The Eastland Disaster Killed More Passengers than the Titanic and the Lusitania.

[MULTIZ321]

The Eastland Disaster Killed More Passengers Than the Titanic and the Lusitania. Why has it been Forgotten? - by Susan Q. Stranahan/ History/ SmithsonianMag.com

"Chicago’s working poor were expecting a day in luxury. They instead faced a horrific calamity on Lake Michigan..."

One of the greatest inland waterways disasters in the history of the United States took place in the Chicago River, Chicago, Ill., July 24, 1915, when the steamship Eastland capsized with a loss of near 850 lives. The photo shows the ill-fated ship after it had turned "turtle." (© Bettmann/CORBIS)


Richard

 

[Passepartout]

Kind of mislabeled here. 1,517 lost their lives on Titanic, and 1,195 were lost when Lusitania went down. Eastland capsized with a loss of 'nearly 850.' So really, just over 1/4 as many people died on the Eastland disaster as the other two combined.

Of course, if you or a loved one was one of the roughly 3,500 who died, the disaster strikes closer to home. That's when 'disaster', becomes 'catastrophe'.

Jim

 

[MULTIZ321]

Kind of mislabeled here. 1,517 lost their lives on Titanic, and 1,195 were lost when Lusitania went down. Eastland capsized with a loss of 'nearly 850.' So really, just over 1/4 as many people died on the Eastland disaster as the other two combined.

Of course, if you or a loved one was one of the roughly 3,500 who died, the disaster strikes closer to home. That's when 'disaster', becomes 'catastrophe'.

Jim

Hi Jim,

I think the author was making a differentiation between passengers and crew who died -

"...Just 10 weeks earlier, the Lusitania had been torpedoed and sunk, with a death toll of 785 passengers. In 1912, 829 passengers had died aboard the Titanic (plus 694 crewmembers). Both of those disasters took place on the high seas..."

and focused only on the number of passenger deaths.

Horrific disaters/catastrophes all 3.

Best regards,

Richard

 

[Passepartout]

OK, I see the differentiation now. Duh. By that scale, no one died on the Arizona. They were all crew, so didn't count. Somehow, when those folks who's lives were lost lined up before St. Pete, I doubt they were asked, "Passenger, or crew?"

 

[Clemson Fan]

You must get the same Smithsonian emails I get because invariably when I see an interesting story and read about it I come to TUG and see that you've posted it.

 

[silverfox82]

How about the General Slocum. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS_General_Slocum

 

[Wonka]

The Eastland Disaster Killed More Passengers Than the Titanic and the Lusitania. Why has it been Forgotten? - by Susan Q. Stranahan/ History/ SmithsonianMag.com

"Chicago’s working poor were expecting a day in luxury. They instead faced a horrific calamity on Lake Michigan..."

One of the greatest inland waterways disasters in the history of the United States took place in the Chicago River, Chicago, Ill., July 24, 1915, when the steamship Eastland capsized with a loss of near 850 lives. The photo shows the ill-fated ship after it had turned "turtle." (© Bettmann/CORBIS)


Richard

Thanks for posting. I never heard anything about this tragedy after having lived in the Chicago area for almost 34 years. Go figure...

 

[DebBrown]

Thanks for posting. I never heard anything about this tragedy after having lived in the Chicago area for almost 34 years. Go figure...

Me, too! I knew nothing about this before today.

Deb