The Daily Graphic (London, UK), Monday, July 26, 1915
The Eastland Disaster coverage was worldwide. Here is an article from The Daily Graphic, London, July 26, 1915.
Excursion Streamer Disaster, The Daily Graphic, London, July 26, 1915
EXCURSION STEAMER DISASTER. 1,800 DROWNED IN THE RIVER AT CHICAGO. VESSEL OVERTURNS. MANY WOMEN AND CHILDREN AMONG THE VICTIMS.
NEW YORK, Saturday.
A message from Chicago says that the excursion steamer Eastland, with a large number of passengers on board, suddenly listed when coming into the Clark Street pier, throwing many of those on deck into the water. It is reported that there has been a large loss of life.—Ex. Tel. Co.'s Special.
CHICAGO, Sunday. Official figures are now available which show that the total number of persons on board the excursion steamer was 2,572, of whom 762 were rescued and 1,810 are dead or missing. The majority of cases are those of women or children. One of the divers engaged in connection with the affair is said to have gone mad owing to the terrible scenes. The authorities have started an investigation And some 30 arrests have been made. It being alleged that the Eastland had shown herself unseaworthy before --Central News.
CHICAGO, Saturday. Several hundreds of employees of the Western Electric Company and their friends were on board the vessel for a day's outing to Michigan City. The crowd caused the boat to list slowly toward the middle of the river, the hawsers snapped, and the steamer floated away on its side. Many who clung to the craft were rescued but hundreds have been drowned.
SCRAMBLE FOR LIFE. Later.
The estimate of lives lost is now placed as high as 1,200. Five hundred bodies have been recovered, mainly from the submerged hull through holes cut in the side of the vessel. The scenes were heartrending when the vessel began to go over. Those on the decks managed in many cases to clamber to the exposed side, whence they rescued by passing craft, but there was no chance for those in the cabins, mainly women and children. The firemen who superintended the removal of the bodies found them piled one on another in the cabins like bales of merchandise indicating that the victims made a simultaneous rush towards the exits.
Witnesses say it was all over in five minutes. The screams of the women were stifled in the rush of water. The bodies were removed ashore in tugboat loads, whence they were conveyed in wagons to the morgue. An inspection shows that many of the women's faces were scratched and their clothes torn in their desperate struggle for life. After the first 500 bodies had been removed divers continued to explore the interior of the vessel, discovering many more bodies and so pulled them out.
The explanation that people had crowded on one side of the steamer, causing the vessel to up-set was regarded as unsatisfactory by the municipal authorities, who ordered the arrest of the boat s officers, the captain and mate. These have been taken into custody. The boat was of steel construction and 300 feet long. The entire crew swam ashore. The steamboat inspector is investigating a report that water ballast had been pumped from the hold as the passengers went on board so that more passengers could be carried. Another theory is that the vessel stuck in the mud and failed to free herself when the engines started, causing her to list and that the large crowd on board increased this tendency so she could not right herself. -Reuter.
Daily Graphic, London, July 26, 1915 (Front Page)
A historic front page of "The Daily Graphic" newspaper dated Monday, July 26, 1915, features a headline "Drawing Upon the Invisible Munitions" and includes three black-and-white photographs. The first image on the left shows the Bishop of London leading a procession of clergy, wearing traditional clerical robes and headgear. The middle image depicts a large crowd of people gathered outside a building, likely a church or public hall, with soldiers in uniform standing in formation. The third image at the bottom right shows the Bishop of London addressing troops and providing a blessing, with a smaller inset photo of the Bishop performing a ceremonial act. The caption below the images reads: "Scenes from the striking pageant of 4,000 troops, headed by the Bishop of London, that ended in a memorable Independence Service outside St. Paul's Cathedral yesterday. This 'Service' was devoted to a call upon the latter, addressing the troops. Inset: The Bishop delivering the Blessing to the troop."
Daily Graphic, London, July 26, 1915 (Inside Page)
A page from the July 19, 1915, edition of The Daily Graphic newspaper. The layout includes several articles and a map.
The map on the left side, titled "The Face of the War," shows the battleground near Warsaw. Below the map, the paper lists the times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset.
The central column features the "Topics of the Day," discussing "The United States and Germany," addressing President Wilson's stance amidst rising tensions between the two nations, and "The Russian Strangle-Hold," analyzing Russia's military position around Warsaw.
On the bottom left, an article titled "The Soldiers of the Allies" features an Italian general summing up the characteristics of various allied forces.
On the bottom right, "The Lords and the Pensions Bill" discusses upcoming debates in the House of Lords concerning a pensions bill and the associated political implications.
The page is visually dense with text, typical of early 20th-century newspapers, and includes detailed reporting on World War I and related political developments.
Daily Graphic
The London newspaper The Graphic, which was founded in 1869, commenced publication of its own "The Daily Graphic" on January 4, 1890. It was illustrated with line drawings and woodcuts; photoengraving and halftone was considered too complex a process. (source: Wikepedia)
Reuters
Reuter, now known as Reuters, is one of the world's largest and most established news agencies. It was founded in 1851 by Paul Julius Reuter in London. Here’s a brief overview of how Reuter would have been involved in disseminating news about the Eastland disaster in 1915:
Reuter's Role in News Dissemination
1. **Global News Network:** By 1915, Reuters had established a comprehensive global news network, distributing news to newspapers and other media outlets around the world. This made it a reliable and timely source of international news.
2. **Speed and Accuracy:** Reuters was known for its speed and accuracy in reporting, leveraging telegraphy and later wireless technology to quickly transmit news stories.
3. **Trusted Source:** Newspapers like the Daily Graphic in London relied on Reuters for international news because of its reputation for credibility and detailed reporting.
How Reuters Reported the Eastland Disaster
1. **Initial Reporting:** Reuters would have received information from its correspondents or local news sources in Chicago. These reports would include the initial details of the disaster, eyewitness accounts, and official statements.
2. **Wire Transmission:** The details were then transmitted via telegraph to Reuters’ headquarters in London. From there, the news would be distributed to various newspapers, including the Daily Graphic.
3. **Publication:** The Daily Graphic, like many other newspapers, would print the Reuters dispatch, often citing Reuters as the source to indicate the credibility and origin of the information
Importance of News Agencies Like Reuters
**Speed:** Enabled rapid dissemination of news across the globe.
**Reliability:** Provided accurate information, enhancing the credibility of the newspapers that published their reports.
**Reach:** Allowed newspapers in distant locations to cover international events comprehensively.
In summary, Reuter's role in reporting the Eastland disaster highlights the importance of news agencies in early 20th-century journalism, providing timely and reliable news to a global audience.
Source: According to information provided by ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI (accessed July 8, 2024).
