1915 — July 24, Crowded SS Steamer Eastland rolls-over at dock, Chicago, IL –812-844

–812-844 Blanchard range.*
— 1,000 Hicks, “The Eastland Disaster.” Safety Engineering. Vol. 30, No. 2, 1915, 101-108.
— 981 Information Annual 1915. “Eastland Disaster.” 1916, p. 122.
— 852 Historyorb.com. Today in Michigan History.
— 852 Wickware. The American Year Book: A Record of Events… Progress, 1915. p. 796.
–800-850 History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, July 24, 1915. Hundreds Drown in…
— 844 Eastland Disaster Historical Society. “The History: What Happened.” 2017.
— < 844 Eastland Memorial Society. “The Eastland.” -- 844 Bonansinga. The Sinking of the Eastland: America’s Forgotten Tragedy. 2005. -- 841 Lacko. The Eastland Steamer, 2001, p. 2 of 9. -- < 840 Groves. Eastland Disaster, Chicago… 2006. -- 835 Swayze. Great Lakes Shipwrecks beginning with the letter E. -- 812 Amer. Red Cross. Eastland Disaster Relief 1915-1918: Final Report of… 1918, p. 9. -- 812 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 242. -- 812 Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. EM DAT Database. -- 812 Safety Engineering. “Current Comment and News,” Vol. 30, No. 3, Sep 1915, p. 169. -- 812 Swayze. Great Lakes Shipwrecks beginning with the letter E. -- 812 US Steamboat Inspection Ser. Annual Report…Inspector Gen. for 1917. 1917, p.912. *We use a range of 812-844 given the uncertainty produced by the broad range of reporting (812-1,000). It appears to us from a reading of sources that 812 people died at the time. The American Red Cross report we cite notes that 812 people died and that some of the “considerable list of injured” died later. This, we speculate explains the number of 844 fatalities noted by several sources, not least of which is the Eastland Disaster Historical Society. We are skeptical of the sources noting more than 844 fatalities and thus do not use them in our own estimate. Narrative Information Eastland Memorial Society: “The Eastland rolled onto its side, spilling passengers into the river and trapping others underwater in the interior cabins, mostly women and children. The disaster claimed 844+ lives. This tragedy remains relatively obscure in American history, even though it resulted in the largest death toll of any single disaster occurring in the continental United States in the twentieth century…. “Certain operating restrictions impacted the design considerations. This ship would typically load in the Black River at South Haven, which had a normal depth of 12 feet. A sand bar which rested 1-1/4 miles into Lake Michigan off South Haven had a typical depth of 12 to 13 feet. It was this requirement led to the design of soon-to-be problematic water ballast system. Since the planned working schedule of the ship included an overnight departure from South Haven, the ship would require a large number of cabins for sleeping accommodations, and be uncommonly fast. Armed with these contractual requirements, Sidney designed a ship intended for 2,000 passengers with sleeping accommodations for 500 and twin-screws for unprecedented speed on the Great Lakes. The Eastland was eventually able to reach speeds slightly over 22 miles an hour which earned her the nickname, ‘Speed Queen of the Lakes’." (Eastland Memorial Society) Groves: “The following day, many employees, including fourteen-year-old Augusta Houillion who was still sick from the dirty river water she had swallowed when she was trapped in an air pocket inside the boat for hours, returned to work. Western Electric had informed its employees that anyone who did not report to work that day would lose his or her job.” (Groves 2006, Eastland) Hicks: “The overturning of the steamer Eastland in Chicago River on Saturday, July 24, which sent a thousand workers to an untimely and unwarned death, comes to us as a most horrible revelation of negligence and laxity, a grave dis¬obedience of the fundamental principles of safety. “The boat, which had been chartered by the Hawthorne Club, an organization of employees of the Western Electric Com¬pany at the Cicero plant, for an annual outing to Michigan City, was lying at her dock loaded with human freight, waiting for the captain's order to cast off on schedule time. She was scheduled to leave at 7.30 a. m. from her dock, on the south side of the Chicago river just west of the Clark street bridge, and, according to the government's rating, was author¬ized to carry 2,500 passengers. At the time of the accident she had a full load of men, women and children aboard. The tug which was to tow her out of the harbor was standing by with tow line fast but slack, waiting for the signal to start. The bow line was still fast to the dock and the stern line had just been cast off, when the boat, which was listing