The Eastland Disaster: The Ship That Killed at the Dock

The Eastland never even left the dock. In 1915, packed with Western Electric workers and their families dressed for a company picnic, the top-heavy steamer simply rolled over onto its side in the Chicago River while still tied to the wharf. Eight hundred and forty-four people died in a few feet of water, in the middle of a city, on what was meant to be a day of celebration.

In this episode of Six Feet of History, August Mercer tells the story of how a ship capsized at its own mooring, why the disaster happened, and the lives lost within sight of the shore. Six Feet of History is a daily true history podcast digging up the dark, forgotten, and untold stories of the past. New episode every day.

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