The Sinking Of The Eastland: America's Forgotten Tragedy

Chicago, Saturday, July 24, 1915: Over two thousand Western Electric employees and their families, dressed in their finest, arrive early at the riverfront to board the Eastland, a bold and breathtaking steamship. The boat is scheduled to ferry its passengers to the annual company picnic in Michigan City. Suddenly, as it sits in port, the Eastland begins to list. While thousands of people watch in horror, the ship rolls to its side and silently capsizes, killing a staggering 844 people... The Eastland tragedy was witnessed by nearly 10,000 bystanders and claimed more lives than the infamous Chicago Fire. Taking place in broad daylight on the city's bustling wharfside, it was a heartbreaking maritime disaster that sorrowfully echoed the sinking of the luxury liner Titanic just three years earlier. But the victims of this terrible mishap weren't among the world's most rich and famous. They were everyday people who worked hard for the right to enjoy a day's pleasure. They did not know that for many aboard, this day would be their last. And the only thing more shocking than the event that took their lives is the fact that it has been all but forgotten. Until now...