to port at a critical angle, turned on her side, away from the dock, and settled in the Chicago river, dumping part of her human load into the river and imprison¬ing hundreds more within the hull in staterooms, saloons and dance halls. “Some of the facts are still unknown; others are guarded as secrets by the Fed¬eral investigators; but certain important ones that are known indicate that this tragedy was a horrible realization of haz¬ards which, possibly, exist in other boats and which may be revealed in a similar manner at any moment, unless the les¬sons are heeded and steps are taken to correct the faults of existing and future excursion boats in particular, and of all passenger boats in general. “The Eastland was designed and built by the Jenks Shipbuilding Company, Port Huron, Mich., for the Michigan Trans¬portation Company, in 1903, under a contract in which speed was the prime fac¬tor. The contract price of $235,000, pro¬vided that the finished boat, without the aid of forced draft, should "maintain a speed of 20 miles an hour for four hours under test," with a penalty for a less speed and a bonus for a greater speed amounting to $2,500 for each quarter mile per hour under or above the con¬tract speed. Reference to safe carrying was omitted, but the original plans showed approximately 100 staterooms. Other specifications were executed in such a way that when finished the boat received the highest rating of star and crescent 100 in the Great Lakes Register. “Under the pressure for the demand for speed the boat was designed and con¬structed to carry no fixed ballast, depend¬ing entirely on water ballast to hold the vessel upright when loaded. This water ballast was, of course, easily removable, which, on account of that fact, was often done, usually causing the boat to list more or less. At one time in July, 1904, when carrying 2,142 passengers, the list became so great as to cause a panic. (The boat had a rating of 3,300 at that time.) The following article from the Chicago Tribune of July 18, 1904, de¬scribes the conditions then existing: Scare On Board A Steamer Use of Fire Hoses Found Necessary to Restore Order on The Eastland Lack of the usual amount of water ballast and an exceptionally large crowd of passen-gers on the steamer Eastland combined to cause much uneasiness on the return trip from South Haven last night. When the homeward voyage was begun, late in the after-noon, all passengers tried to find seats on the shady side of the boat. This caused the steamer to list heavily to starboard. Mem¬bers of the crew hastened to close the lower portholes. while many women secured life preservers and crowded to the steamer's rail, with the frightened men and women. This caused the boat to settle farther to starboard, and some of the passengers be¬came thoroughly alarmed. The crew was at once mustered by the offi¬cers, and an attempt was made to reason with the frightened men and women. The passengers refused to obey orders and finally, in order to drive them away from the rail, the. fire hose was used. It proved effec¬tive and the crowd went to the lower deck. “The women were persuaded into the smok¬ing room of the cabin, and were reassured by the officers, while the men were talked to outside by other members of the crew. The ship held to its course despite the petitions of the passengers to turn around, and reached Chicago at 11:30 o'clock. Many of the women insisted on wearing life preservers until the vessel reached its dock. Frank Dority is the captain of the Eastland, and Albert Jacobson is the first officer. The explanation of the careening given by the officials of the company is that on account of the shallowness of the water in the South Haven harbor, the 6,000 tons of water bal¬last was discharged. When the boat left the chambers had not been filled, and as the boat was loaded unevenly, it listed to starboard. “This and other bits of history had won for the Eastland the title of "crank of the lakes." The indications are that the ten water ballast tanks, considered essential for stability and safety, were not filled except after the occasion demanded and that even then they did not respond as quickly as they should. In spite of these facts the boat contin¬ued to operate with the Federal government's approval in and out of Chicago with varying capacities, according to certificates as follows: Date Passengers and Crew. July 8, 1903 2,800 June 24, 1904 3,300 July 23, 1905 2,800 June 18, 1906 3,000 “In 1907 the Eastland was sold to the Eastland Transportation Company of Cleveland for operation as a passenger and excursion boat on Lake Erie, but here the inspectors were not so generous in their ratings and allowed only 600 pas¬sengers when the trip carried the boat outside the five-mile limit. The boat