Yet another first for the Eastland Disaster Historical Society is this first edition of our newsletter. Our newsletter will be published on a quarterly basis.

LKF (Little Known Facts)

The number of passengers that perished on the Eastland, 841, actually exceeds the number of passengers that perished on the well publicized shipwreck of the Titanic (which incurred a passenger loss of 829).

Congratulations!

More Congratulations!

M.B., who attends high school in Palatine, IL, entered the Chicago Metro History Fair. She wrote three stories, with each story being an Eastland passenger's tale. M.B. then re-enacted the stories by dressing in costume of the period, and reading the stories. M.B. advanced through the first two rounds of competition and has also advanced to the State finals in Springfield! Good luck and best wishes!

"...this is a great site!!!!!!!" P.M.

"I wish there were more (web sites) like this one." S.S., Atlanta, GA

"I am glad to see the websites trying to keep the memories of these tragedies alive." J.B., Queens, NY

"Thanks for all the info it really helped our grade on our research paper." L.R., Cicero, IL

"I think that you should have more interesting facts on the S.S.Eastland, such as photos." N.J., Connecticut

"A few minutes ago a patron came into our branch library looking for information on a ship named the "Eastland" that had capsized around the 1920s. After locating a periodical article, I searched the Internet and found your site. We were amazed at the amount of information provided and the patron was very happy to see the pictures. Needless to say, we had a very satisfied customer and your site helped in a great way. Thank you for your efforts." J.T.L., Associate Librarian, Day-Riverside Branch, Salt Lake City, UT

The Eastland Corner

Morris S. Gault was an immigrant from Odessa, Russia, where his family owned a fish market. He was raised on the shores of the Black Sea and learned to become a very strong swimmer, as did his entire family. He was known to have been excellent at the breaststroke. Morris worked as a tailor at the Hart, Shaffner, & Marx factory. When the Eastland rolled into the Chicago River, Morris was able to save people from drowning because he was such a strong swimmer. After assisting the rescue efforts, Morris returned home, changed out of his wet clothes, and later met his wife, Hattie, at the train station. Hattie shared her husband's story years later stating that ''Papa was as white as a sheet. He had helped bring people in during the rescue. He had returned home wet to the skin."

Of special interest to note is that July 24 represented a day of multiple milestones for Morris Gault: he helped with the rescue of the Eastland Disaster on July 24, 1915; his son Howard was born July 24, 1917; and Morris died on July 24, 1928.

Coming Soon To The Web!

Stories from people who might have been on the Eastland when it capsized were it not for some twist of fate that led to their being delayed or not attending the picnic at all. As every family's story always is, these stories are as captivating and moving as all of the others.

Did You Know...?

...that in the past three months, over 50 new guests have subscribed to our electronic mailing list!