SS Eastland was a passenger ship based in Chicago and used for tours. On 24 July 1915, the ship rolled over onto its side while tied to a dock in the Chicago River.[​1] In total, 844 passengers and crew were killed in what was the largest loss of life from a single shipwreck on the Great Lakes.[​1][​2]


SS Eastland in Cleveland (1911)SS Eastland in Cleveland (1911)History United StatesNameEastlandOwnerMichigan Steamship CompanyRouteSouth Haven, Michigan - Chicago, IllinoisOrderedOctober 1902BuilderJenks Ship Building CompanyLaunched6 May 1903ChristenedMay 1903 by Francis Elizabeth StufflebeamMaiden voyage16 July 1903Nickname(s)"Speed queen of the Great Lakes"Honors andawards1903 First Team All Boat 1903 Boat of the YearFateSold during 1905 to the Michigan Transportation CompanyUnited StatesNameEastlandOwnerMichigan Transportation CompanyOperatorChicago-South Haven LineRouteSouth Haven – Chicago routeFateSold 5 August 1906, to the Lake Shore Navigation Company of Cleveland, OhioUnited StatesNameEastlandOwnerLake Shore Navigation Company of Cleveland, OhioRouteCleveland-Cedar Point routeFateSold during 1909 to the Eastland Navigation Company of Cleveland, OhioUnited StatesNameEastlandOwnerEastland Navigation Company of Cleveland, OhioRouteCleveland-Cedar Point routeFateSold on 1 June 1914 to the St. Joseph-Chicago Steamship Company of St. Joseph, Michigan.United StatesNameEastlandOwnerSt. Joseph-Chicago Steamship Company of St. Joseph, MichiganRouteSt. Joseph, Michigan, to Chicago routeFateRaised after accident in October 1915 and sold at auction on 20 December 1915 to Captain Edward A. Evers, sold on 21 November 1917 to the Illinois Naval Reserve.United States NavyNameUSS WilmetteAcquired21 November 1917Commissioned20 September 1918Recommissioned29 June 19209 April 1945Decommissioned9 July 191915 February 194028 November 1945RenamedWilmette on 20 February 1918Reclassifiedgunboat 1918IX-29 on 17 February 1941Stricken19 December 1945Honors andawardsWorld War I Victory Medal ribbon.svg World War I Victory Medal(with Atlantic Fleet clasp)American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg American Defense Medal(with Fleet clasp)American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg American Campaign MedalWorld War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg World War II Victory MedalFateSold for scrap on 31 October 1946 to Hyman Michaels Company of Chicago and scrapped, scrapping completed in 1947General characteristicsTypePassenger ShipTonnage1,961 grossDisplacement2,600 (estimated)Length265 ft (81 m)Beam38 ft 2 in (11.63 m)Draft19 ft 6 in (5.94 m)Installed powerTwo triple expansion steam enginesFour Scotch marine boilers (coal fired)1,750 shpPropulsionTwo shaftsSpeed16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)CapacityAs Eastland: 2,752 passengersComplementAs USS Wilmette: 209ArmamentAs USS Wilmette:Four 4-inch gunsTwo 3-inch gunsTwo 1-pounder gunsNotesTwo funnelsTwo masts

After the disaster, Eastland was salvaged and sold to the United States Navy. After restorations and modifications, Eastland was designated a gunboat and renamed USS Wilmette. She was used primarily as a training vessel on the Great Lakes, and was scrapped after World War II.