CHICAGO — The Eastland Disaster Historical Society is tempting fate.
The historical society is hosting a cruise on the Chicago River as part of its weekend of events to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Eastland's sinking. Participants will embark on a Wendella Boats cruise at the exact spot between LaSalle and Clark streets where passengers of the doomed Eastland boarded, according to the society.
The boat will then follow the path the Eastland would have — if it hadn't, y'know, sunk — and will go down the Chicago River before ending where it started.
Kelly Bauer explains what Saturday's cruise will entail:
In case you're superstitious, the society's event notes that passengers' "safety and security is of paramount importance" to the group and Wendella.
The Eastland sunk on July 24, 1915, while moored to a dock on the Chicago River with more than 2,500 passengers and crew members aboard, according to the society. The ship tilted (or "listed"), filled with water and sunk to the bottom of the river, killing 844 people who were trapped inside.
The passengers were Western Electric employees and their families who were taking the Eastland to a company excursion. Twenty-two families were killed in the disaster.
A cruise to commemorate a boat's sinking isn't unheard of, even if it may raise eyebrows: The Titanic II, a replica of the famed "unsinkable" ship but with more life boats, is set to follow the Titanic's path in 2016.
The Eastland Disaster Historical Society's cruise is 8:30-10:45 p.m. Saturday. Tickets can be bought online for $35 for kids ages 4-11 and $60 for adults for non-members, though there is a discount for society members.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
