Flower in the River: A Family Tale Finally Told

Eastland 1905: Burning Water, Missed Warnings

• Natalie Zett • Season 3 • Episode 105

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In this episode, I explore a seldom documented incident involving the Eastland steamship from August 1905—ten years before the infamous Eastland Disaster of 1915. This forgotten event reveals important patterns in the ship's troubled history and adds crucial context to understanding the later tragedy.

Episode Highlights:

  • Rosemary Pietrzak's Passing: I begin with a tribute to Rosemary Pietrzyk, who passed away at 94. Rosemary was the first person I met who also lost family in the Eastland Disaster, and her insight that "They didn't die on the Eastland, but they died of the Eastland" continues to guide my research.
  • The Forgotten 1905 Incident: I share two newspaper articles from August 13, 1905, documenting a serious accident involving the Eastland at South Haven, Michigan. The gasoline ferry launch "Phylidia" was destroyed when it came too close to the Eastland's propellers, causing an explosion that hurled over 20 passengers into the water.
  • Burning Water: Several victims suffered burns when the gasoline ignited on the water's surface. Heroic rescuers, including Chicago resident Gordon Eckerson, pulled victims from the blazing water.
  • The Major Sisters: I explore the lives of Ethel and Kate Major, two Chicago sisters who survived the 1905 incident. Kate, despite severe burns to her legs, went on to become an accomplished opera singer who performed with John Philip Sousa before her death in 1925.
  • Captain Walter Donahue: The launch captain ignored warnings about getting too close to the Eastland's propellers. My research reveals he was a Spanish-American War veteran who later suffered from a devastating illness.
  • Hidden Histories: This incident demonstrates how important historical events can be overlooked or forgotten. 

New Short Story by Natalie Zett


Natalie Zett:

Hello, I'm Natalie Zett and welcome to Flower in the River. This podcast, inspired by my book of the same name, explores the 1915 Eastland disaster in Chicago and its enduring impact, particularly on my family's history. We'll explore the intertwining narratives of others impacted by this tragedy as well, and we'll dive into writing and genealogy and uncover the surprising supernatural elements that surface in family history research. Come along with me on this journey of discovery. Well, hello there, this is Natalie, and welcome to episode 105 of Flower in the River, and I'll just get into the episode here, because there's a lot to share with you. Earlier this week I learned that another member of the Eastland disaster family, rosemary , passed away at the age of 94. Oh, rosemary. She was the first person I met back around the year 2000 who also had lost family on the Eastland, specifically who also had lost family on the Eastland. Specifically, rosemary's mother had lost a brother, two sisters-in-law and an infant nephew in the disaster. She was the first person I met early on in my own discovery journey who truly understood what I was feeling and going through about all of this. While I had just discovered my family's connection to the Eastland disaster, rosemary had grown up with it and she was shocked that I only recently learned about it back then, and she wanted to know how I found out, how I was feeling and how I was coping. I loved her curiosity and her empathy. She was a retired school teacher who had spent much of her life in Cicero, illinois, and I featured Rosemary's story in episode 70, which was called From Hawthorne Works to Heartbreak Legacy of Loss, and in my recent discovery of records from the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America, I found detailed information about her family. Now I haven't shared it yet because most of these records are in Polish, so I'm working on getting them translated, but it's high on my list and now, hearing about Rosemary's death, this makes it even more important to get this part done, and I'll get that information to you.

Natalie Zett:

I lost touch with Rosemary over the years. We corresponded for a bit and I wasn't sure if she was still living. I had the feeling that she might not be only because she was the same age as my mother, who passed away a couple of years ago. But this week one of her nieces, who had listened to that podcast episode that I told you about, reached out to let me know that Rosemary had passed away At the end of this episode I'll read a tribute to Rosemary that I wrote, and in a future episode I'm going to revisit her family's history, incorporating whatever I uncover from these newly found records. But let's get going with this episode, because there's a lot to share with you.

Natalie Zett:

I am going to read two articles from two different Chicago papers from August 1905. Please keep in mind that this is 10 years before the Eastland disaster, the one that we all know about, and while the most authoritative book on the Eastland disaster is George Hilton's book, unless I was looking in the incorrect places in the book, this story have never been covered. And I looked in other locations as well, and I could not find any mention of this story in any other website or book about the Eastland disaster, specifically about the Eastland's history. The types of patterns that I've seen while doing this deep research into the people of the Eastland is that history cannot be ignored forever. It can be ignored for a long time, as we're seeing here, but not forever, and that's the good news. The breakthroughs often come vis-a-vis old newspapers. These old newspapers give us a lot of the history. So let's go. This is from the Chicago Sunday Tribune, august 13th 1905. Get ready for this.

