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September, 1915 height when not properly ballasted. She was provided with water ballast and the preponderance of evidence at the time this article is written is that the ballast tanks were empty or practically so when the vessel cap- sized. This undoubtedly accounts for her fatal instability. Probably also the port holes under the main deck leading into the crew’s quarters were open, thus admitting large quantities of free water as soon as the boat had listed a few degrees. These port holes and their proximity to the water line are clearly shown in Fig. 1. It is not believed by competent authori- ties that the number of passengers on board Easttanp had much to do with the accident. Of course if a less num- ber had been permitted by the federal officials, fewer would have _ been .drowned, but the weight of 2,572 per FIG. 3—EASTLAND IN 1903 JUST AFTER SHE WAS BUILT The photograph from which the engraving for Fig. 3 was mad Capt. Henry Pedersen, Benton Har- bor Mich.; Delbert Fisher, St. Joseph, Mich., was first mate; Peter Fisher, Grand Rapids, Mich., second mate; J. eM. © Erickson. St: Joseph, Mich, chief engineer; C. F. Silvernail, Manis- tee, Mich. first assistant engineer; and F. T. Snow, Ludington, Mich., second assistant engineer. One of the most important versions of the affair is that of Capt. Pedersen. In an in- terview with a Chicago newspaper representative he is reported as fol- lows: “First she listed to starboard and then straightened. up all right, and | was going to send out the word ¢o let go the line. She listed over to port and I hesitated. I had already given the second mate orders to stand by and let go the stern lines. “T gave the warning to stand bv because she was listing and she kept THE MARINE REVIEW 321 “But. you were not afraid of her?” “No, sir.” “Were you surprised at her listing?” “wes and no.” “What caused her to keep on list- ing?” “T don’t know.” “Have you any theory as to why she kept on listing?” “Probably too heavy a weight on the listing side.” EASTLAND was completed early in July, 1903, at the yard of the Jenks Ship Building Co., Port Huron Mich. The following paragraphs are quoted from an article describing the vessel published in The Marine Review, July 16, 1903. “Until the Jenks company began work on this vessel, the plant at Port Huron had been engaged almost en- tirely on large freighters of the ore and grain-carrying kind. In EastLanp the company presents a_ high-class FIG. 4—BOW OF THE WRECK WHILE RESCUE WORK WAS IN PROGRESS e, was taken in 1903 immediately after Eastland was constructed and therefore forms an interesting comparison with Fig. 1. Fig. 3 was published originally in The Marine Review, July 16, 1903. sons, about 193 net tons, would not be sufficient to seriously careen a ves- sel of the displacement of EASTLAND, provided it had the requisite inherent stability. EastLAND is owned by the St. Joseph-Chicago Steamship Co. of which Geo. T. Arnold, Mackinac, Mich., is president; Wm. H. Hull, St. Joseph, Mich., vice president and gen- eral manager; Walter G. Steele, Chi- cago, secretary; Ray Davis, St. Jo- seph, Mich., assistant general man- ager; and Martin Flatow, Chicago, general agent. In aduition, Mrs. HA. Graham, Mrs. Mary Graham and C. E. Blake, St. Joseph’ Mich. are heavy stockholders of the steamship company. The steamer was in command of on listing. The harbor master was on the dock. He shouted “Are you ready, captain?? He wanted to throw the lines out. I didn’t start, although I thought she was going to straighten up. “Were the tow lines on the tug at the time?” HOiegee “The tow lines were on the tug at the time she listed?” “Ves, sir, she had lines on both ends —two lines forward and two lines ait: “Were the lines taut?” “No ” “Vou had given the signal to go?” “NO, ite “Was the tug holding the lines taut after the EASTLAND listed?” {NT .?? i Q “Has she ever listed before? “Yes, pretty bad before.” steamer that is expected to be among the fastest on the lakes. The vessel is attractive in appearance and engi- neers who have seen her say she will certainly be fast. She will be en- gaged mainly in the fruit trade be- tween South Haven and Chicago, but her appointments for passengers are of the highest order and she will un- doubtedly attract quite a large pas- senger patronage. “Her dimensions are: Length over all, 275 feet; length of keel, 265 feet; beam, 38 feet; molded depth, 22 feet 8 inches. Her depth of hold is 10 feet 9 inches. She is fitted with a double bottom throughout. There are five watertight bulkheads.’ The hull construction in all respects is unusually