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A tugboat rescues survivors from the Eastland. 
A victim is recovered from the hull of the Eastland. 
The Eastland rests on its side on the bottom of the Chicago River. The photo was taken from a fire tug while efforts continued to recover victims.
The S.S. Eastland, known as the “Speed Queen of the Great Lakes,” was part of a fleet of five excursion boats assigned to take Western Electric employees, families and friends across Lake Michigan to Michigan City, Indiana, for a day of fun and fellowship. But the festivities were short-lived and quickly turned tragic.The Eastland, docked at the Clark Street Bridge, never left the Chicago River. Tragedy struck as the ship rolled over into the river at the wharf’s edge. More than 2,500 passengers and crew members were on board that day – and 844 people lost their lives, including 22 entire families.
Learn more about the USS Eastland here where you can watch a new documentary about the disaster 104 years ago.
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