Natalie Zett:

One Headline loaded launch blows up, runs into propeller of Eastland at South Haven, michigan, hurls 20 into water. Crowd cheers, rescuers of women with clothing blazing. While the steamer Eastland at the South Haven dock was taking on passengers for Chicago last evening taking on passengers for Chicago. Last evening, the gasoline reservoir exploded on the launch Validia which was in use as a tender. More than 20 persons aboard the launch were hurled into the water. Several of them were severely burned and all narrowly escaped drowning. The rescue of the women struggling in the water, many of them with garments covered with blazing gasoline, was witnessed by the excited passengers on the decks of the big steamer. Gordon Eckerson, a Chicago boy residing at 1186 Lawndale Avenue, was on the Eastland when the explosion occurred. He went into the water and distinguished himself by rescuing several of the victims, receiving great applause from the crowds and kisses and hugs of gratitude from those whom he pulled safely ashore.

Natalie Zett:

Five Chicagoans in Water. Among those on the ferry were the following residents of Chicago Stella Barnes, 163 Lincoln Avenue. Suffered from shock, pulled out of the water to the shore by Gordon Eckerson. To the Shore by Gordon Eckerson. Edgar Clock, 2076 Jackson Boulevard, taken out uninjured. Orla Love breakman, 63 South 41st Avenue, inhaled fire conditions serious. Ethel Major stenographer, 2130 Monroe Street, rescued by Eckerson. Kate Major, music teacher, 2130 Monroe Street, burned severely about the legs, taken out of water by lifesavers lifesavers Taking out a load of passengers.

Natalie Zett:

The launch was transporting its load of passengers from the north side of the Black River to the Michigan Steamship Company's pier where the Eastland was waiting. At 5 pm, as the small craft approached the steamer, the big vessel was moving up to the wind. The launch was caught by the undercurrent and came in contact with one of the moving twin screws, which tore a big hole in the Felidia's side. The shock hurled some of the passengers from the launch. Others jumped, believing the craft would sink. Then came an explosion, evidently from a spark, striking the torn point in the gasoline tank, and in an instant the boat was a mass of flames. Frightened women with their clothing ablaze leaped into the water and others ran about helplessly screaming for aid. Within a few minutes, a score of rowboats were on the scene, engaged in picking up the persons struggling in the water. Men sprang from the piers to the rescue and their work was cheered by the big crowd that thronged the Eastland Rescuers on the scene. Eckerson was standing on the dock when the explosion occurred. Without removing any of his clothing, he plunged into the water and dragged Miss Ethel Major and Miss Barnes to land. Then the work of rescue was taken up by the boat of the life-saving crew, which took ashore five exhausted men and women. Claire Porter of South Haven also saved several persons. When rescued, love was in critical condition. He had inhaled the flames. Miss Kate Major's clothing had caught fire before she leaped, but the water extinguished the flames. Fire before she leaped, but the water extinguished the flames.

Natalie Zett:

Clock declared that Pilot Donahue was to blame for the accident. The pilot, he said, had been told not to go too near the Eastland screws but had replied I have been 18 years in this business and know what I am doing. The next moment, said Clock, the steamer struck the launch. I dragged out one girl just as she was going under for the third time. Launch ran too close.

Natalie Zett:

Second, officer F E Moores of the Eastland was in charge of the afterdeck at the time of the accident, said Captain FA Doherty of the Eastland. He reported to me that the launch ran too close and was caught in the swell of the steamer. It was thrown against the pier and the gas escaping from the gasoline exploded. It was proper for the men in the boat to watch out for us and not us for them. Edward Horn, 111 Franklin Street, was among the Eastland passengers. He said the launch came close, alongside the ship's wheel. One of the men in the boat was warned to be careful. He retorted that he knew his business. A second later the boat struck something and there was an explosion. The river was covered with blazing gasoline. It seemed less than a minute, however, when the life crew was alongside and picked up those in the water.