con¬tinued to navigate in such a manner as to be regarded by seamen as "cranky" but, fortunately, without a mishap. In 1914 it was again sold, this time to the St. Joseph-Chicago Steamship Company for $150,000. The buyers were aware of the fact that it was a "bargain coun¬ter" boat and made an investigation to find out why. The result of the investi¬gation did not prevent the sale, however, nor cause material changes in construc¬tion. The new owners increased their capital stock, insured the hull and started operations to make money. They re¬ceived the following capacity ratings from government inspectors: Date Passengers and Crew June 8, 1914 2,120 June 12, 1915 2,253 July 2, 1915 2,570 “This covers briefly the history of the Eastland up to the fatal date of capsiz¬ing. The organizations and personnel which are directly interested and under¬going investigations as a result of the accident are as follows: Eastland Owners : St. Joseph-Chicago Steamship Com¬pany, St. Joseph, Mich. Geo. B. Arnold, president. Wm. H. Hull, vice president and general manager. Walter C. Steele, secretary. Ray Davis, assistant general man¬ager. Martin Flatow, general agent at Chicago. Lessees of the Eastland for July 24, and parties to the contract with Haw¬thorne Club: Indiana Transportation Company, Michigan City, Ind. S. W. Larsen, president. W. K. Greenebaum, general man¬ager. Boat Officers and Employees : Harry Pedersen, captain. Delbert Fisher, first mate. J. M. Erickson, chief engineer (son-in-law of Inspector Reid). C. F. Silvermail, first assistant en¬gineer. Fred G. Snow, second assistant en¬gineer. John V. Elbert, ship ganger. Peter Erickson, oiler (brother of the chief engineer). Government Inspectors : George Uhlers, supervising inspector-general, Washington, D. C. Charles H. Wescott of Detroit, supervising inspector eighth district (eighth district includes Lake Michigan). Robert Ried and Charles C. Eckloff, local inspectors of Grand Haven, Mich., who pronounced the East¬land safe for passengers, May 7, 1915. Ira B. Mansfield and William Nicholas, Federal inspectors at Chicago, who certified the Eastland's hull was seaworthy, July 6, 1915…. “Another condition revealed by the investigations is that ship-builders and designers are nor examined by Federal government or State authorities, but are assumed to be competent and to regard public welfare as more important than personal gain. Therefore, their ships are not examined or tested for stability or given a limited capac¬ity rating as a result of test conclusions. Neither are the operators of boats re¬quired to show the safe capacity, by test, of any craft before operation. Inspection departments, we are told, "have no au¬thority, money or men" to carry on such extensive investigations. The inspectors' duties consist simply of examining the component parts of boats and equipments, rating the boat for carrying capacity, then counting the passengers and pre¬venting more than the predetermined number from entering the boat at one time. They have no authority to demand water ballast tanks to be filled before the boat is loaded with people, even though the stability of the boat is dependent on these tanks. They have no authority to demand that water ballast be replaced with fixed ballast, when the load consists of human beings, yet they have authority to receive and grant requests for in¬creased ratings, as was the case in the Eastland's latest rating, when her capac¬ity on July 2, 1915, was raised from 2,253 to 2,570. “Passing on from the history and the reputation of the boat, and some of the surrounding conditions, to the accident itself and the events immediately pre¬ceding, according to the latest obtainable information, the ballast tanks were pumped out about 6 o'clock on the morn¬ing of the fatal day, which was cus¬tomary for the Eastland when in port in Chicago and South Haven. The engi¬neer's account gives the following records: A. M. 6.40—Water runs into No. 2 starboard tank. 6.53—A slight list to port. Water runs into No. 2 starboard tank for about 2 minutes. 6.55—A messenger sent from engine room to the purser to inform passengers to go to the port side. Boat returned to even keel. 7.16—A slight list to port. Nos. 2 and 3 starboard tanks partly filled. 7.20—Warmed up both engines. 