Newspapers / The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, … / July 27, 1915, edition 1 / Page 4
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Excursion Steamer Capsizes; One Thousand Persons Perish. Chicago, July 24.—A thousand per sons iost their lives in the Chicago river today by the capsizing of the excursion steamer Eastland while warping from its wharf with more than 2,400 employees of the Western Electric Company and their relatives and friends on board, bound for a pleasure trip across Lake Michigan. After working ceaselessly all day and far into the night, the bodies of S42 victims of the catastrophe, most of them women and children, were collected from temporary morgues and taken to the second regiment ar mory. Coroner IIofiFman, taking into consideration estimates of yet unre eovered bodies, said he hoped the to tal dead would not exceed 1,000. The Eastland, said by marine ar chitects to have been topheavy and ballasted in an uncertain manner, turned over inside of five minutes af ter it began to list, pouring its gala passengers into the river or impris oning them in its submerged hull. Every effort was made by thousands ■of persons on the river wharf to res cue the drowning men, women, and children, but many drowned almost within grasp of the river bank. Mothers went to death while their thildren were snatched to safety. Other children died in the arms of their parents who were finally saved. Hundreds of girls, freed for a day from their tasks of making telephones and other electrical apparatus in the factory of the Western Electric Com pany and dressed in their smartest white frocks, drowned miserably. Sorrow On West bide. A pall of sorrow hung tonight over the entire west side of Chicago where 4he majority of the victims lived. Stolin avenue, a small street near the factory of the Western Electric Com pany, was in universal mourning. Every house lost from one to all its occupants in the disaster. And many of the il If a ted residents of this street tonight lay in the morgue, or beneath the steel hull of the Eastland, over which searchlights shot their blind ing glare while hundreds of men search for more bodies. Efforts to discover the cause of the accident were begun long before the work of rescue was over. Federal and county grand juries were order ed, a coroner’s jury was empanelled and all the officers and crew of the Eastland were arrested. W. C. Steele, Secretary and Treas urer of the St. Joseph-Chicagc Steamship Company who owned the Eastland, built on Lake Erie in 190S and remodelled later, because tor heavy, it is said, was arrested to night and locked up at a police sta tion. The steamer was leased by tht Indiana Transportation Company, whose officers said they were not re sponsible for the licensing of tht ship and did not control the crew. Some Taken Out Alive. During the day more than 70t bodies were takes from the river ant from the hull of the overturned steamer, whose 'sides were cut opei with gas flames to admit divers. Several persons were taken fron the cabins of the ship after it hat lain on its side in the river for foui hours, but the 000 others said to be ii the hulk are all dead. Working By Aid of Searchlights. Under the glare of searchlights to night, scores of men worked in tht hull of the vessels to remove tht bodies. The steamer lay on the hot tom of the river, one side protruding like a monument to the hundreds i had drowned as it turned over. Marine architects asserted that tht Eastland was faulty in design, tha the top deck had been removed be cause of the tendency of the ship t< list and also pointed to the possibil ity that the ship had been unevenly or insufficiently ballasted. The East land used water ballast, so that i could pump out some on entering shallow lake harbors, so some inves tigators are working on a theory tha the ballast tanks were not filled ant the rushing of passengers to one sidt of the deck caused it to roll over. Under misty skies, 7,000 men, wo men and children wended their waj to the Clark street dock early todaj to fill five large lake steamers wit! holiday mirth in a trip to Michigai City. The steamer Eastland, brough' to Chicago from Lake Erie, after ai unsatisfactory career, was the first tt be loaded. 