The Pageland journal. [volume] (Pageland, S.C.) 1911-1978, July 28, 1915, Image 1
The pagelJnd Journal
Vol. 5 NO. 45 PAGELAND, S. C., WEDNESDAY MORNING, JULY 28, 1915 $1.00 per year
Appalling Tragedy in Chicago
.River Claimed Over a Thousand
Lives.
Chicago, >u1y 24.?More than
1,000 persons, possibly 1,300.
most of them women and children,
were drowned today
in a few feet of land by the
capsizing of the steel steamer *
Eastland, as it was about to leave
its wharf in the Chicago river
with 2,500 relatives and friends
of employes of the Western
Electric Company, for an excursion
across Lake Michigan.
The ship rolled over on its side
in 25 feet of water within five
minutes after it began to list.
Coroner's physician Springer^
tonight declared that artem c
a i ?_ ?? v
iiucarea persor* were Kiiiea, i
while estimates ran as high l
as 2,000, but these did not agree (
with the statement that not
more than 2,500 passengers
were on board the vessel.
During the day more than 700 8
bodies were taken from the c
river and from the hull of the t
overturned steamer, whose sides c
were cut open with gas flames ^
to admit divers.
Several persons were taken 1
alive from the cabins of the *
ship after it had lain on its side <
in the river for four hours, but \
the 300 others said to be in the (
bulk are all dead.
Under the glare of searchlights 1
tonight, scores of men worked
in the hull of the vessel to remove
the bodies. The steamer 1
lay on the bottom of the river, 1
one side protruding like -a
monument to the hundreds it
todet^mine whetS^the ship
was tdpheavy from faulty designing,
was improperly ballasted
or was poorly handled in
warping from the wharf.
Marine architects asserted
that the Eastland was faulty in
design, that the top deck had
been removed because of the
tendency of the ship to list and
also pointed to the possibility
that the ship had been unevenly 1
or insufficiently ballasted. The
Eastland used water ballast, so 1
that it could pump out some on i
entering shallow lake harbors, <
so some investigators are work- \
ing on a theory that the ballast '
tanks were not filled and the 1
rushing of passengers to one !
side of the deck caused it to roll 1
over. * <
Under misty skies, 7,000 men,
women and children wended
their way to the Clark street
dock early today to fill five 1
large lake steamers with holiday
mirth in a trip to Michigan City, j
The steamer Eastland, brought
to Chicago from Lake Erie, i
after an unsatisfactory career, i
was the first to be loaded. i
Rain began to fall as the <
wuari superintendents lifted the I
gang planks from the vessel, declaring
that the government i
limit of 2,500 passengers had 1
been reached. White dresses 1
peeped from raincoats along the <
shore rails as those aboard 1
waved good bve to friends on 1
shore who were waiting to \
board the steamer Roosevelt 1
and other vessels.
Then the passengers swarmed i
to the left side of the ship, as 1
the other steamers drew up the J
river towards the wharf. A tug I
was hitched to the Eastland, i
ropes were ordered cast off and ?
the steamer engines began to i
hum. The Eastland had not i
budged, however. t
Instead, the heavilv luHpn shin <
0m wavered sidewise, leaning first
towards the river bank. The 1
lurch win ?o itartiing t^at many I
I
V. "V/ ' J. '^4. ,.. ' ... -* >.
>assengers joined the large concourse
already on the river side
>f the decks.
The ship never heeled back.
It turned slowly but steadily to
yard its left side. Children
dutctetd the skirts of mothers {
ind sisters to keep from fall ins:,
rhe whole cargo was impelled
owards the falling: side of the
hip. Water began to enter low;r
portholes and the hawsers
ore out the piles to which the
vessel was tied.
Streams from passengers atracted
the attention of fellow
rxcursionists . on the dock
(waiting the next steamer.
iVharfme.i and picknickers soon
ined the edge of the embanknent,
reaching out helplessly
owards the wavering steamer.
For nearly five minutes the
hip turned before it finally
lived under the swift current of
he river, which owing to the
Irainage canal sj'stem flows
rom the lake. During the
nighty turning of the ship with
ts cargo of humanity, lifeboats,
hairs and other loose uppurenances
on the decks slipped
lown the sloping floors, crusting
the passengers towards the
ising waters.
Then there was a plunge with
l sigh of air escaping from the
lold, mingled with crying of
:hildren and shrieks of women
md the ship was on the bottom
>f the river, casting hundreds of
iving creatures to the water. .