7.25—Heavy list to port. 7.27—List grew heavier and a few minutes later went over. “The boat overturned between 7.30 and 7.40, which would give 5 or 15 minutes between the time noted when list was considered dangerous and the time the boat went over. The captain and crew were aware of the dangerous condition. The second assistant engineer stated that he had been employed only two days be¬fore the accident and had had 15 min¬utes' instructions in the operation of the ballast valves, which operation was in¬cluded in his duties. Recent evidence reveals: Coal was stored unevenly, the port pockets containing about 80 tons while the starboard pockets contained 25 tons; The boat was drawing 13 feet 6 inches of water aft and about 9 feet 6 inches forward; Two of the 10 ballast tanks were being filled; The tug was standing by; The gangway had been hauled aboard, 2 or 3 minutes before; The stern line was loosened, the bow¬line was holding; The crew had been warned of their danger, the passengers had not been warned; The Eastland, with 2,500 souls aboard, rolled over away from its dock in 20 feet of water. “Half of the hull, which was 369 feet long and had a 38-foot beam, and one of her twin screws, appeared above the water and served as an island of safety for a few who climbed over the rail as the boat turned. The port sides of all decks plunged into the river carrying with them nearly 2,300 people, cast to the mercy of 20 feet of water or trapped within the hull like rats, to perish, to pay the penalty of somebody's negligence. “Hundreds were cast into the water and made use of any floating or stationary object to keep their heads above water until they could be rescued. Hundreds of others were trapped below the decks or inside the compartments without hope of ever seeing daylight again—a sacri¬fice to ignorance and neglect, responsi¬bility for which is not yet established. “The first scenes of horror, however, eventually gave way to new ones when oxy-acetylene torches were started to open up the hull. At this point the cap¬tain of the overturned boat, who was conspicuous by his absence a few min¬utes before, appeared on the upturned hull and ordered them to stop their work of destruction of property. A few cool heads saved him from a more gruesome death than anyone else had experienced that morning, and the torch work con-tinued. “Hundreds were rescued through the sides of the boat in this manner and bodies were taken out to be sent to tem¬porary morgues and await identification by friends or relatives. “Divers performed their work inside and outside for more than a week, bring¬ing up hundreds of dead and a few per¬sons, who by reason of their location, still had enough life within them to receive artificial respiration and recover. One man was removed after three days of imprisonment above the water level of the river and was revived. “Rescue work was continuous, day and night, some of the rescuers working 36 hours on a stretch. The aftermath of this colossal tragedy with its revelations of heroism, grief, sor¬row, cowardice, graft and crime is yet to be told. Let it be hoped that the in¬vestigations will result in steps being taken to endow somebody with the "au¬thority, men and money" to forestall a similar slaughter in the future.” (Hicks, “The Eastland Disaster.” Safety Engineering. 30/2, 1915, 101-108.) Groves: “The Chicago Fire Department mobilized quickly, wielding axes, ropes, poles, and cutting torches, but the Eastland officers and crew initially tried to stop them from cutting into the hull to rescue trapped passengers. The crew fortunately relented and the firefighters were able to pull dozens of trapped passengers out through holes in the hull. Several civilian industrial welders also arrived on scene with their cutting equipment, but they were turned away by police officers that were controlling the scene….” (Groves 2006, Eastland) History.com: “Police divers pulled up body after body, causing one diver to break down in a rage. 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…. “The Eastland was pulled up from the river, renamed the Willimette and converted into a naval vessel. It was turned into scrap following World War II. All lawsuits against the owners of the Eastland were thrown out by a court of appeals and the exact cause of the tipping and subsequent disaster has never been determined.” (History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, July 24, 1915) “The 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 the Eastland was launched in 1903, it was designed to carry 650 passengers, but major construction and retrofitting in 1913 supposedly allowed the boat 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’.” (History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, July 24, 1915. Hundreds Drown in Eastland Disaster.”) “On Saturday, July 24, 1915, the passenger ship Eastland was docked in downtown Chicago on the Chicago River preparing to depart for a Lake Michigan cruise to Michigan City, Indiana for a Western Electric employee picnic….. At 6:30 a.m., preparations began for loading. The river was fairly calm. There was no wind and the skies were partly cloudy. By this time, 5,000 people had already arrived and were waiting to board.” (Eastland Memorial Society) Bands