2,500 Went Aboard. Rain began to fall as the whar: superintendents lifted the gang plank: from the vessel, declaring that th< government limit of 2,500 passenger: had been reached. White dresse: peeped from raincoats along th< shore rails as those aboard wavet good-bye to friends on shore wh( were waiting to board the steamei Theodore Roosevelt and other vessels Then the passengers swarmed t< the left side of the ship, as the othei isteame’s drew up the river toward »+he wharf. A tug was hitched to tin "Eastland, ropes were ordered cast cf and the steamer engines began t< hum. The Eastland had not budged, J however. i Instead, the heavily laden ship wavered sidewise, leaning first to-j wards the river bank. The lurch was so stratiing that many passengers joined the large concourse already on the river side of the decks. The ship never heeled back. It turned slowly but steadily toward its left side. Children clutched the skirts of mothers and sisters to keep from falling. The whole cargo was im pelled towards the falling side of the ship. Water began to enter lower portholes and the hawsers tore out the piles to which the vessel was tied. Fellow Excursionists Helpless. Screams from passengers attracted the attention of fellow excursionists on the dock awaiting the next steamer. Wharfmen and picnickers soon lined the edge of the embank ment, reaching out helplessly towards the wavering steamer. For nearly five miutes the ship turned before it finally dived under the swift current of the river, which is due to the drainage canal system which flows from the lake. During the mighty turning of the ship with its cargo of humanity, lifeboats, chairs and other loose appurtenances on the decks slipped down the sloping floors, crushing the passengers to ward the rising waters. Plunged lo Bottom. Then there was a plunge with a sigh of air escaping from the hold, mingled with crying children and shrieks of women and the ship was on the bottom of the river, casting hundreds of living creatures to the water. Many sank, entangled with cloth ing and bundles and did not rise, but hundreds came to the surface, seized floating chairs and other objects. Those on shore threw out ropes and dragged in those who could hold these life lines. Employes of commission firms along the river threw crates, chicken-coops and other floating things into the current, but most of these were swept away by the stream, which runs five miles an hour. Boats put out, tugs rushed to the scene with shrieking whistles and many men snatched off coats and shoes and sprang into the river to aid the drowning. With thousands of spectators ready to aid and the wharf within grasp, hundreds went to death despite every effort at rescue. One mother grasped her two chil- j dren in her arms as she slipped from the steamer into the water. One child was torn from her but she and the other were saved. Fathers were drowned after aiding their wives and children to safety. Use Man as Ladder. One man was seen to cling to a spike in the side of the wharf while two women and three children stepped upon his body as on a lad der, to safety. He fell exhausted into the river as the last one of the five reached the pier. Instancs of heroism were almost as numerous as the number of per sons on the scene. Boats as soon as full took rescued passengers to the wharf or to the steamer Theodore Roosevelt, which was tied up oppo site the Eastland. In an hour the water was cleared 1 of excursionists. Those who had not been taken to land had sunk or were swirling down the river towards the drainage canal locks at Lockport, 111., many miles away. The locks were raised to stop the current and ar 1 rangements were made to take bod ' ies from the river along the course through the southwest part of Chi cago. Shortly after the water was cleared city firemen, ship engineers and help ' ers were on the exposed side of the Eastland’s hull, cutting through its steel plates with gas flames. Divers 1 were hurried into underwater suits. A tug was moored as a bridge between ■ the pier and the capsized ship. Warehouses as Morgues. As the divers gained entrance to the hull the scene of distress moved for the time being from the river to the extemporized morgues. Ware 1 houses of wholesale companies along 1 the river were thrown open and bod ies were placed in rows on the floors. Scores of persons rescued from the water were injured and these were taken to the Iroquois hospital, built in memory of the 000 women, chil 1 dren and a few men who were burned • and crushed to death in the Iroquois 1 theatre, New Year’s eve, some years ' ago. Efforts to resusitate those taken from the river were generally unsuc cessful. Only two or three were thus ’ saved. It was also said that many of the injured would die. » The whole city was in consterna 1 tion over the catastrophe. Word of ' the accident spread rapidly and to the 1 thousands already at or near the 1 wharf, other thousands added them selves. The Clark street bridge near ■ the wharf was crowded until it