Steamship Eastland Disaster
On July 24, 1915, the Steamship Eastland partially capsized in the Chicago River, resulting in the deaths of over 800 passengers: employees of the Western Electric Company heading to a picnic in Michigan City, IN. The case was initially brought before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern (Chicago) Division of the Northern District of Illinois, but was soon transferred to Grand Rapids, where the ship’s owners hoped for a more friendly environment. The case United States vs. George T. Arnold, William H. Hull, Robert Reid, Charles C. Eckliff, Harry Pedersen, and Joseph W. Erickson includes hundreds of pages of transcripts describing the history of the ship, the competence of the crew, and the events on the day of the disaster. Clarence Darrow appeared for the defense. One striking image is of the ship after the rescue and recovery mission was complete, and shows the Eastland still capsized in the river.
Steamship Eastland Disaster. National Archives Identifier: 281841
View and download the case United States vs. George T. Arnold, William H. Hull, Robert Reid, Charles C. Eckliff, Harry Pedersen, and Joseph W. Erickson on the National Archives Catalog. This record is one example of many held in District Court Case Files at the National Archives at Chicago, IL. You can explore more of our holdings by visiting our online Catalog or by visiting our research room in person. These records are located within Record Group 21: District Courts of the United States, Series: Grand Rapids Criminal Case Files, 1878–2008. Many of the records in this collection have yet to be digitized. We encourage researchers to visit us onsite or contact us remotely to explore these records and learn more about the archival collections held in the National Archives at Chicago.