The USS Eastland was a passenger ship that tragically capsized in the Chicago River on July 24, 1915, causing the deaths of 844 people. Originally built in 1903, the ship was known for its instability and had experienced previous incidents. The disaster occurred during a company outing, with many employees and their families on board. The ship capsized while still tied to the dock, leading to a high number of casualties due to the swift and shallow waters of the river. The rescue efforts were hindered by the ship's design, which made it difficult to access the trapped passengers. The disaster had a profound impact on the city of Chicago and led to changes in maritime safety regulations. The USS Eastland was eventually salvaged, renamed several times, and served in various capacities before being scrapped in 1947. The tragic event remains one of the deadliest maritime disasters in U.S. history and serves as a reminder of the importance of safety measures and proper ship design.

This description has been generated using GPT-3.5-TURBO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.