threat 1 ened to collapse. Streets had to be cleared by the police to allow the pas 1 sage of ambulances. Vehicles Are Loaded. Business men sent their automo > biles and motor trucks to help aid the injured and carry away the dead. One warehouse soon was filled with bod-1 ies, and other dead were taken to the Second Regiment Armory, a mile I away. Mayor William Hale Thompson was j in San Francisco and Chief of Police | C. C. Healey also was out of town, j but Acting Mayor Moorhouse sent I out a request that the city display | signs of mourning. Flags on public buildings were placed at half mast and many places were draped with mourning. Baseball games were postponed and festivities largely ceased. While those on land were dispos ing of the dead, injured and rescued, the divers in the heart of th£ sunken vessel sent up an almost constant stream of corpses from the submerg ed decks. First it wag a gaily dress ed girl in her teens who had been caught between a pile of chairs and a cabin wall. Next it was a slight boy, gathered from the lifeless arms of a fond father, who had clung to his offspring even in death. Then fol lowed an old woman, who had gone aboard the ship to watch the youthful pleasure of her grandchildren, or a little girl with bare legs and bootees with gay ribbons sodden against the lace of her holiday gown. HaDy round Alive. One thrill passed through the crowd as word came from the steamer that a girl baby had been found alive among the hundreds of dead in the ship. The child was discovered in a starboard state room where she had been held from the water by a chair that jammed against the berth. The baby only half awakened as it was carried to land. Its mother could not be found. Two women were found alive in another stateroom in a protruding side of the Eastland, but that ended the hopes that any number had es caped death in the trap. There were still 300 persons in the hold when these three persons were taken out alive, and the explorers of the hulk said that all were dead. Work of tagging the bodies of the dead and placing them in accessible places for identification proceeded all day and night. Identification was slow' and scenes at the morgue were as affecting as those at the river when the steamer captized. Mothers fell across the biers of children whom they had sent away a few hours before on what was intended to be a day of pleasure. Investigations Started. Federal Judge Landis ordered a grand jury empanelled to investigate the catastrophe; States Attorney Hoyne prepared a county grand jury inquiry; Coroner Hoffman selected a jury to look into the cause of the deaths; the police arrested all the officers of the Eastland and the health commissioners arranged to purify the river, for fear disease might be spread by the presence of so many bodies in the stream. Arrangements also were made to get at the sunken vessel to determine the underlying causes of the accident. Derricks on scows were taken to the side of the Eastland and marine engi neers were engaged to inspect the treacherous ship. Those in charge of the various works of clearing up the toll of cas ualties and determining the respon sibility for the capsizing of the boat tonight said that the endeavor would necessarily be slow because of the large number of persons aboard the Eastland and the difficulty of getting at the hull of the steamer. 831 Bodies Recovered. \ t\ . _l- a_001 l_i:_ l .. »/ V,»>/Viv IIUHI^UV 1/VUU.O 11UU been removed to the Second Regi ment Armory. They were laid in rows of eighty-five, across the whole length of the armory. Revised figures showed 176 bodies had been identified. Of 114 partially identified bodies 47 were men, 48 wo men, seven boys and 12 girls. The armory, situated in a thickly settled part of the West Side, was surrounded this evening by a great throng. Most of the victims were residents of the West Side. It was hoped to have the recovered bodies all in the armory by 10 o’clock and until that time no one was ad mitted. Accordingly, thousands form ed in line hours before the great doors were opened, awaiting a chance to seek trace of kin and friends be lieved lost. To Arrest Officials. Coroner Hoffman announced late tonight that he had ordered the ar rest of every official of the Indiana Transportation Company, which leas ed the Eastland. No individuals were mentioned in the coroner’s announce ment. The English language is spoken by more than 120,000,000. The Gunmaker of Moscow. This story was published in The Herald several years ago and quite a number of our readers asked for it in book form. We have received six copies of the book, 196 pages. Price 12 