A BOY EASTLAND HERO

Reginald Bowles, a 17 year old boy, was the star-hero of all those who assisted in the grewsome work of exploring the hull of the ill-fated steamer Eastland, in the great Chicago disaster of July 24th, in which nearly 1,000 people perished.

Young Bowles was early on the scene, and worked continuously for forty-eight hours, clad only in a pair of old trousers, bringing from the hold of the wreck forty-eight bodies. Of those rescued thirteen yet contained the breath of life after twenty-four hours in the water, but it was impossible to save them. Among the victims brought to the surface by Bowles were a number of children and babes. One of the latter, was clasped so closely in its mother's arms that it was impossible to extricate it.

Bowles stuck to the grewsome work through the long hours of Saturday night, and was successful in locating many bodies overlooked by professional divers. At seven o'clock Sunday evening he sank down exhausted and was hurried to an emergency hospital where he was revived. He begged to be allowed to return to the work, but was restrained from doing so. His work was entirely voluntary, and he received no reward whatever, except the undying gratitude of those whose loved ones he rescued. All about him were working professional divers who were receiving five dollars per hour for their services. The boy is an expert swimmer, possessing remarkable courage. His mother declares that he has never known the meaning of physical fear. He learned to swim at eleven years of age and took to the sport like a duck to water; within a year he had rescued two companions from drowning, and a year ago he rescued a baby from a burning building.

This boy possesses remarkable mechanical genius, and owns and conducts his own automobile garage and repair business. He has built models of four monoplanes which have received high praise by great aviators, one of these, Lincoln Beachy, offered him a substantial sum if he would qualify for the business of aviator, but in accordance with his mother's wishes, the boy refused.