From Eastland
Diaster.org
Early on the morning of Saturday, July 24, 1915, with a
light rain falling and the air filled with much anticipation and
excitement, thousands were gathering along the Chicago River for
Western Electric's fifth annual employee picnic. In fact, over
7,000 tickets had been purchased.
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, their families and friends across
Lake Michigan to Michigan City, Indiana, for the day's
festivities.
But the Eastland, docked at the Clark Street Bridge, never left
the Chicago River. It instead rolled into the river at the wharf's
edge with over 2,500 passengers, including crew members, on board.
Over 800 people lost their lives, including 22 entire
families.
Writer Jack Woodford gave the following first-hand account in
his autobiography:
"And then movement caught my eye. I looked across
the river. As I watched in disoriented stupefaction a steamer large
as an ocean liner slowly turned over on its side as though it were
a whale going to take a nap. I didn't believe a huge steamer had
done this before my eyes, lashed to a dock, in perfectly calm
water, in excellent weather, with no explosion, no fire, nothing. I
thought I had gone crazy."
From PrairieGhosts.com
In
recent years, the armory building, where most of the dead were
taken during the disaster, has been incorporated into HarpoStudios,
the production company owned by Oprah Winfrey.
But all of the success and attention that the show has brought
to the former armory building has done nothing to put to rest the
spirits of the EASTLAND. Many who work here claim that the ghosts
of the perished passengers are still restless in the new studios.
According to reports, many employees have had strange encounters
that cannot be explained, including the sighting of an apparition
that has been dubbed the “Gray Lady”. In addition,
staff members hear whispering voices, the laughter of children,
sobbing sounds, old-time music, the clinking of phantom glasses and
marching of invisible footsteps. The footsteps (which sound as
though they belong to a large group) are frequently heard on the
lobby staircase and nearby doors often slam shut without
assistance. A large number of the staff members believe this to be
a very haunted place!
The site of the disaster is not without its chilling stories
either. Today, the site is marked by a historical plaque,
commemorating the memories of those whose lives were lost. Some say
it is marked by other things as well..... namely cries of terror
from the victims of the tragedy. For many years, passersby on the
Clark Street Bridge claimed to hear cries and moans coming from the
river, along with the bloodcurdling sound of terrified screams.
Perhaps the horror of the event impressed itself on this place,
where it continues to replay itself over and over
again....
Difficulty level is due to very poor GPS signal in area, as well as
high muggle activity. Studying the map before your hunt will help.
Cache contains a small log only, so please bring your own pen and
write VERY small.