THE people

Robert Elliott Hicks

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

STATUS: 
Survivor
DATE OF Birth:
City of Birth:
Year OF DEATH:
City of Death:
GENDER:
M
OTHER KNOWN NAMES:
MAIDEN NAME:
ETHNICITY:
KNOWN ADDRESS:
RELATED TO:

At the time of the tragedy.

AGE:
21
MARITAL STATUS:
ROLE:
crew
ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATION:
St. Joseph-Chicago Steamship Company
ORGANIZATIONAL ROLE:
Crew

other information

CEMETERY:
OTHER NOTES:

...grabbed a chair and smashed out the wheelhouse windows...

Robert Hicks was a deckhand on the Eastland and was on the bridge with Captain Pedersen and other members of the crew when the ship began to list. As the Eastland rolled over, Robert grabbed a chair and smashed out the wheelhouse windows and climbed out onto the side of the ship.

After the incident, the ship owners knew that there would be extensive litigation and they did not want Robert around to testify. The owners gave Robert a sum of money and expressed their desire for him to leave the country as he was potentially a key witness. Robert went to New York and then to England and later onto Australia. He rarely spoke about the tragedy with his family. Robert always believed that the accident was caused by the overloading of the Eastland.

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