Natalie Zett:

End of article. I'm going to go on to the second article. It was reported in a different newspaper and you're going to hear some different name and you're going to hear some different name changes. You're going to hear some nuances and I will define these various terms because I had to look them up as well. But keep listening because this just builds in suspense. And again, remember this is 10 years before the Eastland disaster took place. This article is from the Interocean and the date is August 13, 1905. The Interocean was published in Chicago. Listen to this Launch demolished.

Natalie Zett:

Chicagoans rescued Craft with 20 passengers torn to pieces by propeller of Eastland. Women's dresses catch fire when gasoline explodes. More than 20 persons, including several Chicagoans, almost lost their lives in the river at South Haven, michigan, last night when the gasoline ferry launch Philidia blew up and sank after a collision with the whirling propellers of the steamer Eastland. The death of women, whose clothes on fire with blazing gasoline, was only averted by heroic action on the part of rescuers who leaped into the water and pulled passengers from the sinking wreck. The life-saving crew at South Haven is still engaged in dragging the river for lost property valued at hundreds of dollars. A desire on the part of Walter Donahue of the Philidia to run into the wake of the Eastland is declared to have caused the accident, which resulted in the bottom being torn out of the launch by the propeller blades of the big excursion boat and the explosion of the gasoline tank Chicago Boys to the Rescue. Among those who were rescued were Mrs Ethel and Kitty Major, 2130 Monroe Street, chicago. Orla Love, 63 South 41st Street, chicago. Stella Barnes, 163 Lincoln Avenue, chicago, and Walter Donahue and Eddie Robinson of South Haven. Gordon Eskerson Eskerson, 1186 Lawndale Avenue and EK Clock, 32080 Jackson Boulevard, chicago, leaped from the dock into the water and rescued two women each before the lifesavers could man a boat and reach the scene of the accident. The rescued persons were hurried to the Sleepy Hollow and other hotels for dry clothing and medical attendance.

Natalie Zett:

The accident happened at seven o'clock in the evening. The Eastland had discharged her load of passengers and was turning around in the river. The suction of the wheels caught the launch and in a moment the blades crashed through the bottom of the little craft which was backing across the river. As the water ran aft to the engine, the gasoline tank exploded and those who had not already jumped overboard were thrown into the river. Dresses catch fire. The girls' dresses caught fire. The major girls were next to clock and it is to him and Eskerson that they owe their lives. Walter Donahue, who was operating the boat and who is declared to have disregarded warnings from spectators who foresaw danger from the screws, has disappeared and is said to be frantic with grief. His father is James S Donahue, lighthouse keeper and weather signal display man and weather signal display man. Captain F A Doherty of the Eastland denied last night that the launch came in contact with the propeller.

Natalie Zett:

Eskerson, who is a telegraph operator for the Santa Fe Railroad, was on board the Eastland when she arrived in Chicago at 1230 o'clock this morning I was on the dock, said Eskerson. The launch backed across the river and ran upon the Eastland's screws. The captain of the little boat was trying to be smart. He had warning enough from lots of people. Quote somebody grabbed me by the feet when I jumped into the water. He held me while I pulled out Miss Major. Everybody was hugging and kissing the fellows who pulled them out. I got a big smack from Miss Major. I saved another woman who had a little baby, but I don't know her name. I believe that the woman was burned by inhaling blazing gasoline. Eskerson's testimony was borne out by DeLos Tracy, 410 Union Street, new York, celia Goodman, 404 Morgan Street, f Newell, 321 North Central Avenue, and Ms R Rich, 90 Edgemont Avenue. That's the end of the article. End of the article.

Natalie Zett:

So what did you think of those two articles? Again, this is 10 years before the Eastland disaster took place and the Eastland had a lot of near misses and near capsizes. I've read about those and those are put forward over and over again when the stories of the Eastland are shared. But somehow this was missed and this is part of the biography, if you want to call it that, of the ship the Eastland, and it's very significant. So I'm glad to share it here. But I'm afraid that if I hadn't discovered it it would have gone untold.

