[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 116 (Thursday, July 23, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1113]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE ``EASTLAND'' DISASTER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 23, 2015

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the victims of the 
Eastland disaster--a shipwreck which resulted in the deaths of 844 
passengers and crew--on the 100th anniversary of the tragedy.
   One hundred years ago, thousands of employees of Western Electric 
were preparing for a rare day off of work, taking a boat ride across 
Lake Michigan to enjoy an annual picnic. Tragically, for 844 passengers 
and crew on the Eastland, their vessel listed and tipped over, and they 
soon drowned in the Chicago River. Many were immigrants from Central 
and Eastern Europe, living in Berwyn, Cicero, and the surrounding 
Chicagoland area, and their loss left an enduring mark on these 
communities--22 families were completely wiped out, and 19 families 
were left without parents. I will always remember my grandmother 
talking about the tragedy and the mark it left on her.
   The Eastland shipwreck remains to this day the greatest loss of life 
in a single disaster in Illinois history. It is a shame that the 
victims and heroes of the Eastland disaster have been largely forgotten 
by the American people. That is why I have introduced a resolution 
commemorating the Eastland. I believe it is absolutely necessary that 
we here in Congress pay our respects to the working class families who 
lost their lives on that terrible summer day. Along with honoring the 
victims and survivors of the disaster, my resolution includes 
references to the historical significance of the sinking of the 
Eastland and recognizes the brave first responders who risked their own 
lives to save hundreds of passengers and crew.
   I would like to thank my colleagues from Illinois for cosponsoring 
this measure. I think it is also important to commend the hard work 
that the Eastland Disaster Historical Society has done in researching, 
promoting, and educating the public about this important historical 
event, and its broader effect on Chicagoland.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to remember the victims and heroes 
of the Eastland disaster, and to remain dedicated to avoiding such 
tragedies in the future.

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