Send us a text

Admiral Hyman Rickover—father of the nuclear navy and one of the most influential military figures of the 20th century—had a connection to the 1915 Eastland disaster that’s been virtually forgotten. As a 15-year-old Western Union messenger in Chicago, young Rickover delivered telegrams to grieving families throughout the night following the tragedy. What haunted him most? The undertakers who swarmed the scene, exploiting grief-stricken families for profit. “Where money is involved,” Rickover later wrote, “some people will stop at nothing to get it.”

This discovery emerged from a 1979 newspaper article—one of many overlooked historical threads I’ve been pulling while researching the human stories behind the Eastland Disaster. The revelation pairs perfectly with another significant find—court documents from the National Archives containing detailed personal injury claims filed by survivors against the steamship company.

These legal records give voice to survivors whose experiences have remained buried for over a century. Frank Brady described being “violently thrown” into the Chicago River, leaving his “nervous system greatly injured, shocked and shattered.” Harold Durkee detailed broken ankle bones and lost wages totaling what would be thousands in today’s dollars. Mrs. Abby Wiley recounted being trapped in the water, suffering injuries that prevented her from working while medical bills mounted.

These documents are invaluable primary sources—actual testimony rather than newspaper accounts or later retellings. They reveal not just the physical and emotional trauma of survivors, but the financial devastation many faced. A $10,000 claim in 1915 represents roughly $320,000 today, showing the magnitude of what these working-class families lost.

These stories were never truly hidden—they’ve been waiting here all along. Join me as we uncover the forgotten voices of the Eastland Disaster, stories that have lingered in plain sight, just waiting to be seen and heard.

Resources:

• Hyman G. Rickover, “Eastland Disaster,” Union Leader (Manchester, NH), May 28, 1979.
• National Archives and Records Administration. (n.d.). Folder 14: Claims and libels (Record Group 21, Records of District Courts of the United States, Law Case Files, In the matter of the petition of St. Joseph-Chicago Steamship Company, owner of the Steamer Eastland, for limitation of liability) [Court records]. National Archives Catalog. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/485300049?objectPage=83

• Book website: https://www.flowerintheriver.com/
• LinkTree: @zettnatalie | Linktree
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-z-87092b15/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zettnatalie/
• YouTube: Flower in the River - A Family Tale Finally Told - YouTube
• Medium: Natalie Zett – Medium
• The opening/closing song is Twilight by 8opus
• Other music. Artlist