from which came horrifying
confusion of cries for aid.
Trapped on Lower Decks.
..Those on the lower decks seemed
o have been trapped.
II swan about and then a man
anne to my aid. A portion of the boat
.emained above the water. There
,ther men were behaving like heroes.
Some were holding women in their
rms and others were attempting to
,eep their heads above the river by
linging to their clothing. The acci-
lent occurred about opposite Wesley
,fty. The steamer had rammed an
near the east bank. -