Natalie Zett:

So this incident, it didn't take place in Chicago, it took place in South Haven, michigan, and this is on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. And it's about 75 miles across Lake Michigan from Chicago and by boat hard to tell, but it probably took a few hours depending on the vessel. And why was the Eastland there? Well, south Haven was a summer resort town in the early 1900s and it was often visited by Chicago vacationers. Don't forget, there was no air conditioning and things that we take for granted now they didn't have. So this was a way to cool off, get away from the daily grind of life and relax a little bit. And many passenger steamers, including the Eastland, traveled back and forth between Chicago and various beach towns, such as Michigan City, indiana, which is where they were supposed to go on July 24th 1915. So this incident happened during one of the Eastland's regular runs. It's almost a foreshadowing.

Natalie Zett:

The Eastland didn't cause this problem, but negligence seemed to have been one of the issues. So let's talk about this little ship. They refer to it in the articles as a launch L-A-U-N-C-H and it was called the Felidia I will spell that out in the show notes and it was transporting people to the Eastland at South Haven, michigan. As you can see, most of them were from Chicago. As the launch, the Felidia approached the steamer, the Eastland, it was caught in the undertow and pulled into the Eastland's propeller, otherwise known as the screw, and it capsized. And this resulted in a violent explosion, as if there's any other kind, possibly from gasoline, igniting and hurling over 20 passengers into the water. Several passengers nearly drowned and many were badly burned by the flaming gasoline. This incident was witnessed by passengers on board the Eastland, including Gordon Eckerson sometimes spelled as Eskerson, by the way who bravely rescued people. And people jumped into action fairly quickly and the rescue efforts were swift and people helped pull victims from the river, quick thinking there. And at least one witness, edward Horn, noted that the launch was warned to be careful but got too close to the Eastland.

Natalie Zett:

So now I'd like to focus on a few key individuals who were mentioned in these articles, and we'll start with the Major sisters. On that summer evening in 1905, this accident nearly claimed the lives of a number of people, including Ethel and Kate Major. Ethel and Kate Major. From the 1900 census we learned that the Major sisters lived with their family in Chicago. Their father was an English immigrant who worked as a postal superintendent, while their mother, from New York, raised their four children. Kate, who was 17 in 1900, was already working as a music teacher, showing signs of immense talent that would later define her career. Ethel, three years younger, was still living at home with her future unwritten, despite her injuries in the accident remember Kate's legs were severely burned she refused to let this event define her life.

Natalie Zett:

She went on to achieve a remarkable career in music, becoming an opera singer and a celebrated soloist, even performing with the legendary John Philip Sousa and his Royal Italian Band. Her powerful voice carried her to concert halls across the world. Kate later married William Fisher Alder, a silent film director and physicist. That's quite the combo. The couple made their home in Los Angeles, where Kate continued to perform and engage in the artistic circles of early Hollywood. Sadly, in 1925, at the relatively young age of 42, kate passed away at Westlake Lutheran Hospital in Los Angeles. While the specific circumstances of her death remain unknown, her legacy married Arthur McGrath, settling into a more conventional life, while Ethel didn't achieve the same level of public recognition as Kate. Her survival that day in 1905 was just as significant. Ethel lived through the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression, but she too passed away relatively early in 1935.

Natalie Zett:

The Major Sisters' story shows how a single moment can shape lives in vastly different ways. Kate seemed to transform her pain into art, while Ethel carved out a quieter, more domestic existence in Chicago. Their paths diverged, but they remained forever linked by blood and by this tragic accident that almost claimed both of their lives. Now let's turn to Captain Walter Donahue, who was the captain of the Felidia. That was the launch. Captain Donahue ignored the warnings that he was getting too close to the Eastland. I have to say, when I read about his actions in both of the newspaper accounts, something seemed off. He seemed oblivious to warnings that any experienced captain should have heeded.

Natalie Zett:

Walter was born in 1878 and died in 1917 at just 38 years old. He was the son of James Donahue, a lighthouse keeper and weather signal man. A lighthouse keeper and weather signal man, walter served in what appears to be the Company I, 33rd Regiment, michigan Volunteer Infantry during the Spanish-American War of 1898. He appears to have fought in Cuba at the Santiago Campaign and the Battle of San Juan Hill alongside Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders. In researching Walter's life I discovered his death certificate, listed the cause of his death as tabus dorsalis, which I learned was a late-stage complication of untreated syphilis. For his final six years, records record Walter as being an invalid, and that was the terminology used back then.

