...they watched as the ship began to roll over...
Bernard Beverley was born in London, England, and had only been in the United States for several years at the time of the Eastland Disaster. A Western Electric employee, he had planned to go to the employee picnic to celebrate his July 25th birthday with his wife, Elizabeth. They were going to be joined by two friends, Mr. and Mrs. Kerr.
As luck would have it, Mrs. Kerr, who was typically late for events they attended together, was true to form and once again late for this date. As Bernard and Elizabeth waited, they became impatient as many passengers were boarding the Eastland and the ship was filling up. They finally spotted the Kerrs coming through the crowd. Suddenly, Mrs. Kerr stopped and began pointing toward the Eastland. As Bernard and Elizabeth turned around they watched the ship roll over.
During the chaos of the aftermath, Bernard and Elizabeth stayed at the wharf and helped in any way they could. They did not return home until much later in the day. When news of the Disaster reached their neighborhood, their three daughters began to think that their parents had perished.
Bernard's name later appeared falsely listed on a list of the victims, resulting in flowers being sent to Elizabeth.