There have been several disasters throughout Chicago’s history that everyone remembers, such as The Great Chicago Fire and Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre. However, there is one disaster that has been forgotten by a lot of Chicagoland area residents. The S.S Eastland was a disastrous event that should be remembered for its interesting history, events during the disaster and aftermath.
The S.S Eastland also known as the “Speed Queen of the Great Lakes” has a long and detailed history in the Chicagoland area. The S.S Eastland was made by Jenks Ship Building Company in 1902 for the Michigan Steamship Company. In 1903, it was the first time the S.S Eastland took a trip on Lake Michigan. The S.S Eastland took daily trips from Chicago to South Haven…show more content… The news of the disaster spread rapidly through Chicago. People rushed to gather near the sinking boat to see what happened. Volunteer divers, firefighters, Coast Guard and Citizens of Chicago came to donate supplies and their time to help the victims and their families survive the horrible disaster. The donated material of a fish net help catch the floating bodies heading down the river. When the most possible amount of bodies of the alive and dead were out of the river, rescuers made the decision of cutting the boat open. This allowed volunteer divers to enter the boat safely to get as many bodies out as possible. As the young men started to cut there way through the boat, Harry Pederson (the owner of the boat at the time) order them to stop cutting through the boat because it was “Ruining his ship.” He then was arrested for his actions and words that harmed hundreds of people. As the volunteers kept pulling bodies out of the water volunteer vehicles were used to transport the bodies to a nearby building where waiting families could go and see if their family members perished. The vehicles were also used to transport the survivors to hotels, stores and hospitals to get cleaned and to have comfort from others. Phone calls were free for anyone who needed to contact family and friends about the tragedy. The days after the S.S Eastland sank, bodies were still getting pulled out of the water and families were still anxiously waiting to hear news about their loved ones. Days continued with support from local organizations and companies that donated money to the families who lost loved ones in this tragic event. A list of perished and alive passengers were made public within a few days of the disaster. The Western Electric company sent out a memo to employees stating how their thoughts and prayers go out to families who lost loved ones. They also explained that Wednesday, July 28,