cents, by mail 15 cents. BEATY & LASSITER, Smithfield, N. C. POLENTA NEWS. The protracted meeting which clos ed at Oakland on the third Sunday night of this month, was a spiritual uplift for the entire community. Rev. Mr, Lacy, the pastor, preached the gospel plainly, eloquently and with power to large congregations at every service. Revs. Mr. King and Mr. McGechy assisted Mr. Lacy by preaching two or three sermons and leading in the singing. They did fine service. They are both destined to rank high as sound gospel preachers, when they shall have completed their Seminary Courses.. As a result of the meeting the Christian people were greatly strengthened and will do bet ter service in the fture. Fifteen made an open profession, twelve joined the church, with others to follow. Some will join other churches. Some say this was the greatest meeting Oak land ever enjoyed. A series of meetings is being held this week at Elizabeth church. The pastor is being assisted by Rev. Dr. Nash, a noted Methodist Divine. Let all who can attend. A series of meetings will begin at Shiloh on the second Sunday in Au gust. The pastor, Rev. Mr. Mills, will have Rev. Mr. Tate, of Wake Forest to aid him in the meeting. Rev. Mr. Tate has the reputation of being a fine preacher. 1 UlCU' a a jjcv-iai v.vMmiiumtuuuii ta Lodge No. 450 A. F. & A. M., will be held August 5th, 1915, at 9 a. m., for work in the Third Degree, and to transact other important business. Let every member be present. Mr. Eustice Yelvington and sister, Miss Bettie, spent Sunday in Lilling ton. This week Mr. Jesse Ellington is giving a house party to some of his young friends. Will give particulars in our next letter. The crops have improved recently— especially has old corn improved since the rains. Tobacco is also in much better condition. As to cotton, some improvement is noted, the weed is considerably larger, but the fruitage is not so good. On sandy lands cotton is poor. As a whole the crop is con siderably below last year. There is considerable sentiment for better white schools in this township. Some think three districts should be consolidated with the school house centrally located, vote a special tax, and have a four-teacher school, there by keeping abreast with the most pro gressive townships of the county. Cer tainly Cleveland township needs bet ter white school facilities. Let us get together and bring about this de sired result. Mr. Z. T. Jones continues in feeble health. Let the overseers of Cleveland township look after their roads. They will soon have to make their reports to the Supervisors. Daily now about fifty loads of lum ber is being hauled out of Cleveland township to Clayton. Mr. Ed,gar Holmes and Miss Bes sie Byrd were united in marriage at the residence of the parents of the bride, Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Byrd, in Cleveland township, Sunday evening, Rev. Dock Johnson officiating. TYPO. Polenta, July 26, 1915. [’ionic at Pleasant Hill. There will be a picnic at Pleasant Hill school house next Saturday, July 31st, (four miles north of Benson). Everybody invited to come with a well filled basket and enjoy the day with us. Besides the other enjoy ments, there will be some interesting games of ball. Yours very truly, E. J. MORGAN. Langston-West brook. Bentonville, July 23.—On Wednes day evening, July 21, at sunset, Mr. C. W. Langston and Miss Cora West brook were united in marriage. The scene of the marriage was in the grove at Mill Creek church, with Squire W. N. Rose officiating. Just a few friends of the couple were present and witnessed the ceremony. Both the groom and the bride*are popular and have hosts of friends who tendered their best wishes and congratulations. The world’s Sunday schools number 297,866, with 26,076,593 scholars, ex clusive of the Catholic church. FISHING ATKINSON’S POND—I have purchased the fishing rights to Atkinson’s Pond in Boon Hill town ship, and will begin a three days' fishing, Thursday morning, August 5th, at 10:00. Shares for the 3-days fishing $1.00. Dempsey Daughtery, Pine Level, N. C., R. F. D. No. 1. DR. LOUIS N. WEST of Raleigh, N. C. Will be in Smithfield the first Monday in August. Practice limited to Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat. Will be at Smithfield Hotel. Form Too New Baptist Churches in Kinston. Kinston, July 23.