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V
r
DAKOTA COUNTY HERALD:
Motto: All The News When It Is News.
NO. 48.
fiOL. 23.
DAKOTA CITY, NEB., THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1915.
1
A
i
HUNDREDS LOST
WHEN STEAMER
TURNS TURTLE
Chicago River Scene of Most Ap
palling Marine Calamity
in History.
DEATH TOLL NEAR 1,300
Eastland, Crowded With Picnlo
Party, Suddenly Turns on
Its Side.
Ate CAUGHT IN DEATH TRAP
Women and Children Penned In Hull
of Vessel Are Drowned or Suffe
- cated Investigation by Na
tlon, State and City to Fix
the Blame.
Chicago, July 26. In the heart ot
Phlraiffn. within nrm'n loncth of shore.
ytio steamship Eastland turned over on
lta side Saturday morning.
At least 2,500 excursionists were
aboard.
Moat of them were drowned.
From 1,300 to 1,500 Uvea wore sacri
ficed through somebody's blunder.
The United States government, the
city of Chicago and the county of Cook
are endeavoring to fix the blame, the
government beginning two inquiries.
At a late hour 817 bodies had been
taken to the Second Regiment armory
and tagged.
Persons rescued to the number of
762 had been accounted for. If there
were 2,500 on the boat, this would
leave COO whose fate is unknown. It
Is believed that many victims He
pinned in the mud, by tho overturned
steamship.
Counting all those unaccounted for
as dead, tho list of fatalities would run
up to 1,500 not including tho crow, of
Whom it is believed 30 perished.
Snugly berthed against the south
side of tho river, her noso almost
touching the Clark street bridge and
her stern near the La Salle street tun
netatho big steel steamer suddenly
went over.
Before the upper works struck tho
water an avalanche of humanity Bwept
over the vessel's rail, filling tho stream
with screaming, struggling men, wom
en and children mostly women and
children.
Inside the steel hull were a thousand
others, hopelessly locked In a water
filling trap.
Victims Were Picnickers.
The victims were employees of the
Western Electric company and their
families, bound for Michigan City, Ind.,
on their fifth annual picnic.
The Eastland was a notoriously un
stable vessel. Her record was filled
with fearsomo staggers. Saturday she
fell.
Her captain and 31 of hor crew were
arrested whllo on army of men wore
dragging from the river and from the
ship tho bodies of tho holiday makers
that had been Intrusted to them alive.
Captain Harry Poderson was threat
ened with death by the crowd of be
reaved relatives, and .accused ot at
tempting to impede tho work of rescue.
"Stop that! You'll spoil the boat,"
ho had shouted to volunteer machin
ists who were striving to open the hull
that had become a gigantic coffin.
Walter C. Steele, secretary of tho St.
Joseph-Chicago Steamship company,
vhlch owns the Eastland, also was
' locked up on his arrival from his Mich
igan farm.
Federal Jury to Investigate.
While the tugboats, launches, divers
and swimmers wero dragging victims
from the water, and mechanlos were
ripping and melting holes in tho up
turned steel sldo of tho vessel, Judge
Landls ordered a special federal grand
jury empaneled to investigate tho
catastrophe.
State's Attornoy Hoyno began ex
amining persons connected with tho
handling and management of the East
land beforo some of them wore dry
after their escape.
The department of commerce at
Washington instituted an Inquiry.
Coroner Hoffman selected a Jury of
six leading citizens, who viewed tho
bodies that had been recovored. and
then postponed the inquest pending a
thorough and scientific investigation
of tho causes of the disaster. A strict
watch was put upon the overturned
ship, to guard against any tampering.
Officers of tho Chicago Federation of
Labor wired to President Wilson that
they had complained a year ago of tho
dangerous condition of lake excursion
boats.
HANDLING OR BOAT
IS HELD TO BLAME
The Law. It flhall bo unlawful to
'lake on board of any stoamor a groat
"ur number of passongors than Is
etatod In tho certificate of inspection.
The Facts. Fedoral counters as
cert that 2,500 men, womon and chll
"dren went on board Witnesses
claimed that mora than this number
" Hvoro on the ship. Federal inspectors
In' Grand Haven gave the ship a per
mit to carry 2 500 Fwloral Inspectors
CAPSIZED STEAMER
2,500 Passengers Legal Limit.