played for their entertainment as the waiting crowd grew larger. (History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, July 24, 1915) “…when the gangplanks were lowered, people rushed onboard so that they would not be denied the chance to ride the Eastland. The majority of those preparing to board the ships were actual employees of Western Electric. Because the company picnic was an important social event, a great many of the employees in attendance were young, single adults in their late teens or early 20's. “Soon after 2,500 passengers boarded the ship it began to list. First to starboard, then to port while still moored to the wharf.” (Eastland Memorial Society) “Some reports indicate that the crowd may also have all gathered on one side of the boat to pose for a photographer, thus creating an imbalance on the boat. In any case, engineer Joseph Erikson opened one of the ballast tanks, which holds water within the boat and stabilizes the ship, and the Eastland began tipping precariously.” (History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, July 24, 1915) Information Annual 1915: “Nine hundred and eighty-one persons were drowned July 24 when the steel excursion steamer Eastland capsized at her wharf in the Chicago river at Chicago. Figures of federal inspectors show that more than 2400 had boarded the vessel, mostly women and chil¬dren, her capacity being limited to 2500. The Eastland was about to leave her wharf with relatives and friends of employes of the Wes¬tern Electric Company for an excursion across Lake Michigan. The ship rolled over on its side in 25 feet of water within five minutes after it began to list. During the day more than 700 bodies were taken from the river and from the hull of the overturned steamer, whose sides were cut open with gas flames to admit divers. “A coroner's jury, July 28, returned a verdict laying the blame on six men: William H. Hull, general manager of the Chicago-St. Joseph Steamship Co., owner of the Eastland; Capt. Harry Pederson and Engineer J. M. Erickson of the Eastland, Robert Reed and J. C. Eckliff, federal inspectors of steamships and W. K. Greenbaum, general manager of the Indiana Transportation Co., lessee of the Eastland. “Six indictments charging manslaughter and criminal carelessness were returned in the Criminal Court in Chicago, Aug 11, in connec¬tion with the Eastland disaster. Those indicted were: George T. Arnold, President of the company, (St. Joseph-Chicago Steamship Company.) William H. Hull, Vice President and General Manager. W. C. Steele, Secretary-Treasurer. Ray W. Davis, Assistant Secretary-Treasurer. Harry Pedersen, Captain of the Eastland. Joseph M. Erickson, engineer. “Bonds were fixed at $20,000 each for the company officials and $10,000 each for Peder¬sen and Erickson. The two last named were charged with criminal carelessness and the offi¬cials with manslaughter. Separate bills were returned against the Captain and the engineer, while the four officials were named in a joint indictment. “The bill against the officials contained five counts, charging: 1. That they knew the Eastland was unseaworthy and had no stability. 2. That they permitted 2500 passengers aboard the vessel, which is more than its carrying capacity. 3. That they were negligent in hiring an incom¬petent engineer, who because of his lack of skill was unable to control the boat properly. 4. That the crew did not number enough hands to manage and control the Eastland properly. 5. That the ballast tanks were allowed to be out of repair and were not filled. “Against Captain Pedersen these charges were made: 1. That be permitted aboard the boat a larger num. her of passengers than she could safely carry. 2. That he neglected to warn the passengers to leave the Eastland when it became apparent to him that she was about to overturn. 3 and 4. That he was negligent in not seeing that the ballast tanks were in repair and were properly filled. 5. That he was negligent in not seeing that the gangways were closed when the ship was loaded. “Counts in the indictments against Erickson were in essentials similar to those against Pedersen. “The report of the Grand Jury found that the disaster was caused by "instability under conditions of loading," and stated that the instability was due to "one of three main causes, or any two, or all of them" as fol¬lows: 1. The overloading of the vessel with passengers. 2. The mishandling of water ballast. 