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Ships That Never Die 100 Photo U.S.S. WILMETTE U. S. S. WILMETTE -- Steel, twin- screw Naval patrol and training ves- sel, formerly a passenger vessel, Built at Port Huron by Jenks Shipbuilding Company as EASTLAND (US 200031), for day passenger and fruit transportation across Lake Michi, 3 to Chicago. Dimensions 265 X 3 23, 1961 gross tons and 1218 deur Original owners were Michigan Steam- ship Company, operating between Chi- cago and South Haven. Later opera- ted out of Cleveland to Cedar Point, but was back on Lake Michigan for the season of 1915, operating for the St.Joseph-Chicago Line. Though speedy and fine appearing, this ship had, early in her life, gotten a bad reputation because of its tendency to roll, and was generally looked upon with fear. On Saturday, July 24, 1915, the EASTLAND and three other Chicago passenger vessels, MISSOURI, CITY OF SOUTH HAVEN and THEODORE ROOSEVELT, were chartered for the annual emp- loyes' picnic of the Western Elect- ric Company. At 7:30 that morning the EASTLAND was loaded with 2,500 by Capt. William.J. Taylor from i tug KEN- Company, persons and ready to depart Clark Street dock, with the OSHA of Great Lakes Towing hooked on. Scarcely had the hawser pulled tight when the big liner rolled over pinning 812 passengers on the under side. This was the greatest casual- ty total of any Great Lakes vessel accident, and one of Chicago's sad- dest days. Some months later the undamaged hull was pumped out and righted by the powerful pumps and crane of the wrecking tug FAVORITE (i) and was towed up the Chicago River to North Halstead Street bridge where she lay until 1917. In that year the U.S. Navy purch- ased the hull, had it cut down and rebuilt as a training vessel and re- named it WILMETTE. For 31 years she was a successful unit of the Navy and saw duty in two wars. Early in World War II she was rebuilt to sides and had only one stack and tripod military mast forward instead of her two original spars. She was scrapped at Chicago in 1948. The Rev. Edward J. Dowling, S. J.