Tho Eastland's registry limit was
2,500 passengers. Robert H. Mc
Creary, deputy collector of customs in
chargo of passenger checkers, insists
that he permitted no more than tho
legal 2,500 on board, and that ho
turned many away from tho gang
plank, with instructions to board one
of the other boats.
But two Western Electric man, who
helped got up tho picnic, said about
3,700 went on tho Eastland. Whatever
tho number, there wore too many, for
when a number of them rushed to the
side of tho ship facing north she upset.
Many persons ashoro saw the danger
before a life waB lost
A hideous feature of the catastrophe
was the throwing of Hfo preservers
into tho water before a human being
was in tho, water to need one. Among
those who noticed the perilous list
of tho steamship Just beforo she went
ovor was General Manager W. K.
Qreonebaum of tho Indiana Transpor
tation company, which had chartered
tho Eastland from tho St. Joseph-Chicago
Steamship company. He ordered
tho crew of the Theodore Roosevelt to
tho rescue and started tho general
whistle alarm, which Instantly spread
up and down tho river, calling all
small craft to tho scene.
Rescue Work Begins.
Inspector McCreary, standing on tho
dock, also Baw tho list and was direct
ing rescue work almost simultaneously
with the splash of death.
As fast as the bodies were recovered
they woro taken to a temporary
morguo for tagging and Identification.
Many other bodies are believed to
bo floating in the river. Tho dam at
Lockport was raised to reduce the cur
rent in the river and a net was spread
across the stream at Randolph street
to catch any bodies that might float
down that far.
It was believed certain, also, that
many more dead would bo found by
tho divers working in tho cabin and
hold of tho ship.
With ten high-powered searchlights
playing over the scene from the root
of tho seven-story Roid, Murdoch &
Co. building on tho north bank of the
river and the ineldo of the steamer Il
luminated with electrlo light bulbs, tho
search for bodies continued all night.
While Orchestra Plays.
The ship's orchestra was playing
ragtime below decks and several
couples were trying to danco in tho
throng when the first warning came.
Thon the music broke off and tho life
and death scramble was on.
Tho hundreds who were thrown Into
the water had tho better chance for
their lives. Other hundreds, trapped
Inside the big steel prison, had prac
tically no opportunity to save them
selves or bo saved. Even if they es
caped being stunned or drowned Im
mediately, they could not bo reached
by rescuers.
Firemen and 60 employees of the
Commonwealth Edison company with
acetylene torches worked frantically
cutting holes In the side of the vessel
that lay toward the sky, and some
wore taken out that way. But most of
tho forms dragged through the aper
tures and through tho loading doors of
tho hull wero Ufeloas. All were In
holiday attire.
Ropes were thrown from shoro
across the Eastland; life preservers
and Hfo rafts were cast into tho water
from every direction; firemen worked
frantically with pike polos. Men swim
ming in the water forgot their own
danger to go to tho rescue of women
and children. Other men dived from
the dock.
Life and Death Struggle.
Police ambulances from almost ovory
station in tho city rushed to tho scone,
fighting tholr way through a con
courso of sight-seers that gathered as
If by magic and crowded every avail
in Cloveland In 1Q13 Issued a condi
tional cartlflcatjg, to tho company. It
was pormUtedto carry only COO pas
hungers and not to go outsldo tho five
mile limit.
The Law. It any passenger
Htuamer Is ongagod in excursions tho
inspector shall issue to such steamer
a special permit In writing for tho oc
casion, in which be etatod tho addi
tional number of passongors that may
be oarrlod.
The Facte. Government inspectors
a. urand Haven Issued a certificate
AT HER DOCK
able point from which tho Hfo and
death strugglo could be viewed.
Tho Clark Btrcot bridge became so
overweighted with humanity that N
began to crack and tho police wero
compelled to clear it to avoid a second
disaster. BlockB down tho river small
boats began to dart about and drag
bodies from tho wator. Occasionally a
form wob found with a spark of life
apparent and tho victim would be hur
ried to the nearest dock. Thero scores
of volunteer physicians nided the city
ambulanco doctors In tho work of re
suscitation. Fathers and mothors fought to leap
upon the overturned steamer in tho
hopo that their children wero still in
tho cabin. Whenever a body was taken
from tho water there was a rush of
shrieking men, women and children to
look upon it. The same stampede oc
curred when tho living were brought
ashore.
