Evening star., 1918-07-06


was not long before the sound Of the
screams fof help attracted attention
on shore. Rowboats began to ap-
proach.
ssThe rescuers began to pick up the
survivors. After q moment the boat
ing me called to the rowers to take
me in. We rowed distance-it seem
ed about four blccks-before we hnal-
IL reached shore
/ Over In an Instant. :.
august Mehl brother Of Capt. H. F.
Mehi, and purser of the boat, VINO
lost his wife, made the following
statement regardii1s the disaster j. an
instant. 1t was in the cafe OF the
boat when the shock came. l knew
that we had struck a submerged log
and 1 heard my brother. the captain.
cry out. Everybody upstairs inc
crowd rushed for the upper decks; l
rushed to the engine room to notily
the engineers. On my return 1 saw
Ss -;fe running ahead of me up the
Snpanion way. / followed ana just
as got to the second deck the poat
listed to the lee side and sank quick,
lx. / saw my wife thrown overheard
into the water. I grabbed at her skirt,
but it slipped from my fingers: Ihen
the boat was plunged in total DARK
ness / ran for life preserver and
got to the upper deck In time TO help
fhe women and children escape in the
life boats.
aAt that time the water was up to
the staterooms Immediately belo"
the pilot house on one side and up to
the base Of the pilot house on the list
ed side
y Saved by Wife.
Dell sivley. the pilot. of watch at
the time of the accident. was asleep
in his stateroom. His wife. In charge
of. the lunch counter rushed to her
husbands room and awakened him
They reached the deck. grabbed life
prEservers. jumped overheard and
Mrs. Herman Mehl. wife of the cap
tain, was bleeding from wound on
the side of the head when she told
her story of the accident
the time" she said. TT was all over
before you could say 'skat.' When the
boat listed something must have
stguck me on the head l came to IN
the boat, I just had sense enough to
pull myself in and get life preserver.
Kidding on with one hand to the boat
anti the other to the preserver l Kept
afEst until some men pulled me In.
e E. Wires for a Diver.
d. L. H. Clarey; coroner Of Ta1e-
grSm to the chief of police at Chicago;
'T1ease send at once professional
diver with complete OUTFIT to recover
from sunken steamer large number OF
uneosered bodies AhsweT sss IN az tbe rss
ular excursion trade along the river.
1t was about $50 feet long and was
co&sidered stauneh. The boat reached
AIeEresco Park about 10 o'clock. The
exeursionists spent about half an
bafd music and dancing. The crowG
was hemeward bound when the crash
came
As soon as the news reached Peoria
relief parties were organized. Every
doctor in the city who could be sum-
depot. A special train was made up
at ronce and rushed to the scene of
the disaster.
: Rescuers' Grim Findings.
Stoes. hats. dancing pumps. sweat
ers. and wraps were hauled from the
wa1er-covered checking room in the
dafsce floor lobby.
Over the uncertain planking rail-
ings and life raft-jumbled in an un-
recognizable pile of wreckage-the
seafchers for loved ones. friends and
acquairitances crawled with precari-
ous footsteps.
with the arms of the victims thrown
up in attitudes of defiance to the fall
ing, deck, protection from impending
death and fear of the terrible watery
darkness bodies were pulled out from
beneath the decks.
II they were identified tags were
attached to the baskets in which they
were placed. and then were taken to
shore. Otherwise they were carefully
covered and hurried to Pekin.
Divers appeared shortly after
o'clock. Because of the battered
shape-of the boat, 1t was believed that
several days would pass before all the
work of feclaiming the bodies would
be completed. ISL 4
Miss Edith Lee Of Pekin was the
nrst to be extricated from the mass Of
wenckage near the stern.
An unidentified woman. about
twenty-five years old, came next and
the. body of an unidentified girl, about
twenty years old. was then recovered.
Thirty-two bodies had been removed
from the wreck at 10 o'clock this
morning through the efforts of the
Barnewof Brothers, volunteer divers
from Peoria. All the bodies were
being 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
rxyo