A Deadly Disaster Lecture

The SS Eastland Disaster 100 Year Anniversary

The Michigan Maritime Museum is proud to welcome back speaker Michael McCarthy. McCarthy will be giving a lecture on the 1915 Eastland disaster titled after his book, Ashes Under Water: The SS Eastlandand the Shipwreck that Shook America. He will present at the Listiak Auditorium in South Haven at 7pm on Wednesday, July 29. He will be available for a book signing prior to the lecture.

This year marks the centennial of one of the nation's worst disasters, the 1915 sinking of the steamship Eastland in the Chicago River, with more passenger deaths than theTitanic. An astonishing 844 poor people perished on the Eastland—a ship still tied to its dock when it capsized.

McCarthy will be presenting on the content of his book, Ashes Under Water: The SS Eastland and the Shipwreck that Shook America. For a century, the cause of the nearly forgotten tragedy had remained a mystery. McCarthy’s work offers a fresh, sinister explanation for the tragedy: that management neglected needed repairs to the stabilizing machinery of the ship.

Michael McCarthy, who learned to sail on Lake Michigan, is the author of The Sun Farmer and worked as a reporter and editor for the Wall Street Journal for twenty-two years. He currently lives in South Haven, Michigan.

Admission is $10. There is no admission fee for Museum members. Tickets are available at the Michigan Maritime Museum or online at www.michiganmaritimemuseum.org/store/, 

The Michigan Maritime Museum is dedicated to the preservation of Michigan Great Lakes waterways, maritime history, and culture. Located at the drawbridge in South Haven, the museum is a 501 (C3) organization and donations are tax deductible. For more information call 1-800-747-3810 or visit michiganmaritimemuseum.org.