RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, July 24, 2015 officially marks the 100lh Anniversary ofthe capsizing ofthe S.S. Eastland, a passenger excursion boat that overturned on the south bank ofthe Chicago River between the Clark Street Bridge and the LaSalle Street Bridge, killing 844 passengers and 72 crew members including 26 complete families, 290 children; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of this milestone by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, The victims of this tragedy were family members and employees of the Western Electric Hawthorne Works in Cicero, Illinois about to embark on a day-long company outing to Michigan City, Indiana where an annual picnic was to be held; and
WHEREAS, Design flaws making the steam ship susceptible to listing were detected not long after the craft was commissioned by the Jenks Ship Building Company of Port Huron, Michigan in 1903; and
WHEREAS, The likely mishandling of the water ballast system of this over-crowded vessel and other contributing factors, caused the Eastland to list dangerously to the port side before capsizing; and
WHEREAS, The resulting disaster represents the largest loss of life on the Great Lakes from a single maritime incident; and
WHEREAS, From the $50,000 settlement of a civil lawsuit and claims filed by creditors in the aftermath of the tragedy, there was no money left over to compensate the families of survivors; and
WHEREAS, Until 1988, there had never before been an official monument, signage, or similar historical remembrance authorized by the City of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, The Committee on Streets and Alleys, upon receiving a proposed order from the Commissioner of Public Works recommending installation of a marker conceived by students of the Illinois Mathematics & Sciences Academy in Aurora and the Illinois State Historical Preservation Society, granted permission; and
WHEREAS, Upon the motion of Alderman Patrick Levar to the Chicago City Council on December 14, 1988, installation of the sign...
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