[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.”]
Across the lake, in Michigan City, the sad little lakeside park lay silent and still under the changing sky, all garnished and trimmed for a celebration that would never occur – on that day, or ever again. An advance party of Western Electric workers had been there for two days, preparing the town, and when the news reached them, they sat stunned in the deserted amusement part. Colorful floats sat unused in storage at the Indiana Transportation Company’s warehouse. Restaurants remained empty, their shelves brimming with extra supplies. The Vreeland Hotel, prepared for a gala banquet, sat vacant in eerie silence.
Mary Clark, a lovely, fair-haired eighteen-year-old who had been voted prettiest girl at the Hawthorne plant, was appointed the queen of the festivities and planned to lead the parade. She now lay dead in the Chicago River in one of the sunken berths of the Eastland.
Source:
Bonansinga, Jay R. “Chapter Thirteen – Somebody Made A Big Mistake.” The Sinking of the Eastland: America's Forgotten Tragedy. Citadel Press, 2005. 151. Print.
Further Reading;
If you enjoy this type of content, please consider donating to my Patreon!
I read many died because of their heavy clothing. Even those that could swim were quickly pulled down by the weight of it.