. Many sank, entangled with
?1othir|gr a*id. nforf did
lot rise bat hundreds came to
he surface, seized floating chairs
ind other objects. Those on
shore threw out ropes and dragged
in those who could hold
hese life line*. - Employes of
ximmission firms along the
iver threw crates, chicken
:oops and other floating things
nto the current, but most of
hese were swept away by the
stream, which runs five miles
in nour.
Boats put out, tugs rushed to
:he scene with shrieking
whistles and many men snatched
>ff coats and shoes and sprang
nto the river to aid the drownng.
With thousands of spectaors
ready to aid and the
wharf within grasp, hundreds
went to death despite every
effort at rescue.
Two Anson Stills Captured in a
Week.
Wadeaboro Ansonian.
T* ?irA of alio nfArA -f%.s A * ?
M. nw OIIIIO VTCIC V^apiU 1CU III
\nson County, last week?one
rhursday morning by Richmond
County officers near the
railroad bridge over Pee Dee
river and another at Smith's
:reek, just above Blewett Falls,
t>y Anson officers.
The one captured Saturday
night was found by Deputy
Sheriff J. T. May, Chief of
Police I. Flake Martin and Mr.
C. D. Porter. Mr. May had gotten
wind of the booze plant, and
leaving here at a late hour Saturday
night with his two men,
found the outfit about t2o*clock.
Thef furnace was still hot and it
appeared that a run had just
been finished. The still was a
S5-gallon home-made outfit but
the still proper was made of
jneei copper. I ne cap consist
ed of a galvanized bucket. No
maso or whiskey was found
and it appeared from the slops
that the plant had been making
whiskey out of brown sugar.
The still was brought to Wadestx>ra
No one was feen about
the plant. <
^((,
Final Statement of Counter
Stand in German Contro
ver?y.
Washington, July 21.?Pte
dent Wilson and Secretary Lt
sing, conferring at the Wb
House tonigbt, completed i
new note to Germany warni
her that repetition of a disas
such as that visited upon 1
Lusitania or any violation
American rights on the hi
seas resulting in loss of Am<
can lives will be regarded
"unfriendly." It will be <
patched tomorrow.
The note is in the nature oi
final statement by the Unit
States of the interpretation ti
will be placed by this gove
ment on future transgressions
American rights, and repe
that the American governm
will leave nothing undone
stand bv the position it 1
previously declared.
Among the points in the n
note are:
1* The assumption by 1
United States that Germany,
declaring her submarine vi
fare to be a retaliatory measi
against the alleged unlawful s
of her enemies, has admit
that the destruction of ut
sisting merchantment with*
warning is illegal.
2. German submarine cc
manders already have pro'
that thev can save this^pasg
gers and crews of vessels
can act in conformity with
laws of humanity in mak
war on enemy ships.
3. The United States can -j
allow the relations between ;
belligerents to operate inj
way as an abbreviation of.
>riqrbtft ofoe?i?ra1*--and^liflM(
any violation of the princii
for which the American gove
ment contends, resulting ir
loss of American lives, will
viewed as "unfriendly."
4. The representations wh
the American government j
made - in previous notes ^
disavowal of the intention'
sink the Lusitania with Am
cans aboard and tbe request
reparation are reiterated v
renewed insistence.
5. The American gov*
ment Realize the unusual j
abnormal condition which
present conflict had created
tbe conduct of maritime war!
and is willing to act as an in
mediary as between the bel
erents to arrange a modus viv
di or fin v ntVior tpmnnr
arrangement which does not
volve a surrender bv the Uni
States of its rights.
6. The proposal made
Germany to give immunity
American ships not carry
contraband, and to four bel
erents* ships under the Ameri<
flag, are rejected with the <
phatic assertion that to acc
such suggestion would be
admit Germany's right to
aside the American content
based on fundamental princii
in international law?that r
trals may travel anywhere
the high seas on unresist
tVi i r\0 r\4 anir nn(?Annli<it ??./??
oui|/o vra anj uaiiv/tiaiiiy cvci
carrying contraband'
The note is about 1,2()0 wc
long. While nowhere in i
there any indirect intimation
the course with the Uni
States will pursue in the ev
of another disaster similar to
Lusitania tragedy, there are <
phatic statements throughout
communication pointing
that the discussion of the prii
pies involved has been virtui
concluded and that future c
duct of German submarine c<
manders will determine the
sponsibility for the continua
of friendly relations between
two countries.
y*? Note Arouses German Scowls
4? , Berlin, July 25 (Overseas News
" Agency Dispatch to Say ville, N.
V.)?The latest American note
^ So Germany concerning subl,*?