Natalie Zett:

But there was clearly more to this story. What many historical accounts overlook is how wartime conditions earlier in the 20th century I should say also in the late 19th century often led to increased rates of sexually transmitted diseases among soldiers. Away from home, with limited education about sexual health and few preventive measures available. Many soldiers contracted syphilis and other STDs, and infection rates were alarmingly high. Many men returned home unaware that they were infected, as symptoms could disappear for years before devastating late-stage effects emerged. And for Walter, the disease eventually caught up with him, leading to this six-year decline that likely included painful neurological symptoms and paralysis. These health issues may have affected his judgment years earlier, who knows, during the Felidia incident, explaining his seemingly reckless behavior that day. And don't forget too miracle drugs quote-unquote were not available back then.

Natalie Zett:

Walter's story reminds us that behind every historical event there are complex human factors at play that might not be immediately apparent. So in researching both the ship the Eastland and the people of the Eastland and related incidents, we often encounter uncomfortable truths. But the solution is not to cherry-pick things. History isn't just about comfortable narratives. It's about acknowledging the full truth. Walter Donahue was a son, a soldier and probably, at certain points, a competent captain, and he also suffered from a disease that was poorly understood and highly stigmatized in his time. Understood and highly stigmatized in his time, people like Walter were often quietly ridden out of history because their conditions were seen as embarrassing or shameful. Their stories, which could actually help us understand larger truths about disease, war and stigma, about disease, war and stigma, often remain untold. His story reminds us that behind every vague medical term in old records might lie a deeper human experience worth remembering, learning from and honoring. By bringing these stories to light, we give voices to those who were forced to remain silent.

Natalie Zett:

As is often said, especially in genealogical conferences, families are messy, and all of our families have something like this, and the same applies to historical events. They are complicated, with many factors influencing outcomes. We're fortunate to live in an era where science has eliminated or controlled many of the health challenges people faced in the past, and I can only hope that that continues. Those who lived in earlier times often faced difficult circumstances without the medical knowledge and treatments we take for granted today. In telling these stories I aim for no judgment. Okay, the full story of the Eastland and everyone connected to it deserves to be told, even when it leads us down unexpected paths.

Natalie Zett:

So I promised that I would close with the tribute that I wrote for Rosemary . Rosemary, dear Rosemary, she left me with one of the most haunting and insightful reflections on the disaster's long shadow. She said quote they didn't die on the Eastland, but they died of the Eastland. She spoke of the survivors who struggled for the rest of their lives, those who are often unaccounted for in the so-called official records of this disaster. And I used her very quote when I created the character of Gladys in my book Flower in the River. Gladys was Rosemary's alter ego and that quote has been my guiding light as I recover the lost stories of the people of the Eastland disaster. There are far too many, but they're not lost anymore. And beyond Rosemary's dedication to preserving Eastland history, rosemary was a wonderful storyteller and historian. She was brilliant and she's prominently featured in various Eastland documentaries and the book Cicero, revisited by Douglas Deuchler and even in my podcast. I imagine that now freed from the limits of time, she is reunited with those she lost. Thank you, rosemary, for your guiding words. It was an honor to honor you. May her memory be a blessing.

Natalie Zett:

And before I close, I want to share with you a little experiment that I tried this week. After covering this missing story about the Eastland, I kept thinking how much it brought Christine to mind. Do you remember that novel? It was by Stephen King and it was about a malevolent car with a deadly personality of its own. There was something about the Eastlands story that felt so familiar, a vessel that seemed almost cursed from the beginning. Maybe On a whim, I decided to write a very quick short story totally fiction, by the way, but inspired by those events and I published it.

Natalie Zett:

In my previous life I wrote a number of horror short stories and it was fascinating to step out of my comfort zone now and return to that creative space. Drawing from these historical events gave me a rich foundation for storytelling, I'd like to think and yes, for those interested, it is available as an e-book. It was a unique way to process all of this research, but in a new format. Sometimes history and fiction can illuminate each other in unexpected ways. I'll talk to you next week. Have a good week. Hey, that's it for this episode and thanks for coming along for the ride. Please subscribe or follow so you can keep up with all the episodes, and for more information, please go to my website, that's wwwflowerintherivercom. I hope you'll consider buying my book, available as audiobook, ebook, paperback and hardcover, because I still owe people money and that's my running joke. But the one thing I'm serious about is that this podcast and my book are dedicated to the memory of all who experienced the Eastland disaster of 1915. Goodbye for now.

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