3. The construction of the vessel. “The report says that the Eastland began loading passengers without water ballast, and belated efforts to fill the tanks failed. “"That the instability of the boat was not corrected years before, we regard as indicating criminal care¬lessness or incompetence on the part of all persons connected with the design, construction, control, operation and inspection of the boat," says the report. It points out that Federal inspectors had the right to refuse a permit to the boat, but that they are gener¬ally not trained men, and failed to make stability tests. “"The handling of the ballast by the officers of the boat indicates an entire lack of understanding of the nature and proper use of water ballast and an absolute disregard of safety after repeated warnings and frequent indications of extreme instability," con¬tinues the report, which also adversely criticizes the system of water ballast employed as not preventing the shifting of the ballast. “The jury recommended that expert Federal approval thereafter be required for the con¬struction of steam vessels, and constant inspec¬tion and supervision when in service. “W. K. Greenbaum, general manager of the Indiana Transportation Company, was indict¬ed on the charge of manslaughter in Chicago, Aug 27, by the Grand Jury. He was later ar¬raigned in court and released on a $10,000 bond. “That the sinking of the Eastland was not due to overcrowding was the report made to the Secretary of Commerce Aug 28 by Super¬vising Inspectors Nelson of Cleveland and Westcott of Detroit. A thorough investiga¬tion into all the circumstances connected with the Eastland from the time she was launched in 1903 showed that her passenger list varied from 2050 to 3300. The report was an attempt to justify the United States inspectors for issuing a certificate to the Eastland which per¬mitted her to carry 2500 passengers. When she capsized there were 2570 persons on board, of whom 70 were officers and crew. “The Eastland was restored to even keel Aug 14. No bodies were found in the hold. “Federal indictments, returned in Chicago, Sept 22, charged conspiracy and criminal care-lessness in the operation of an unseaworthy boat. “Those named in the true bills were: George T. Arnold, William H. Hull, Harry Pederson, Joseph Erickson. Walter K. Greenbaum, manager of the Indiana Transportation Company, which chartered the Eastland for the excursion. Robert Reed and Charles C. Eckliff. Government and Steamship Inspectors at Grand Haven, Mich. W. C. Steele, Secretary-Treasurer of the St. Joseph-Chicago Steamship Company, and the Indiana Transportation Company, as corporations. “The steamship Eastland, by order of Judge Landis, in Chicago, Sept 21, will be sold to satisfy a claim of $34,500 for the work of raising the boat from the river bottom. The auction will occur on Dec 20. “The steamer Eastland was sold at auction Dec 20 to Captain Edward A. Evers, of the Illinois naval reserve, for $46,000, who an¬nounced that the boat would be used by the naval reserve after certain alterations had been made in the hull. The Eastland was said to have cost the original owners $350,000.” (Information Annual 1915. “Eastland Disaster,” 1916, p. 122.) Safety Engineering, Aug: “In spite of the fact that most hazards are pre-determinable, the history of this country shows that it takes spectacular acci¬dents and calamities to sufficiently im¬press the public to demand action to eliminate certain hazards and thereby prevent a repetition of similar occur¬rences. It is to be hoped that the Eastland disaster will have an effect on present and future shipbuilding op¬erations and inspections similar to that of the Iroquois fire on theater con¬struction. “The facts so far established, in the Eastland case, reveal an entire disre¬gard of the fundamental, underlying principle of safety—that is, "where any man's operations are essential to the safety of himself and others, he should not only know it but be auto¬matically and constantly reminded of that fact." “The design of the Eastland made it necessary that the water ballast tanks should be filled when the boat was loaded, in order to retain stability. Not admitting for a moment that such a condition, in itself, is desirable or tol¬erable, yet, had the fact been known and the necessary measures taken to positively demand that this precaution be taken, the accident would not have happened. “It appears that only the designers and the builders were acquainted with this essential for the stability of the boat. Nothing so far developed shows that the government inspectors had any idea that the ballast tanks had a vital relation to the safety of the boat. If the inspectors knew, and failed to insist that the requisite for safety be complied with, nothing less than crim¬inal neglect can be charged against them. “Undoubtedly water ballast can be and is being used to advantage in "trimming," but when it is depended upon for stability in carrying a normal load, under 'normal and favorable con¬ditions, it is in direct opposition to the principle of safety which demands "that a boat or any other