Five Hundred Are Strangled.
Many of tho mothers with large
broods and numerous lunch baskets
and wraps to stow away arrived early
and went below to settle themselves
In tho cabin or staterooms, and it was
among these that tho mortality was
greatest. Thoy had no chance, Per
haps 400 or 500 of tho vlotlms wero
strangled to death thus, without an op
portunity to take advantage of tho
many means of rescue that were pro
vided for thoso who had been plunged
Into the stream.
Somo of tho trapped persons woro
knocked senseless or klllod outright
by furniture and fittings which turn,
bled upon, them when tho big ship
rolled over.
Tho rescuers realised tho avful sit
uation of the hundreds who wero
slowly drowning In the cabins and
hold and made dosperato efforts to
reach them. Firomen and policemen.
urged on by maniacal shrieks from
shore, took their hoavlost tools and
hacked like madmen at tho eteol plates
of the Eastland's upfaclng trtdo.
Drag Scores From Water.
Captain Carland and the United
States Hfo saving craw arrived In a
launch from tho station at tho mouth
ot tho river a tow minutes after the
alarm was sounded by overy croft that
bad a whistlo and dragged scores of
dead and living from the water.
The crews of tho tug Kenosha and
tho flreboat Oraomo Stowurt nctod
heroically. Realizing the necessity of
speod, they ran the noses ot their
crafts against tho hull ot the Eastland
and then leaped Into tho water, grab
bing women and children and passing
them up to safety, and then swimming
after others.
By tho time tho work ot rescuo was
in full swing there was little to do ex
cept take out tho dead. Those still in
tho water at that time were doad. In
warehouses along -both sides of the
river, in South Wator street stores and
In many hospitals, particularly tho Iro
quois Memorial, physicians and nursea
were working to rovlvo victims who
seemed to have a chance.
Anguish Spreads Over City.
Mcantimo the anguish ot children
orphaned, parents left childless and
husbands and wives separated by
death spread itself from the spot of
tragedy throughout tho city. Wild
hunts were made In morgues and tem
porary repositories of the dead for rel
atives wIiobo fate was not positively
known.
Zeal of first-aid volunteers delayed
identification of many of tho detd. As
n body was taken from tho water
physicians took chargo of it, always on
tho assumption that Hfo remained in
it. Quickly the clothing would be
removed to make tho efforts of resus
citation more effectivo. In many ln
stances the clothing was mislaid oi
mixed with the apparol of other vic
tims, so that murks that might havn
helped to identity them were lost.
to tho Eastland for excursion pur
posos.
The Law. Boats navigating within
three mllos of land aro required to
carry life boats and raftB for only ton
per cent of the passengers.
The Facts. Tho Eastland, accord
ing to government inspectors, carried
ton passenger life boats and fifty 30
passenger Hfo rafts.
The Law. Muritime law roqulreH a
"stability line" of 20 Inches.
The Facts. Eastland had stability
Uno ot four Inches without ballast
WANTS
A
PRESIDENT REACHES DETERMI-j
NATION UNITED STATES NEEDS
PERMANENT DEFEN8E8.
WILSON CALLS FOR REPORTS'
Heads of War and Navy Department
Asked to Report on Conditions Ha
Nothing to Do With Present Contro
versies. Washington, July 25. It becamo
known Saturday that Presldont Wilson
wishes tho American navy to stand
upon equality with the most efficient
and serviceable lighting sea force
maintained by any power.
This determination tho president has
reachod without regard to proeont-day
controversies. It is part of his plan
tor permanent national defenses,
which plan also Includes a definite
program for the development and
equipment of tho army.
Tho presldont has called for reports
on tho Bubjoct ot national dofonBO.
Theso will be mado to him personally
by tho heads of the war and navy de
partments. The fact that this action
had been taken becamo known horo
after the rolease tor publication ot the
note to Germany relating to subma
rine warfare.
