The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-07-29

started by States Attorney
Robert E. Grove and Michael
Hughes, police chief. Grove ap-
pointed two assistants to at
tend all hearings and take steps
to prosecute any person found
guilty Of negligence.
Twenty-seven bodies from the ex-
cursion tug had been recovered to-
day.
Fifteen Of the dead we're small
children, ten were women and two
men were drowned. Divers searched
the bottom Of Lake Michigan, near
the place where the vessel went
down, for additional bodies.
The little boat on which some
seventy-flve persons embarked yes
terday afternoon had been raised
early today by derrick crews who
worked throughout the night. to
bring it to the surface.
The small steamer capsized in a
squall midway on its run" of half
a dozen miles between the Chicago
municipal pier and Lincoln Park..
The crowd aboard was composed
almost entirely of children and their
mothers, who had paid quarter for
the ride in the cooling lake breeze
"a brief respite from the intense
heat which gripped the city.
Gale Hits Vessel
The putting little boat skirted the
shore line less than a mile from
the beach. going smoothly. A sud-
den cloudburst driven by hard
wind hit the vessel. All the crowd
on deck rushed to the side oppo-
site the direction of the wind, to
escape the rain.
The boat dipped suddenly on that
side, shipped water, righted again
and started to sink.
Two Negro musicians strumming
banjos and singing about "four-leaf
clovers'' continued their tune mo-
ment after the ship first toppled.
Then they stopped. The laughing
and shouting of the children was
quiet for a second.
Then those on board sensed the
tragedy. Those nearest the railing
tried to get back, but were thrown
overheard. Mothers screamed and
clung to their children. Some Of
the youngsters had become sepa-
rated from their parents. The lat
ter refused to leave the vessel un-
til they found the little ones.
The smallest of the children were
thrown into the water. The older
ones and the few adults aboard
jumped on or entered the few life
boats available.
Boat Reaches Bottom
It was only minute or two from
the time of the first intimation OF
the accident until the boat settled
on the bottom, quieting the screams
of those in the cabin who had been
unable to reach the deck.
When the boat settled on the bot
tom, the water was "alive" with hui
manity. Capt. Arthur Olson had
rushed along the rail, cut the life
boats loose and thrown life pre-
servers into the lake.
The women and children made
for these. Most Of those who were
fortunate enough to find something
to cling to or could swim at allwere
rescued. Some of the smaller tots
were driven under by the rain
The boat was in relatively shallow
water and the super-structure pro-
truded above the surface.
Literally thousands Of persons
were on the beach opposite the
sinking boat and their cries brought
police and fireboats to the scene as
quickly as humanity possible.
william Hofnauer, millionaire
yachtsman, cruising near the scene,
was the outstanding hero of the res
cue. His big boat was the first to
reach the Favorite. He and his
crew pulled struggling women and
children from the water.
Hofnauer's yacht soon was joined
by other vessels In the vicinity
Divers followed 10 recover bodies
nt the dead lzine On tia ialza boz