Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 175, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 July 1915 — RIVER DISASTER STUNS CHICAGO [ARTICLE]

RIVER DISASTER STUNS CHICAGO

Sunday Day of Grief While Bodies Were Recovered From the Eastland Wreck. The figures given out as to the total loss of life by the capsizing of the steamer Eastland are said to be near the 1,000 mark. By iSunday evening the death ship had given up 901 bodies. Of the total of 2,408 persons on board at the time of the catastrophe, 1,072, including the crew of 72, have reported themselves as safe. Of the 607 thus remaining unaccounted for, it is believed 400 are alive and that 107 bodies are still in the river. About three score bodies were recovered Sunday. By noon divers had concluded that all the bodies had been removed save those that may have been crushed into the mud under the Eastland’s port side and those that had gone down river with the current. Under the glare of searchlights and arch lights strung about the ship, rescuers continued their work Sunday night. The Eastland lies on her side in the river with divers still floundering through her ghastly .interior and burrowing under her in a death search, appalled, is just beginning to realize the real significance of one of the greatest marine disasters. While the grieving thousands who lost dear ones walked through the morgues in the second regiment armory, gazing into the faces of the dead, half in despair, Chicago citizens and city, state and federal authorities, turned their attention to investigations that must bring forth some explanation of the catastrophe and to the work of providing relief for those left destitute. The ill-fated Eastland was the property of the St. Joseph-Chicago Steamship Co. Every one of those connected directly or indirectly with the disaster will be punished, said thq coroner the investigations. The blairle has been placed on many and numerous theories which have been advanced to account for the accident. The federal inspector from Washington has arrived in Chicago, not to make investigations, himself, he says, but to see that the investigations are pushed with vigor and to assure the importance of such investigation. Both owners and inspectors have denied that the accident was due to faulty construction. While in dock in Cleveland several years ago proceedings were threatened to condemn the Eastland but nothing was done. Last year the boat was remodeled but it has been considered tqpheavy. The carrying capacity of the ship was listed at 2,570, jut it is said thatjunder the seamen’B act this could have been reduced to 1,152.. This bill was opposed by the steamship company. The above mentioned proceedings that were threatened were caused when on a moonlight excursion early in May, 1912, the Eastland ran aground on the government pier at Cleveland and 654 passengers were held captive for six hours.