Ceremony on Chicago Riverwalk marks 109 years since 844 died in Eastland disaster

A commemoration event Wednesday marked 109-years since the Eastland ship disaster.

Descendants of the victims gathered along the Chicago Riverwalk for a moment of silence.

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It was in 1915 that the Eastland sank in the Chicago River, killing 844 passengers and crew.

The Eastland disaster has a devoted gallery as part of the Titanic: The Exhibition at Old Orchard Shopping Center in Skokie, which is open through Labor Day.

Wednesday's event began at 11:45 a.m. on the corner of Clark Street and Wacker Drive, which was the site of the one of the worst disasters in maritime history.

There was a moment of silence and a gesture of respect as those who were touched by the Eastland disaster gathered together again to commemorate their losses.

"We're here today to ensure the 844 victims, their families, the survivors, the responders and the bystanders are all remembered," said Barb Wachholz with the Eastland Disaster Historical Society.

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Back in 1915, what was suppose to be a day of fun for employees of Western Electric and their families quickly turned tragic. Shortly after some 2,500 of them boarded the SS Eastland for a picnic excursion to Michigan City, the ship, known as the " Speed Queen of the Great Lakes" rolled over.

Peter Hoffman Johnson Jr.' great-grandfather was the coroner at the time and responded to the tragedy.

"The Eastland has been largely forgotten and we need to change that," he said. "People need to know about this."

VALERIE BOWER Valerie Bower's grandfather, Erik Swangren, and pregnant grandmother, Emma Swangren, along with several other relatives, were onboard.

"He took my grandmother to a steel ladder and said, 'whatever happens don't let go of this,'" Bower said. "And when the ship went down he was able to find her and pull her up by her hair and save her life."

No one was ever held criminally responsible for the disaster, and none of the families were ever compensated for their loss.