New Book Reveals Details Behind the Death of 844 in Chicago

Today marks 100 years since the SS Eastland tragedy on the banks of the Chicago River. Lyons Press has recently released Ashes Under Water: The SS Eastland and the Shipwreck That Shook America, by former Wall Street Journal writer Michael McCarthy, to commemorate the memory of this unfortunate tale of 844 souls which were lost to corporate negligence and greed.

The result of 12 years of research, McCarthy's Ashes Under Water provides the most detailed account of the Eastland disaster to date. Skillfully told and distressingly relevant, McCarthy provides a shocking reminder through this cautionary tale of how transportation executives one hundred years ago put profit before safety, not unlike executives in the auto industry today. The executives ended up beating criminal charges when prosecutors tried to bring them to justice.

"Thanks to McCarthy's extensive reporting and clear prose, we now know exactly how and why this fascinating story was willfully obscured and long buried," said author David Mendell. "McCarthy has done not only American history a huge favor, he's given voice to the hundreds of unfortunate souls who so tragically lost their lives at the hands of a powerful few."

McCarthy worked at the Wall Street Journal for 22 years. Ashes Under Water is his second book, his first book is being The Sun Farmer: The Story of a Medical Miracle in America's Heartland. McCarthy has lived in Chicago and currently resides in South Haven, Michigan, both ports of call in the Eastland story.

Ashes Under Water is both a long-awaited appeal for justice and a relevant lesson for prosecutors and lawyers today. "With your help, I hope we can uncover the memory of this disaster - a memory callously buried by the predecessors of today's corporate gluttons," said McCarthy.