Chicago, Illinois
Eastland Disaster
July
1915
Men Frantic.
“The men were more frantic than the women.” Said
Anna Goldnick. Eleanor
Doneske, her chum, Miss Goldnick
said, was drowned before her eyes.
“I personally saw men fight and tear the
clothing as well as life belts and chairs from
women.”
Little Jim Crawley,
“candy boy” on the boat, was dragged senseless
from the water. Although small, he held two
women up until he lost consciousness. Both were
drowned.
“I tried so hard to save ‘em,” were the first
words Jim uttered when the pulmotor brought the
color back to his cheeks and the life into his
weakened little body.
Identify by Card System.
By noon a card file system to learn the names of
the missing and known dead was established by
the police at 216 Clark street. At tht time two
dead girls had been identified as
Miss Vasinosky
and Miss K. Allen.
Ex-Alderman F. W.
Taylor today declared that the
steamer Eastland sunk in Chicago river
with a heavy death list, was condemned and
rebuilt six years ago by order of government
inspectors.
"Six years ago," said Taylor, "the Eastland
was condemned on the ground that her center of
gravity was not right. She was taken to
Cleveland and rebuilt. I think this whole
sickening matter should be mercilessly
investigated, regardless of who might be hit. If
the steamship officials are blameless we should
know it. If there is any particle of blame, it
is up to the city of Chicago to fix that blame
and punish the responsible party or parties. If
there has been criminal negligence, let us get
those really responsible--the higher ups."
Rev. Father Thomas
Kelly, pastor of the West Side
Precious Blood Catholic church, was among the
first on the scene. He was downtown when he
heard of the the disaster. He rushed immediately
to the dock and upon identifying himself to the
police officials, was permitted, though warned
of the danger, to go to the upturned boat. For
an hour he helped in rescue work. Then he went
to the river bank, where many unconscious
victims were taken. There, with fifty other
priests, Rev. Father Kelly administered
conditional extreme unction to all who showed
signs of life. They worked on the bank hour
after hour, pronouncing the last rites,
sometimes while doctors, who were called in or
had volunteered from all over the city,
administered aid.
Built at Port Huron.
PORT HURON, MICH., July 24--The steamer
Eastland was constructed at this port by the
Jenks Ship Building company in 1903. At that
time she was considered as one of the finest
vessels on the lakes.
Engineers here declared today that as originally
designed and built the boat was unusually safe,
but they declared changes had been made later at
the request of the owners and more upper works
were added to increase her passenger
accommodations.
More Girls Than Men.
There was row upon row of bodies at a score of
temporary morgues in first floor offices
throughout the neighborhood. And the pitiful
thing was that for every body of a man there
were three to five bodies of girls, children and
women. In the stiffened arms of some of the
women were clutched their babies, hugged tight
to them.
Counted 400 Dead.
Dr. T. A. Carter
told a United Press representative that
he had counted 400 dead. Dr. Carter was assigned
to the work of feeling the pulse of those
brought ashore. Those with any signs of life
were rushed to hospitals or given first aid
immediately, while the others were taken to
temporary morgues.
"I counted 400 dead among those I examined,"
said Dr. Carter.
Missed it by a Hair.
CLEVELAND, O., July 24--D.
O. Fonda, of this city, today
received this telegram from his brother,
C. E. Fonda, an
employe [sic] of the Western Electric company:
"Missed the Eastland by a hair."
Swam Among the Dead.
Miss Ina Roseland,
of East Forty-second street, told a thrilling
story of being taken from amidst a score of
corpses under one of the big plates that was cut
out by an electro-magnetic drill.
"My brother Karl
and I were standing near the rail on a lower
deck when the Eastland tipped over," said
the girl. "I lost Karl as the boat carried me
down, until I felt the muddy bottom. I can swim
and knew enough to hold my breath. Then I began
to rise. At last I felt something against my
face but could see nothing. Then I felt things
all about me. As I touched the slippery wall
that was about me, my hand struck something
soft. I had not recovered fully my senses and
held to it. Then suddenly the horrible
realization of what it was came over me. I
screamed and felt myself fainting, but when I
caught hold of a projection I screamed again and
heard an answering about. I could not believe my
ears. It was my brother's voice. He told me to
be brave; that he had come up in the state room
next to me. I was brave for a time and then I
think I thought I would lose my mind. Several
bodies, all of them women or little girls, would
keep knocking against me, however much I tried
to climb higher.
"Then I heard the hammering and cluttering as
the men worked to cut away the plates. As a
piece came away a little light filtered through
and as I started a prayer of thankfulness, it
was choked in my throat, for it fell on the
upturned staring faces about me. Then I lost
partial consciousness.
"I fell back into the water with just sufficient
consciousness and strength to remember to float
on my back. I could see the men finally break
through the plate. Then they began taking out
bodies. I tried to call then, for as each was
lifted out, someone would say, 'Yes, I'm afraid
they're all dead.' Then they at last saw me and
pulled me out. Brother Karl was there urging
them on as I was pulled outside. Karl had been
taken out a few minutes before."
Was Boat Overloaded?
While bodies still were being removed this
afternoon, a conference among officials was
planned to concentrate proposed investigations
into two bodies in order to eliminate conflict.
Federal investigators, appointed by Washington
officials, will work along their own lines, with
whatever aid they desire, however, from state,
country and municipal authorities, who will
comprise the second investigating body.
Shortly following the arrest of
Captain Pedersen and
First Mate Fisher, W. K. Greenbaum,
general manager of the Indiana Transportation
company, which had chartered the Eastland
upon orders from the Western Electric company
from the St. Joseph-Chicago Steamship line, was
served with a grand jury subpoena.
Merely to insure their presence at the
pending investigations, two engineers of the
Eastland were also held as witnesses. No
specific charges were entered against Pedersen
and Fisher. They were merely held as witnesses.
Greenbaum this afternoon corroborated an earlier
report that the Eastland was loaded to
capacity.
"I was at the dock," he said, "when I saw the
Eastland tipping. I ran to Theodore
Roosevelt at dock up stream and ordered all
boats lowered, all life saving paraphernalia
thrown overboard, and all hands to the rescue.
"I am informed by officials that government
inspectors were at the dock as the Eastland
loaded and that when she had her full
capacity they turned others away. The
Eastland carried no more than the law
permitted her."
Manager Greenbaum's estimate of the number on
board was higher than that of Captain
Pedersen's. He said the law permitted 2, 500
aboard.
This afternoon Deputy
Superintendent Schuettler ordered all
bodies removed to the Second Regiment, Illinois
Militia armory, at Curtis and Washington
boulevards. The gruesome work was begun
immediately. Police patrol wagons, private and
public ambulances, morgue vehicles, undertakers'
wagons, department store delivery auto trucks
and private automobiles were voluntarily offered
for the task.
Known Dead in Eastland Horror
JOHN ALLEN,
50, Cicero, Ill
MISS ELEANOR ORBIS, 26
ERNEST TISNER, 21
J PLITA
W VASENOWSKI
T HULLIS
HARRY JOHNSON.
TOM ROBINSON.
Fort Wayne News, Fort Wayne, In 24 Jul
1915
continued
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Articles transcribed by
Patty. Thank you,
Patty!
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