Marine warfare was received
the mo st unfavorably by the Gerinfljj
^xan newspapers, in which it was
iter grunted Sunday,
ijm *The Vossische Zeitung in a
of Uen^thy editorial says:
igl|l The refusal to accept GerBH?
pinny's practical proposal to
aakrotect American passengers
ii^j shows an absolute lack of readiJ
ncss to understand the German
f ajstandpoint. It is true that beltedljigerents
must respect neutral
hativights but only provided neutrals
flgpo everything to prevent their
bracitizens getting into situations
atswvhere protection is impossible.
enilL "Victory over the enemy is the
tb-ftupreme law for every belligerlasfent.
Those who render more
jJRlifficult this task than does interew'Jpational
law support the enemy.
^!Jfl person who remains within a
theffMeagiired fortress or walks into
by B gunfire zone risks his life with'5f-?>ut
the right of protection from
iirents home government. The
ictdfcune also is true of naval warted&re
in spite of the mistaken
ireJBjbrase 'freedom of the seas.' It
oujjBftgranted that the ocean is free
:S peaceful travel, but naval
>Ol|mttles also take place on it.
MdBfeutral ships sailing between
en jKfeting battleships run the risk
^^^Btting hit by shells and also of
mHs struck by mines.
i^^Hprhose who demand that Ger^Hhany
should conduct the war
i^Mocording to rules laid down by
tfegome academic professor, expect
I^HBmnany either to endanger her
tklasu^tBarines or to give up this
which means the^
)EMV? akemng of Germany in the
interest of her enemy. - This is
i ajaot neutrality but partisanship
belmsainst Germany.
IK^We know today that the pas
icjMftngers (of the Lusitania) could
hj^Bwe been saved, but that they
flXBre neglected. Germany retSIP&s
their death, but she has a
eri- clear conscience and has no rea
for aon to disapprove of the conduct
dth of her submarine commanders.
"President Wilson considers
>rn- the further torpedoing of British
ind warships carrying American
the passengers a deliberately unin
friendly act. While Germany
are always is glad to respect Amerter
ican friendship, she has conceded
lig everything that can be conceded,
en- One bit more would be considerary
ad humiliating."
in- lHe 1 aglicbe Kundfchau and
ted *he Kruez Zeitung similarly declare
that the American note
by calls for decided opposition and
to that it requires Great Britain to
ing show at least an equal respect
lig for the spirit of international law
san ?s the president demands from
em- Germany.
:ept
to DeCamp Guesses Cotton Will
set Stay Low.
ion Gaffney Ledger.
?les Of course we are only guessleu
ing, but at the same time we
on hazard this guess: Cotton will
ing continue to decline until Decem1
if ber, after which time it will
commence to advance until
>rds March, when it will reach the
t is neighborhood of ten cents, reof
main there until the cottontots
ited have planted all they can and
ent then begin to go down again,
the The system certainly works
em- beautifully for everybody except
the the poor devil who has mortgagout
ed his cotton crop before he has
nci- made it, and it gives him h?1.
ally
on- Tommy?Pop, what is a pessimal
mist?
re- Tommy's Pop?A pessimist,
nee ray son, is a person who looks
the for germs in the milk of human
kindness.?Ex.
Irreparably Ripped
They were trying a darky, in
a small town on the Lower
Cumberland River, for cutting
another negro with a razor.
The prisoner at the bar was the
porter of the local hotel and a
general favorite with the white
population. So the presiding
judge and the prosecutor entered
into a conspiracy between themselves
to save the accused.
The judge appointed the leading
lawyer ot the district to
represent the darky, and at the
close of the trial His Honor
charged the jury in such fashion
that it would have been little
short of contempt of court upon
their part to fail to acquit.
Nevertheless, the jurors, to
the surprise of all present,
especially the defendant, came
in very promptly with a verdict
of guilty.
"Jerry," said the jude regretfully,
having in mind the
memory of many superior 'mint
juleps which Jerry had mixed
for liim, "it is my painful duty
to pronounce sentence upon
you. Haye you anything to say
before I fix your punishment?"
"Well, suh, Jedge," said Jerry,
"I been sort of tuck up short and
I reckin dey ain't much use of
me talkin' now. But, Jedge, I
will say jest dis: I don't bear
vou no gredge. Seems lak to
me you tried fur to let me off
mighty light. And de gen'l'
man dat you 'pinted to 'fend me
he done hisse'f proud and I
thonlrc Vlirn I?iran An
i ?? >?? uiuji juv vu uc l^iacuuilll
attorney gimme a good work.
is done tore its pants wid me!"Saturday
Evening Post.
