[The following is took place during the sinking of the SS Eastland. Context for the disaster, courtesy of Wikipedia: “The SS Eastland was a passenger ship based in Chicago and used for tours. On July 24, 1915, the ship rolled over onto her side while tied to a dock in the Chicago River. A total of 844 passengers and crew were killed in what was the largest loss of life from a single shipwreck on the Great Lakes.”]
For the less fortunate who had been tossed into the dirty currents, clothing became deadly. Even in the shallow waters of the harbor, a wet woolen suit weighted as much as an anvil. Women sank under the weight of their fancy, layered garments. Sodden silk overskirts, satin blouses, shoes, even plaited hair, became chains of iron, dragging their wearers down into the cold, silt-fogged darkness.
”Miss Korn fell in the water, and I was just able to grab her hair,” recalled a man who tried in vain to save his lady friend. “I held on as best as I could, and supported another lady at the same time. Suddenly I felt the weight relax and found myself holding only a handful of Miss Korn’s hair.”
Source:
Bonansinga, Jay R. “Chapter Eight – Down and Down.” The Sinking of the Eastland: America's Forgotten Tragedy. Citadel Press, 2005. 80. Print.
Further Reading:
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