The Eastland Disaster: Worst Sea Disaster in American History The worst boating disaster in the history of the United States occurred right here in Chicago. It took place, in fact, in the Chicago River, right in downtown Chicago and only a few feet from shore. It was a disaster that managed to be eclipsed by an impending world war and the fact that the dead were mostly immigrants. Also, the world in general was still reeling from the Titanic disaster and so many seemed to want to just forget that this had ever happened. Those who live here in Chicago have never really forgotten, however. On the day of the disaster at least one newspaper declared it The Day Chicago Cried. There is a small plaque on the river walk that runs along the Chicago River that denotes the location of the disaster. The plaque is located between LaSalle and Clark streets on the Chicago River right in downtown Chicago. This was also the location of the disaster. A troubled history The S.S. Eastland was commissioned shortly after the turn of the new century and was designed to be a passenger cruiser to ply the Great Lakes as a touring vessel. Throughout the early history of the ship, however, there were repeated reports of the ship being top-heavy. Several crew members reported in those early days that the ship had a tendency to list to one side or another. In 1912 a disaster happened that, unintentionally, created an additional problem for the S.S. Eastland. The Titanic sank in the North Atlantic, killing nearly 2,000 people in the process. The ship did not have enough lifeboats to carry off all of the passengers so, regardless of how full the lifeboats had been filled, there were going to be a large number of people in the freezing water. After this disaster changes were made that all ships who carry passengers should have enough lifeboats to carry off all passengers. This meant the S.S. Eastland needed more lifeboats. Lacking space anywhere else these boats, and the extra weight that came with them, were added to the top of the boat. Thus a boat that was already top-heavy was made more so due to the changing regulations thanks to the Titanic disaster. The S.S. Eastland was used for parties and as a chartered cruiser. On the morning of July 24, 1915 the boat was to be used by Western Electric employees for a day-trip to Michigan City Indiana for a company picnic. Over 7,000 tickets to this event had been purchased by employees and their family members. The S.S. Eastland was to be one of five ships the company had chartered to take all of those employees to the spot in Indiana. Because the Eastland ran late the prior year (in 1914), the owners required it to be the first ship to depart in 1915. The picnickers, many of whom wanted to be on the first ship to depart, awoke early with excitement. “We got up at 4:30 in the morning,” wrote Mrs. C.C. (Mamie) Kelly, “and left our house at 5:40 to get the 6 a.m. train so as to get to the boat and get good seats.” The excitement and anticipation ended in a heartbeat on the fateful morning of the 1915 picnic. As the crowded ship began listing back and forth from port to starboard, many thought it was a joke. But when the boat listed over so far that the people began to slide across the floor, panic began. Not only did most passengers not recognize the impending disaster, the master of the Eastland, Captain Harry Pedersen, failed to evacuate the ship. He sounded the alarm, but only after it was too late. Passengers on the main deck panicked and rushed to the staircases leading upstairs. Sadly, the staircases proved to be the worst single death trap for those passengers within the interior decks of the ship. George Goyette was on deck when the Eastland rolled and described the experience: “What I saw was exactly what you see when you watch a lot of children rolling down the side of a hill. The entire crowd of men, women, and children came slipping and sliding and sprawling down with a mass of lunch boxes, milk bottles, chairs – rubbish of every sort – on top of them. They came down in a floundering, screaming mass, and, as the boat turned completely over on its side, crashed into the stairs, carrying them away.” Because the Eastland capsized so suddenly, no life boats or life rafts were launched, nor were any life jackets handed out. Once the Eastland went over, it came to rest in the muddy bottom of the Chicago River in just twenty feet of water. Its bow was a mere nineteen feet from the wharf. 844 people perished that day. Some were killed instantly after suffering a blow to the head. Many drowned, and perhaps just as many were suffocated and crushed to death by the sliding people and falling debris. Of the passengers who perished: •228 were teenagers •58 were infants and young children •70% were under the age of 25 •23 was the average age of those who died Of the 175 women who went home as widows, three were pregnant. The tragedy sent 84 men home as widowers. While months of planning and preparation for the excursion and picnic led up to the Eastland Disaster, the tragedy itself was, for all intents and purposes, over in a matter of minutes. The rescue, recovery and relief efforts following the tragedy, however, went on for weeks and months – and years – and decades. THE LOCATION Chicago is one of the worlds greatest cities, and millions of tourists visit every year. Every day, thousands of residents, commuters, and tourists walk past the site of the Eastland Disaster and dont even know it. Photo 1 There is a small plaque on the river walk that runs along the Chicago River that denotes the location of the disaster. The plaque is located between LaSalle and Clark streets on the Chicago River right in downtown Chicago. This was also the location of the disaster.. Photo 2 The SS Eastland docked Photo 3 View of Eastland from the south side of river after the accident Photo 4 Headline from the Chicago Examiner, July 25, 1915
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 22:06:04 +0000
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