The Western Electric Company was the largest employer in the Chicago area in 1915. The 5th annual company outing was scheduled for July 24th, 1915, and over 7,000 tickets were sold to the employees. The attendees were to board 5 excursion ships on the Chicago River in downtown Chicago, and be taken for a fun-filled day at Washington Park, in Michigan CIty, Indiana.
Thousands of people gathered at the dock, hoping to board the first ship to depart; the SS Eastland. The Eastland had been known for its instability in past years, with several recorded instances of listing to one side or another. As almost 2,500 people boarded the ship, the Eastland indeed began to list, first to starboard, then to port. Despite the captain and engineer’s efforts, the ship continued to list to port. Before long, the ship rolled on its side, trapping hundreds inside and throwing hundreds more into the river. 844 people lost their lives, with the Eastland just 19 feet from the dock.
Paul Durica, the Director of Exhibitions at the Chicago History Museum joins me for this sad and tragic story of loss. You can follow Paul on Facebook and Instagram @PocketGuideToHell, and on Twitter @DuricaPaul.
Links
- Pocket Guide To Hell: Created by Paul Durica. A series of free and interactive public talks, walking tours, and historical reenactments that focused on Chicago’s past.
- Chicago History Museum – Home of many artifacts and photographs from the Eastland disaster.
- Newberry Library – Many records, documents, and photographs related to the Eastland.
- Eastland Disaster Historical Society
Recommended Reading
Photos
Sources
- https://eastlanddisaster.org/
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/eastland-disaster-killed-more-passengers-titanic-and-lusitania-why-has-it-been-forgotten-180953146/
- https://allthatsinteresting.com/ss-eastland-disaster
- http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2900.html
- http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/408.html
- https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/SS_Eastland#Inquiry_and_indictments
- https://interactive.wttw.com/a/chicago-stories-eastland-disaster
- http://www.maritimequest.com/liners/eastland/ss_eastland_data.htm
- https://web.archive.org/web/20090119141129/http://www.eastlandmemorial.org/eastland1.shtml
- https://www.damninteresting.com/the-fall-of-the-eastland/
- “The Eastland Disaster.” Chicago Stories. WTTW, Chicago, 2001.