Evening star., 1918-07-07
Fears of Mob Violence Cause
Police Threat to Close
Pekin Saloons.
SIXTY DEAD RECOVERED;
MANY FROM DANCE FLOOR
Death Trap to Many Merrymakers.
Acts Of Heroism Recorded-Gov-
eminent to Investigate.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
PEKIN. Ill, July s.-After a day
spent in recovering bodies Of the
dead from the wrecked excursion
steamer Columbia, many citizens. ex-
cited by the narrowing scenes. to-
night gathered in saloons and other
places and threatened to wreak
vengeance on any ships officer found
| in any way at fault for the disaster.
Precautionary measures. against
mob violence were taken by the
police. The closing of saloons was
threatened If any untoward action
was started.
Although official inquiry has not
yet indicated whether or not the fatal
accident was due to negligence of the
|navigators of the steamer, bearing
some 500 persons down the Illinois
river. relatives of those lost and
others loudly condemn members of
the crew as responsible for the large
loss Of life.
Police Ready for Trouble.
1--WE have sensed troubles and made
our arrangements accordingly, SAID
o. w. Frederick, captain of the Pekln
unit of the home guard. 1t Is likely
that it will be necessary to close all
saloons. Many residents Of this victn-
ity were victims of the disaster and
local men are angry. They believe
that the crew Of the Columbia had
been drinking and were negligent"
While stretcher-bearers carried
bodies up the main street tonight to
the morgue, scores of women and
children, most Of them in tears. lined
the curbs trying for recognition OF lost
relatives. Somewhere in the distance
cornet was playing, Nearer. my God
to Thee" AS each additional body was
brought up the noise in the saloons in
creased.
Sixty Bodies Recovered.
At dusk more than sixty bodies. a
majority those Of women and chill
dren, had been brought down the
river and placed in the morgues Tor
quickly identified.
Survivors stood about in little
groups tonight telling tales OF hero
ism and horror. When the fate Of the
boat seemed sealed, according to wit
embraced his wife. then his two chill
dren, and the little family perished.
clasped in each others arms. Their
bodies have been recovered.
In the hands of the body OF another
man, found late today, was a quantity
Of his wife's hair. His attempt to save
her failed. Her body was brought up
shortly after the searchers found her
husbands corpse.
Old-time river men tonight declared
for overhauling a few months ago.
but little was done except painting
and interior decorating. The vessel
was launched at least forty years ago,
according to local river men.
Dance Hall Incident.
One woman, who was among the 200
persons in the dance hall, which, be-
cause Of its narrow doorways proved
said that after the first slight shock
of the collision the orchestra faltered
and many dancers stopped.
Some one then cried: "On with the
dance" and the music continued un-
til suddenly the boat lurched over on
it's side and water began rushing
through the windows. The widest
panic followed.
Most of the bodies were found in
the dance floor death trap of the
steamer. Efforts were being made to
raise half of the boat from the river
ed. More than seventy-five survivors
are in hospitals in Peoria and Pekin.
Federal investigation of the disas-
ter was promised by John Dougherty,
assistant United States district attor-
ney, this afternoon.
Charges by Survivors,.
Survivors charged that the steamer
ran on q sandbar in a dense fog and
did not hit q sunken snag, as was at
first reported. It was declared that.
although the boat was within ten feet
of shore at this time, it was backed
out into deep water without waiting
to ascertain the extent of the damage.
AS the ship reached midstream she
suddenly broke in two and sank.
Officials Of the boat said that faint
their first intimation of the approach
ing tragedy.
Statement Of Captain.
'It was not a hard blow" said Capt.
Herman Mehl, I'VE were headed
downstream and it was awfully foggy.
She had worked over pretty well to
the Peoria side, guess, and that was
probably the cause. When she hit I
got up to the bridge as fast as could.
"She backed OFF, squared away and
headed downstream again Lots OF
the people rushed to the starboard
side and she listed a. bit.
II ordered one Of the crew to go
down in the hold. He yelled up that
there was two feet of water IN her
hold. I told the people to hurry up
stairs, and instructed the crew to
keep order.
sThen the lights went out She set
tied in q couple Of minutes"
Blames Log for Bump.
L. L. Dawson. second engineer Of
the steamer, on watch at the time she
struck, declared that he thought
everything was all right until he
heard somebody cry:
Everybody up stairs!'
A moment later the boat listed and
the lights went out.
1--WE got in pretty close to the Peoria
shore. I guess" he said. "I suppose
we struck a log. We were running
on q slow bell and when the little
bump came-it wasn't big enough for
any one to notice much-Williams
(the pilot) gave me the stop bell.'
'The shock came between 1880 and
11:45 o'clock"
THINKS WEAvERS PAY HIGH.