Tho president, in Association with
various heads of departments, has
been giving consideration for somo
tlmo to the preparation of a reasonable
and adequate naval program which ho
will propose to congress at tho proper
tlmo. Ho will study tAls subjoot on
his visit to Cornish.
For tho tlmo being Iho president
feols that it is desirable so drop all dls:
cusslon of tho controversy with Ger
many now that tho abject ot this
week's visit to Washington has been
accomplished, and he Is turning to
questions ot permanent national pol-
Practical advlco coACjflKg national
defense from ovonjjpjpiablo profes
sional source Is baJjBought.
Men of tho armjfjfcnd navy who havo
been most directly1 In touch with con
ditions ot defense that have boon
ovolved out of modern experience have
been called upon for their vlows. Tho
president not only wishes advlco from
thoso who havo knowlodgi ot actual
conditions of warfare existing in Eu
rope today but ho Is seeking light
froti thoso who aro ablo to compre
hend nil posslblo phasos of altered
conditions on both land and sea.
Tho fact that ho desires an adequate
and efficient navy was especially
made clear hero Saturday.
As to tho army, It Is known hero
that tho president is preparing to In
corporate In his noxt message to con
gress a definite program relating to
the development and equipment of
this branch of tho service. It will pro
vide a plan for the proper military
training of citizens in evory way con
sistent with American traditions and
national policy, and, tho president be
lieves, will commend Itself to all patri
otic and practical minds.
gM8ttMMMMMMHW
news rKurri ric
AND NEAR
ill mmiwm
Connellsvlllo, Pa., July 28. Nino
hundred ovens were this woek added
to the producing capacity of tho Con
nellsville coko region, bringing pro
ducing possibilities to 400,000 tons a
week, If all woro In blast. That point,
however, was not reached, reported
production having been 371,000 tons,
with shipments 5,000 tons over the
preceding week.
Urbana, 111., July 21. Isaac Stuart
Raymond, Unlvorslty of Illinois trustee
from 18B2 to 1809, bank president and
owner of 1,000 acres of land, Is dead
at his homo near hero,
Berlin, July 24. Tho American bark
DunByro, bound from Now York to
Stockholm, haB boon seized by tho
Germane and taken into Swlnamunde.
EXPRESS RATES TO GO UP
Interstate Commerce Commission De
cldeo In Favor of Companies Aft
er Exhaustive Investigation.
Washington, July 24. Tho Inter
state cominerco commission has grant
ed Increased revenue to tho princi
pal express companies of the United
States.
The Increases amount to Approxi
mately 3.86 per cent and aro offectlvo
as to the Adams, Amorican, Southern
and Wells Fargo Express companies.
Tho commission accoptod the ex
press companies' plan for the In
creases. This plan provides an in
crease from 20 to 25 cents in tho col
lection and delivery charge and re
duction at the rato of substantially
ono-twentleth ot a cent per pound on
tho terminal allowance, which now Is
paid by the express companies.
Aviators Fall Into "Bay.
Ponsacola, Ha., July" 21. Whllo
making a fight In a now machine
Lieut. Kenneth Whjtlng of tho navy
aero corps and Walter Brookings, a
civilian aviator, fqll Into tho bay.
Nelthor of tho aviators was hurt.
Father Llni
dm Dies.
Notre Dame,
falluro caused ;
sMuly 24 Heart
eoth of Ht. Rev..,
Frederic Linn,
f iv, , H rly rocUu;
of Holy Cross
N'i,t r Kimo'un'l'
Mty, at E:
lA 1 li. J a accord
Jis., hj a -ul
r c vi J lure
NAVY
YW
MK'.n
t .
NEBRASKA
STATE NEWS
A new broom factory will bo built
at Peru soon.
Arlington Chautauqua will bo hold
August 23 to 27.
Odd Fellows of Avoca will hold tholr
annual picnic July 29.
Sumnor's town band is having a
very successful season.
A Community Interest club has
been organized at Lyons.
A now municipal concert band has
boon nssured for Hastings.
Tho Adams county fair will bo
held September 27 to October 2.
Petitions aro being circulated lu
AdaniB for a wator works system
Soveral hundred dollars dnmago
was done In tho town of Winslow by
Flro caused by lightning destroyed
tho olectrlc light plant in Seward.
