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Show STEAMER CAPSIZES IN CHICAGO RIVER THOU8AND LIVE8 LOST WHEN CROWDED VESSEL MEETS WITH ACCIDENT. More Than Twentyflve Hundred Men, Women and Children Thrown Into Water In Dense Mass, While Many Drown In Cabins. Chicago. A thousand persons lost their lives in the Chicago river on July 24 by tho capsizing of tho excursion excur-sion steamer Eastland while warping from its wharf with moro than 2.B00 employees of tho Western Electric company and their relatives and friends on board, bound for a pleasure pleas-ure trip across Lako Michigan. Many wero drowned in tho 'cabins. Tho bodlos of 809 victims had been recovered Monday morning, after forty for-ty hours of searching by divers irouiul tho steel hulk, still lying on Its side, half submerged. Tho total dea'd as a result of tho turning over of tho ship still remains it approximately 1,000, according U JBtlniatcs mndo by Coroner Hoffman, whoso roports indicated that probably 200 bodlos still wore hold In tho mud 3f tho river by tho superstructure of tho overturned boat. Efforts to discover tho causo of tho iccldent wero begun long before tho work of reBcuo was over. Federal and county grand Juries were ordered, i coroner's Jury was impanoled and all tho officers and crow of tho Eastland tvoro arrested. President Wilson has ordered that i complete investigation bo mado by tho department of commcrco Into tho sinking of tho excursion steamer Eastland. Acting Secrotnry Sweet, of tho department, sent him word that tho causo of tho disaster would bo looked Into and tho president directed that nothing bo loft undone to fix tho responsibility. Fully 7,000 men, women and children chil-dren camo down to tho river wharf to board tho boats for a holiday excursion. excur-sion. The lako steamor Eastland had boon loaded, a tug was hitched to tho 111 fated vossol, ropos wero ordered cast off and tho engines began to sum. Tho Eastland had not budged, howovor. Instead, tho heavily laden ship wavered sideways, leaning first! toward to-ward tho river bank. Tho lurch was 30 startling that many passengors Joined the large concourse already on tho other side of tho decks. Tho ship then hcoled back. It turned slowly but steadily towards Its left side. Children clutched tho skirts of mothers and Bisters to keep from falling. Tho whole cargo was Impelled towards tho falling sldo of tho ship. Water began to entor lower low-er portholes, nnd tho ropes snapped off tho pllos to which tho vessel was tied. Screams from passengers attracted tho attontton of follow excursionists on tho wharf awaiting tho next 8toamer. Wharfmcn nnd picnickers soon lined tho edgo o iho embankment, embank-ment, reaching out helplessly towards tho wavering steamer, For nearly flvo miuutcs tho Bhlp turned before it finally dived undor tho swift current of tho river, which, owing to tno drainago canal system, flows from tho lake. During tho mighty turning of tho ship with its cargo of humanity, lifeboats, choirs and other looso appurtenances on tho decks slipped down tho sloping floors, crushing tho passengors toward tlffc rising waters. Then there was a plungo with a sigh of air escaping from tho hold, mingled with crying of children nnd shrieks of women, and tho ship was on tho bottom of tho river, casting hundreds of its passengers into tho water. Many sank, entangled with clothing and bundles, and did not rise, but scores came to tho surface, giving tho river tho appearanco of a crowdod bathing beach. Many selzod iloatniK chairs and other objects. Those on Bhoro throw out ropes and dragged in those who could hold thoso life lines. Employees of commission firms with houses along tho river throw crates, chicken coops and other llontablo things Into tho current, hut most of those wero swept uwuy by the stream. Uoats were put out, tugs rushed to tho scene with shrieking whistles, and many men snatched off their coats nnd sprang into tho river to aid tho drowning. drown-ing. With thousands of spectatorn ready to aid und tho wharf within grasp, hundreds wont to death, defpito every effort at rescue Ono mother grasped hor two children chil-dren In her arms as sho slipped from tho steamer Into the water. Ono child was torn from her, but alio nnd the other wero saved. Fathers wero drowned after aiding their wives and children to safety. |