—An occurrence unique in local church history took place in the First Baptist Church here last night at 8:30 o’clock, when that congregation gave letters to 150 mem bers, releasing them from the church membership. Immediately two other congregations were formed. They will have churches in East Kinston and in the western part of the city. The First Baptist Church has grown several hundred in membership this year, and it became necessary to split the congregation up. Each of the new churches will have about 75 mem bers. Rev. T. J. Hood will probably be the pastor of one of them. The first Church has also during the year been the “mother" to one other new church, that at the Kennedy Memo rial Home, the Baptist orphanage near here. Rev. C. W. Blanchard is the dean of the Baptist ministers here, in charge of the First Church. _ NOTICE—I HEREBY FORBID ANY person or persons from removing the Stock Law fence from off my land in Ingrams township. W. J. Stanley, Selma, N. C., July 24, 1915. ONE TWO-ROOM SCHOOL BUILD ing to let out at Yelvington Grove, Thursday, August 5th, at two o’clock. For information see L. T. Royall, County Superintend ent, Smithfield, N. C. IF YOU HAVE ANY TOBACCO that you want graded bring it to the Farmers Warehouse any time and we will have it handled and in good shape for opening sale which will be on Tuesday, August 17th, 1915. Boyett Bros. SEE US FOR FRUIT JARS— Cotter Hardware Company. SEE US FOR TOBACCO TRUCKS— Cotter Hardware Company. SEE US FOR TOBACCO TRUCKS— Cotter Hardware Company. IF YOU WANT GALVANIZED Roofing or Wire Fence see us. Cotter Hardware Company. SEE US FOR FRUIT JARS— Cotter Hardware Company. TOBACCO FLUES AT COTTER Hardware Company, Smithfield, N. C. Send in your order now. SEE US FOR FRUIT JARS— Cotter Hardware Company. 1 SEE US FOR TOBACCO FLUES— Cotter Hardware Company. SEE US FOR WIRE FENCING and Galvanized Roofing. Cotter Hardware Company. SEE US FOR TOBACCO FLUES— Cotter Hardware Company. IF YOU WANT GALVANIZED Roofing or Wire Fence see us. Cotter Hardware Company. SEE US FOR TOBACCO FLUES— Cotter Hardware Company. FOR SALE—FINE JERSEY BULL calf, three and one-half months old. L. H. Allred, Smithfield, N. C. NOTICE. North Carolina, Johnston County, Justice’s Court, Before Z. L. LeMay, J. P. Smithfield Hardware Company, Inc. vs. T. C. Utter. The defendant above named will take notice that a summons in the above entitled action was issued against said defendant on the 19th day of July, 1915, by Z. L. LeMay, Justice of the Peace of Smithfield township, Johnston County, North Carolina, for the sum of $65.48 due said plaintiff by said defendant, which summons was returnable before said Justice of the Peace at his of fice in the town of Smithfield, N. C., on the 22nd day of July, 1915, but the Sheriff of said County returned same endorsed “the defendant not to be found in Johnston County,” and there was affidavit filed by the plain tiff that after due diligence the de fendant could not be found in the State of North Carolina; therefore the action was continued to the 24th day of August, 1915, at 10 o’clock, a. m., and an order entered that sum mons in said action be served by publication. The defendant will also take notice that a warrant of attachment was is sued by said Justice of the Peace simultaneously with the summons ir this action against the property ol said T. C. Utter, which warrant of attachment is returnable before said Justice at the same time and place as the summons, and under which warrant of attachment the Sheriff of Johnston County has levied on anc siezed certain household and kitcher furniture and other personal propertj belonging to the defendant, and now has same in his possession. The defendant will take notice thaf he is required to appear and answei or demur to the complaint, or sum mons of plaintiff, and answer the at tachment levied, or the relief demand ed by the plaintiff will be granted. This July 22nd, 1915. Z. L. LeMay, Justice of the Peace F. H. BROOKS, Attorney for Plaintiff. ' NOTICE. North Carolina, Johnston County, I Justice’s Court, Before Z. L. Le May, J. P. Cotter Hardware Company vs. T. C. Utter. | The defendant above named will take notice that a summons in the above entitled action was issued against said defendant on the 19th day of July, 1915, by Z. L. LeMay, Justice of the Peace of Smithfield township, Johnston County, North Carolina, for the sum of $32.00 due said plaintiff by said defendant, which summons was returnable before i said Justice of the Peace at his of fice in the town of Smithfield, N. C., on the 22nd day of July, 1915, but the Sheriff of said County returned same endorsed “the defendant not to be found in Johnston County,” and there was affidavit filed by the plain tiff that after due diligence the de fendant could not be found in the State of North Carolina; therefore the action was continued to the 24th, day of August, 1915. at 10 o’clock, | a. m., and an order entered that