Colfnx county has 671 autos this
year, according to reports of asses
sors. Lincoln county farmers say they
aro harvesting tho finest crop ever
known.
Tho $2,000 barn of Ed Woatphal,
south of Elkhorn, was destroyed by
lightning.
Fremont's watormolon and musk-
melon crop suffered heavily as a re
sult of hall.
Insuranco commissioner of Nebras
ka has $1,938,868 worth of securities
on deposit.
A total of $2,276,602 has been fixed
for 1916 as tho budget of expenses, for
Greater Omaha.
Hebron citizens aro agitating tho
question of curbing and guttorlng tho
business section of the city.
"Ohio Beauty Special," bearing six
most beautiful women In Ohio, will
bo In Lincoln Soptembor 13,
Tho first annual picnic ot tho No
braska Knights of Pythias will bo
held in Ashland August 12.
Flro destroyed tho Schwcnk Im
plement storo at Bccmer, tho loss
being CBtlmnted at $10,000.
Tho first car of new wheat was re
ceived on tho Omaha grain exchange
July 22. It sold for $117 per bushel.
C. H. Musselman's shoo store at
Alma was badly damaged by flro. Tho
loss on stock and building Is $2,500.
N. P. Updike of Omaha has pur
chased J. S. Hamilton's ono-thlrd In
terest In tho Hastings Milling com
pany A petition is bclngclrculated at
Vordon calling for a&doclal election
to voto bonds for aJMmr high school
building. V
The town of Crab Orchard is to
havo a park. A tract of four acres
in tho heart of the village haB beon
socured for tho purpose.
Samuel Dickey, a wealthy farmer
living near Poncn, was killed when
lils automobile crashed through a
bridge railing and foil Into a small
stream.
Hans Andorson, a farmer residing
north of Malmo, sustained Injuries
that may provo fatal, when an au
tomobile in which ho was riding ran
off a bridge
William Ferguson, who resides near
Fremont, lost five valuable hogs when
a herd of forty was swept down
stream sovoral rods during high
wator.
Sallno county authorities Jiavo
asked State Englnorr Johnson to
prepare plans for a steol bridge
across Blue river two miles eouth of
Crote.
Judge Redick in Washington coun
ty district court has refused to grant
an injunction to prevent Blair from
erecting a municipal electric light
plant
Another election is going to bo
hold In Adams to voto on tho water
works proposition. Tho election will
bo on August 10, and tho proposed
bonds will bo $14,000.
The total asHrssed valuation ot
Gago county according to tho returns
mado to tho county assessor, is $11,
727,687, a gain of a little ovor a nun
drod thousand dollars over that of
last year.
A coroner's Jury found that tho
death of Francis B. Bobbins, 9-year-old
boy, who drowned in a pool at
Elmwood park, In Omaha, was duo
to negligence of tho park commis
sioner. Misses Ethel Hysor, Naomi Good,
and Jessie Washburn, this year's grad
uates of tho Chadron normal, and all
Chadron girls, havo been elected to
positions on tho teaching force of tho
Kearney public schools.
Tho grand lodgo of United Brothors
of Friendship, with ita sister organ
ization, tho SlBtors of tho Myster
ious Ten, organizations of colored
people, will hold its grand lodge ses
sion In Omaha August 16-21.
M. L. McClaln, a lineman, aged 35,
wbb electrocuted nt Boolus in making
a connection for the L E. Moyero
Construction company which is doing
tho work for tho Central Power com
pany In tapping tho Loup for wator
powor.
Twenty-three bushels to tho aero of
G0V6 test wheat wero threshod from
B. B. Mills' field west of Hastings.
A display of Lincoln county prod
ucts for tho state fair and for tho
Lincoln county fall festival Is to bo
arranged by John Oilman, Leaven
wortlr, Kas , nn oxporL
TIk Ord Chautauqua will opon Au
gust 3. William J. Bryan, Senator
ioro and Ople Reed are among the
qiendllnors on the pioraw Tho
county fair will be hald the last day
of August and the flist two dayg of
September
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Assistant Immigration Agent
1004 Farnam St. Omaha, Neb.
DEAI.BRS IN I I
lour, y .
Fred J. Purker, Manager 1.
J Dnkotu City, Nbr. if
'4
da' 1
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V