The Old Home Town.
Do you remember the lazy
fellow who used to sit around in
the implement store and the barber
shop in the old home town
and predict the failure of every
boy who tried to poke his nose
above the common herd? Up in
the village of Salem they used
to crack lots of jokes at the
expense of a lank and ungainly
young fellow who clerked in
the village grocery, poled flat
boats on the river and split rails
for a living. They called him
Abe in those days. He became
the President of the United
States and thousands from fai
places on the earth have visited
his tomb at Springfield to do
him honor. They used to make
fun of Bill McAdoo back in the
home town. He dug a tunnel
under the Hudson River and is
Secretary of the Treasury now
But there are a lot of old tad:
back in the old home town whc
sort of hope that Bill will fall
over something yet and land ir
the consomme. And Orville
Wright was a regular joke in hi!
old home town. It is the ok
home town itself that is the joke
?Selected.
Davit Mine to be Worked.
Monroe lournal.
The company which some
time ago bought the Davis Mine
nine miles northwest of Monroe
is rapidly preparing to work or
a large scale* Mr. J. F. Thomp
son who has a hauling contraci
for the company, has alread>
hauled four car loads of heav\
machinery from Matthews, the
shipping point. He hauled 4hc
ore mill which weighed within
a few pounds of 20,000, and it
required eight mules to pull it
The mill is for the purpose ol
grinding the surface rock and
has a capacity of two hundred
tons per day.
A Fighting Parson.
A good story is told of Parson
McCorquodale, one of the oldfashion
preachers in the early
days of North Carolina. He
lived in Chatham county. At
one of his appointments was a
big, burley bluffer, named Sandy
! Murchison, who, from some
cause, had said that he intended
to thrash the preacher when he
put in his appearance at that
particular place. Parson McCorquodale
came and began his
services. In the middle of the
? exercises the preacher, in a deep
sonorous voice, without the
least sign of emotion or excitement,
said: "Brother Murphy,
will you please line out a hymn,
while I go out and whip big
Sflndv Mtirrhicnn Hnn't !?
^ VII I 1^1
the congregation be disturbed
i in the least."
They began to sign with a
heartiness marked with unusual
enthusiasm. The parson walked
singing as he went, and finding
his man, let into Murchison
with a vim and vigor that
wound up in his giving the bully
a sound and genteel thrashing.
All the time he was putting in
his licks, like beating iron on an
anvil (for he was once a blacksmith)
the Parson was singingt
"An' He Rolled on the Cloud,
Hallelu-ah." The services went
on as if nothing had happened
and the parson preached a
powerful sermon on, "Sure, we
must Fight if we would Win."
This is no joke. It is true. Old
citizens of Chatham county
speak of it in these days.?
Everything.
Waxh&w People Eat a Muskrat.
The Waxhaw correspondent
ul the Cuariotie Obotrm suys
that one dav last week a party
composed of preachers, physicians
and other prominent citizens
of the town, with their
wives and a good many young
i people went over on the pleasant
banks of the Twelve Mile Creek
i tor a picnic. The men spent the
' morning fishing while the ladies
! prepared a sumptuous "campmeeting"
dinner. All of which
is common enough. But what
! follows "ain't." The men caught
r a large fat musk-rat, and one of
i the preachers remarked casual
t like; "They eat em' in Viri
ginia." That was sufficient,
i The rat was skinned, cleaned
* and put to cook. How this was
I accomplished none sayeth, for it
r is a pertinent fact that a musk 1 ,
i rat has an odor attached to him v
? that is in a class with cheap
( cologne. But the rat was cooks
ed and eaten and the stoutl
hearted members of the party
i who ate declared that it was
. very good.
j
> Mr. and Mrs. Mungo Entertain.
' One of the most enjoyable
1 events of the season was a con*
test party last Thursday evening,
| given by Mr. and Mrs. H. V.
Mungo in honor of Misses
* Georgia and Ethel Cook.
There were a goodly number
of the young people present,
and several contests were engaged
in. The successful con*
testants were Misses Ruth Cha
? vis, wuma Lingie, and Messrs.
? Robert Turner, Boyd Eubanks
1 and Irwin Gale. The guests were
' then ushered into the dining
1 hall where ice cream, cake and
r other dainties were served,
r which proved the climax of the
* evening.
5 The crowd gathered back
i into the parlor, where some
t simple vet delightful games were
engaged in, after which the
j crowd departed expressing to
Mr. and Mrs. Mungo their
1 gratefulness for affording them
1 the delightful evening.
One Present,