sum I mons in said action be served by I publication. I The defendant will also take notice that a warrant of attachment was is sued by said Justice of the Peace simultaneously with the summons in this action against the property of said T. C. Utter, which warrant of attachment is returnable before said Justice at the same time and place as the summons, and under which warrant of attachment the Sheriff of Johnston County has levied on and siezed certain household and kitchen furniture and other personal property belonging to the defendant, and now has same in his possession, i The defendant will take notice that he is required to appear and answer or demur to the complaint, or sum mons of plaintiff, and answer the at tachment levied, or the relief demand ed by the plaintiff will be granted. This July 22nd, 1915. Z. L. LeMay, Justice of the Peace. NOTICE. North Caroliha, Johnston. County, Justice’s Court, Before Z. L. Le May, J. P. S. B. Jones vs. T. C. Utter. The defendant above named will take notice that a summons in the above entitled action was issued against said defendant on the 19th day of July, 1915, by Z. L. LeMay, Justice of the Peace of Smithfield township, Johnston County, North Carolina, for the sum of $25.00 due said plaintiff by said defendant, which summons was returnable before said Justice of the Peace at his of fice in the town of Smithfield, N. C., on the 22nd day of July, 1915, but the Sheriff of said County returned same endorsed “the defendant not to be found in Johnston County,” and there was affidavit filed by the plain tiff that after due diligence the de fendant could not be found in the State of North Carolina; therefore the action was continued to the 24th day of August, 1915, at 10 o’clock, a. m., and an order entered that sum mons in said action be served by publication. The defendant will also take notice that a warrant of attachment was is sued by said Justice of the Peace simultaneously with the summons in this action against the property of said T. C. Utter, which warrant of attachment is returnable before said Justice at the same time and place as the summons, and under which warrant of attachment the Sheriff of Johnston County has levied on and siezed certain household and kitchen furniture and other personal property belonging to the defendant, and now has same in his possession. The defendant will take notice that he is required to appear and answer or demur to the complaint, or sum mons of plaintiff, and answer the at tachment levied, or the relief demand ed by the plaintiff will be granted. This July 22nd, 1915. Z. L. LeMay, Justice of the Peace. NOTICE. North Carolina, Johnston County, Justice’s Court, Before Z. L. Le May, J. P. Peedin & Peterson vs. T. C. Utter. The defendant above named will take notice that a summons in the above entitled action was issued against said defendant on the 19th day of July, 1915, by Z. L. LeMay, Justice of the Peace of Smithfield township, Johnston County, North Carolina, for the sum of $31.43 due said plaintiff by said defendant, which summons was returnable before said Justice of the Peace at his of fice in the town of Smithfield, N. C., on the 22nd day of July, 1915, but the Sheriff of said County returned same endorsed “the defendant not to be found in Johnston County,” and there was affidavit filed by the plain tiff that after due diligence the de fendant could not be found in the State of North Carolina; therefore the action was continued to the 24th day of August, 1915, at 10 o’clock, a. m., and an order entered that sum mons in said action be served by publication. The defendant will also take notice j that a warrant of attachment was ts . sued by said Justice of the Peace simultaneously with the summons in this action against the property o< said T. C. Utter, which warrant of attachment is returnable before said Justice at the same time and pl*c£ as the summons, and under which warrant of attachment the Sheriff of Johnston County has levied on and siezed certain household and kitchen furniture and other personal property belonging to the defendant, and now has same in his possession. The defendant will take notice the he is required to appear and answer or demur to the complaint, or sur? mons of plaintiff, and answer the a tachment levied, or the relief demand ed by the plaintiff will be granted. This July 22nd, 1915. Z. L. LeMay, Justice of the Peace. WELLONS & WELLONS. ' Attorneys for Plaintiff.
The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, N.C.)
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July 27, 1915, edition 1
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