device be de¬signed and constructed to prevent re¬moval or misuse of essential parts." Clearly the design of the Eastland complied in no detail with that prin¬ciple. “Pertinent to the same principle, at¬tention should be called to the inade¬quate exit facilities employed by ex¬cursion boats when docked. Appar¬ently the Eastland officers gave no or¬der to use exits, but, had they done so, it is ventured as a fair opinion that the order would have had little effect on the magnitude of the tragedy because the exit facilities of the boat and the. dock were inadequate. In this respect, it must be charged that the City of Chicago was at fault. It would seem that the city which had the experience with the Iroquois fire would be the last of cities to disregard exit facilities, in any place where crowds assemble. As a matter of fact, a casual inspection of docks and methods for unloading ex¬cursion boats indicates that exit capacities are so inadequate that as much as 30 minutes may be required to un¬load some of the boats after the gang way is opened. Let it be assumed that the Eastland had caught fire in¬stead of overturning. The indications would be that the list of casualties would have been equally large if not greater. That phase of neglect can¬not be charged to the Federal inspec¬tion department. Docks are governed by local authorities and they should be subject to regulation, as respects the safety of the public, as much as the¬aters are. The exit problem for boats is simpler than for buildings in view of the opportunity for horizontal exits. The evidence indicates, however, a lamentable neglect, in the Eastland case, possibly due to ignorance. “One fact stands out prominently, as a result of the calamity. The Federal government must have the "authority, men and money" to supervise, not in a perfunctory manner but fundament-ally, the construction and the opera¬tion of all steamboats and steamships that are built to carry passengers. Definite rules and regulations must be formulated for determining the actual quota of passengers a ship can carry with safety. The inspector's opinion should not enter into the case at all. If the government has no men, at the present time, capable of formulating such rules, a board of naval architects should be formed to compile standards. Public safety demands this protection and the taxpayers, in their own inter¬est, are willing to pay the bill.” (Safety Engineering (Ed.). “Violations of Safety Principles” V. 30, No. 2, Aug, 1915, 121-122.) Safety Engineering, Sep: “The Federal Grand Jury at Chicago has indicted six officials of the steamboat company and two government inspectors in connection with the Eastland disaster, on July 24 last. The indictments charge conspiracy and criminal carelessness resulting in the death of 812 persons. Indictments were also found against the Chicago-St. Joseph Company and the Indiana Transportation Company, as corporations.” (Safety Engineering. “Current Comment and News,” Vol. 30, No. 3, September 1915, p. 169.) Swayze: “The passenger steamer Eastland capsized while pulling away from her dock for an excursion. She was heavily loaded with passengers and rolled over in her berth, trapping hundreds The ship's design was the main factor - flaws included a shallow draft and high center of gravity, an inadequate ballast system and the addition of several lifeboats and their associated gear on her upper deck (done due to the post-Titanic “Boats for All” law). This was the worst disaster in Great Lakes history in terms of loss of life. Recovered soon after, sold to U.S. govt. and converted to naval gunboat U.S.S. Wilmette… Scrapped in 1950.” (Swayze. Great Lakes Shipwrecks beginning with the letter E.) US SIS: “On July 24, 1915, the passenger (excursion) steamer Eastland, while lying at her dock at Clark Street, Chicago, 111., loaded with 2,500 passengers, rolled over on her side, resulting in 811 of the passengers and 1 of the crew, a total of 812 persons losing their lives. This disaster was the subject of a special investigation which was in the personal charge of the Secretary of Commerce and resulted in a special inquiry into inspection conditions on the Great Lakes by a committee of supervising inspectors, the members of which were selected by the Secretary.” (U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Steamboat Inspection Service. Report…Inspec. Gen. 1917, p. 912.) Wickware: “…excursion steamer Eastland capsizes at her pier in…Chicago River with a loss of 852 lives.” (Wickware. The American Year Book: A Record of Events and Progress, 1915. 