Okla-homey
7/24/2007, 06:07 AM
July 24, 1915: Hundreds drown in Eastland disaster
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/20966/2005204560416534969_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005204560416534969)
The excursion vessel in happier days
92 years ago, on this day in 1915, the steamer Eastland rolls onto her side in the Chicago River, drowning between 800 and 850 of its passengers who were heading to a company picnic. The disaster was caused by serious problems with the ships design, which were known but never remedied.
Eastland was owned by the St. Joseph-Chicago Steamship Company and made money ferrying people from Chicago to picnic sites on the shores of Lake Michigan. When Eastland was launched in 1903, she was designed to carry 650 passengers, but major retrofitting in 1913 supposedly allowed the ship to carry 2,500 people.
That same year, a naval architect presciently told officials that the boat needed work, stating “unless structural defects are remedied to prevent listing, there may be a serious accident.”
On July 24, employees of the telephone equipment manufacturer Western Electric Company were heading to the company's annual picnic. About 7,300 people arrived at 6 a.m. at the dock between LaSalle and Clark streets to be ferried out to the site by five steamers.
While bands played, much of the crowd—perhaps even more than the 2,500 people allowed-- boarded Eastland. Some reports indicate that the crowd may also have all gathered on one side of the ship to pose for a photographer, thus creating a dangerous imbalance on the ship.
In any case, engineer Joseph Erikson opened one of the ballast tanks, which holds water within the vessel's hull to stabilize the ship, and Eastland began listing (tipping) precariously.
Some claim that the crew jumped to safety onto the dock when they realized what was happening. What is known for sure is that Eastland rolled onto her side alongside the pier, trapping hundreds of people on or underneath the large ship.
http://aycu21.webshots.com/image/24220/2005249895858039098_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005249895858039098)
Photo taken immediately after the ship rolled
Rescuers quickly cut through the steel hull with acetylene torches, allowing them to pull out 40 people alive. More than 800 others perished. Police divers pulled up body after body, causing one diver to break down in a rage.
http://aycu23.webshots.com/image/23982/2005283085465234470_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005283085465234470)
http://aycu36.webshots.com/image/23835/2000273709988056899_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2000273709988056899)
The city sent workers out with a large net to prevent bodies from washing out into the lake. Twenty-two entire families died in the tragedy.
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/20966/2005240990255685747_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005240990255685747)
Funeral of the Sindelar family of eight, entirely wiped out by the Eastland disaster. The truck contains the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Sindelar and their six children. From the Karl J. Sup Collection
Most of the corpses of adults and children were taken to Chicago's Second Regiment Armory, which is now home to Harpo Studios and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Some of the show’s employees have claimed that the studio is haunted by ghosts of the Eastland disaster.
http://aycu03.webshots.com/image/23282/2005273550424667376_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005273550424667376)
Eastland was salvaged from the river, renamed Willimette and converted into a naval vessel. Eastland/Willemette was sold for scrap following World War II. All lawsuits against the owners of Eastland were dismissed by an Illinois appeals court and the exact cause of the listing and subsequent partial capsizing has never been determined.
http://aycu14.webshots.com/image/21573/2005278910294595388_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005278910294595388)
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/20966/2005204560416534969_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005204560416534969)
The excursion vessel in happier days
92 years ago, on this day in 1915, the steamer Eastland rolls onto her side in the Chicago River, drowning between 800 and 850 of its passengers who were heading to a company picnic. The disaster was caused by serious problems with the ships design, which were known but never remedied.
Eastland was owned by the St. Joseph-Chicago Steamship Company and made money ferrying people from Chicago to picnic sites on the shores of Lake Michigan. When Eastland was launched in 1903, she was designed to carry 650 passengers, but major retrofitting in 1913 supposedly allowed the ship to carry 2,500 people.
That same year, a naval architect presciently told officials that the boat needed work, stating “unless structural defects are remedied to prevent listing, there may be a serious accident.”
On July 24, employees of the telephone equipment manufacturer Western Electric Company were heading to the company's annual picnic. About 7,300 people arrived at 6 a.m. at the dock between LaSalle and Clark streets to be ferried out to the site by five steamers.
While bands played, much of the crowd—perhaps even more than the 2,500 people allowed-- boarded Eastland. Some reports indicate that the crowd may also have all gathered on one side of the ship to pose for a photographer, thus creating a dangerous imbalance on the ship.
In any case, engineer Joseph Erikson opened one of the ballast tanks, which holds water within the vessel's hull to stabilize the ship, and Eastland began listing (tipping) precariously.
Some claim that the crew jumped to safety onto the dock when they realized what was happening. What is known for sure is that Eastland rolled onto her side alongside the pier, trapping hundreds of people on or underneath the large ship.
http://aycu21.webshots.com/image/24220/2005249895858039098_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005249895858039098)
Photo taken immediately after the ship rolled
Rescuers quickly cut through the steel hull with acetylene torches, allowing them to pull out 40 people alive. More than 800 others perished. Police divers pulled up body after body, causing one diver to break down in a rage.
http://aycu23.webshots.com/image/23982/2005283085465234470_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005283085465234470)
http://aycu36.webshots.com/image/23835/2000273709988056899_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2000273709988056899)
The city sent workers out with a large net to prevent bodies from washing out into the lake. Twenty-two entire families died in the tragedy.
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/20966/2005240990255685747_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005240990255685747)
Funeral of the Sindelar family of eight, entirely wiped out by the Eastland disaster. The truck contains the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Sindelar and their six children. From the Karl J. Sup Collection
Most of the corpses of adults and children were taken to Chicago's Second Regiment Armory, which is now home to Harpo Studios and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Some of the show’s employees have claimed that the studio is haunted by ghosts of the Eastland disaster.
http://aycu03.webshots.com/image/23282/2005273550424667376_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005273550424667376)
Eastland was salvaged from the river, renamed Willimette and converted into a naval vessel. Eastland/Willemette was sold for scrap following World War II. All lawsuits against the owners of Eastland were dismissed by an Illinois appeals court and the exact cause of the listing and subsequent partial capsizing has never been determined.
http://aycu14.webshots.com/image/21573/2005278910294595388_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005278910294595388)