Case file · Haunting
The Eastland disaster
On 24 July 1915 the excursion steamer SS Eastland rolled over at her dock on the Chicago River, killing 844 passengers and crew, most of them Western Electric workers and their families.
1915 CE · 41.89, -87.63 · status: legend
The account
Bodies were laid out in the Second Regiment Armory, which later became Harpo Studios; staff there told ghost stories for years. Ghosts are also reported along the river at Clark Street.
The sceptical view
The capsizing was caused by the ship's instability and added lifeboats; the hauntings are folklore.