Eastland Disaster: 1915 Tragedy in Chicago 🚢

On July 24, 1915, the SS Eastland rolled over while still tied to the dock in the Chicago River—killing 844 men, women, and children in just minutes. It was one of the deadliest maritime disasters in American history… yet few people have ever heard of it.

In this video, we explore the shocking story of the Eastland Disaster: how a seemingly routine outing turned into an unimaginable tragedy, why the ship was so unstable, and how this event exposed major flaws in maritime safety standards.

Why did the SS Eastland capsize so suddenly? Who was held responsible? And why has this disaster been largely forgotten by history?

SOURCES:
A number of sources were used for the writing of this script including the Eastland Disaster Historical Society, The Newberry Library, and 'The Sinking of the Eastland: America's Forgotten Tragedy' by Jay Bonansinga.

https://eastlanddisaster.org/
https://eastlanddisaster.org/news/survivors
https://collections.newberry.org/CS.aspx?VP3=DamView&VBID=2KXJA4EIRENK&PN=1&WS=SearchResults&FR_=1&W=1920&H=945
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57402757/harry-pedersen
https://www.restless-viking.com/2025/05/13/the-ss-eastland-tragedy/

Join us as we uncover the full story behind 'The Ship That Never Left the Dock.'

Oceanliner Designs explores the design, construction, engineering and operation of history’s greatest vessels– from Titanic to Queen Mary and from the Empress of Ireland to the Lusitania. Join maritime researcher and illustrator Michael Brady as he tells the stories behind some of history's most famous ocean liners and machines!

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0:00 Intro
02:12 SS Eastland's Poor Designs
10:19 The Disaster
25:04 The Tragic Aftermath