1916, 800.) Information Quarterly: “Judge C. W. Sessions, at Grand Rapids, Mich., Feb 18, denied the government's application for a warrant of removal in the Eastland case. The six Michigan men indicted in connection with the disaster were set free as far as the case in the Federal Court there was concerned. "The dead cannot be restored to life," Judge Sessions said. "The law cannot be upheld by forcing men from their homes to stand trial among strangers on accusations which there is barely a scintilla of proof to sustain." “An important part of the ruling fixed the actual jurisdiction "within the body of Cook county and within the jurisdiction of the State of Illinois." This nullified that part of the indictments brought under Federal statutes. "By no fiction of law or fact can the Chicago River be regarded as Lake Michigan," said the court, "or as one of the high seas." “The six defendants were William H. Hull, St, Joseph, president of the Chicago & St. Joseph Steamship Company; George T. Arnold, St. Ignace, manager; Harry Pederson and Joseph Erickson, of Benton Harbor, captain and chief engineer; Robert Reid and Charles C. Eckliff, of Grand Haven, Federal inspectors. The State's Attorney in Chicago said the ruling would have no effect on the state's indictments. “By order of Sec. of Commerce Redfield, concurring in a decision of Justice Sessions, Robert Reid and Charles G. Eckliff were relieved from all responsibility in the disaster. The Sec's order restored the inspectors to duty, rank and pay.” (Information Quarterly. “`Eastland’.” Vol. 2, 1916, 34-35.) Sources American Red Cross, Chicago Chapter. Eastland Disaster Relief 1915-1918: Final Report of the Eastland Disaster Relief Committee, Chicago Chapter, American Red Cross. Chicago: ARC, 1918. Accessed 3-14-2020 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=njAuAAAAYAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=true Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. Boston: Mariners Press Inc., 1972. Bonansinga, Jay. The Sinking of the Eastland: America’s Forgotten Tragedy. Citadel, 2005. Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. EM DAT Database. Louvain, Belgium: Universite Catholique do Louvain. Accessed at: http://www.emdat.be/ Eastland Disaster Historical Society. “The History: What Happened.” Arlington Heights, IL, 2017. Accessed 3-14-2020 at: http://www.eastlanddisaster.org/history/what-happened Eastland Memorial Society. “The Eastland.” Accessed at: http://www.eastlandmemorial.org/ Groves, Adam. “Eastland Disaster, Chicago: July 24, 1915.” Ideals, Illinois Fire Service Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 2006. Accessed at: https://www.ideals.uiuc.edu/bitstream/2142/88/2/Eastland%20Disaster%2c%201915.pdf Hicks, R. W. “The Eastland Disaster.” Safety Engineering. Vol. 30, No. 2, August, 1915, pp. 101-108. New York: The Safety Press, Inc., 1915. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=QtcMAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=editions:LCCNsc80000582&lr History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, July 24, 1915. “Hundreds Drown in Eastland Disaster.” Accessed 12-08-2008 at: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&displayDate=07/24&categoryId=disaster# HistoryOrb.com. Today in Michigan History. Accessed 3-14-2020 at: https://www.onthisday.com/date/1915/july/24 Information Annual 1915: A Continuous Cyclopedia and Digest of Current Events. New York: R.R. Bowker Co., 1916. Digitized by Google At: http://books.google.com/books?id=9mNMAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false Lacko, Danielle. The Eastland Steamer (MEP-200-01). 3-30-2001, 9 pages. Accessed at: http://eastlanddisaster.org/educproj20010330.pdf Safety Engineering. “Current Comment and News,” Vol. 30, No. 3, Sep 1915, p. 169. At: http://books.google.com/books?id=QtcMAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=editions:LCCNsc80000582&lr Safety Engineering. “Violations of Safety Principles” (Editor). Vol. 30, No. 2, August, 1915, pp. 121-122. NY: Safety Press, Inc., 1915. Accessed 3-14-2020 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=QtcMAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=editions:LCCNsc80000582&lr Swayze, David D. Great Lakes Shipwrecks Beginning with the letter E. Accessed 4-9-2010 at: http://www.boatnerd.com/ United States Steamboat-Inspection Service. Annual Report of the Supervising Inspector General, Steamboat-Inspection Service to the Secretary of Commerce for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1917. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1917, 42 pages. Digitized by Google. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=KqfNAAAAMAAJ Wickware, Francis G. (Ed.). The American Year Book: A Record of Events and Progress, 1915. New York and London: D. Appleton and Company, 1916. Digitized by Google at: http://books.google.com/books?id=lPgOUea6FK0C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false