The Eastland had been chartered for a picnic for employees of the Western Electric Company. The retreat was scheduled to begin on the morning of July 24, 1915, with a boat ride from Chicago across Lake Michigan to Michigan City, Indiana. Soon after passengers began boarding, the Eastland began listing, though the crew was able to correct the problem. However, as the ship pulled away from the dock, the vessel capsized into the Chicago River. At least 844 people were crushed or drowned just a few yards from shore.
The Eastland, which was resting in some 20 feet (6 meters) of water, was raised on August 14, 1915. Two years later it was sold to the U.S. Navy. It was converted into a gunboat and renamed the USS Wilmette. The ship later became a training vessel. In 1945 it was sold for scrap.