Chicago Calamities:: Disaster in the Windy City

by Gayle Soucek, Brian Diskin (Drawings)

The story of Chicago is often likened to that of a phoenix rising out of the ashes of the Great Fire. Yet that infamous event was only part of the destruction that has shaped Chicago's identity. Discover here the larger narrative of calamities that have befallen the Windy City, such as the 1954 killer water surge that swept in on a calm summer day, the 1967 tornado that ripped through rush hour traffic, the 1886 Haymarket Square riot that put Chicago on the anarchist map and many other acts of nature and human folly. As you witness a fireproof theater burn, a flood rise up without rain and one of the greatest maritime disasters occur within city limits, encounter both unexpected tragedies and unlikely heroes.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

112 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2010

Reviews

[Jan C · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a born Chicagoan and resident for most of my life I did appreciate that for the most part this was accurate. Chicago has had a lot of calamities. I don't think I realized just how many until I was reading this.

Obviously, the major ones were the fire in 1871 and the fire at Our Lady of the Angels in 1958; the snow storm of '67; the great seiche of '54; the Haymarket Square riot of 1886; the sinking of the Eastland in 1903 and the Democratic National Convention of '68 among others.

Everyone loves to point out the two survivors of the Great Fire - the water tower and the similarly built stone building across the street. Many changes came about because of this - most especially the building codes. Although judging from the Iroquois Theater in 1903 shows that the codes were not changed enough or not sufficiently enforced. (My goodness, they must have just been getting over the sinking of the Eastland when the fire broke out at the Iroquois just after Christmas, with many children in attendance.)

I was only 4 at the time of the great seiche and lived in a northwestern suburb and so have no memory of it, although I did experience other seiches throughout my youth and vividly recall being barred from entering Lake Michigan because there was a seiche warning. Other days there would be very strong undertow.

But I did remember the fire at the school. I had recently moved to a northern suburb and this was the first time I remember reading the newspaper. The picture of all the victims spread out in the newspaper is marked indelibly on my brain. The schools in my suburb were not built like the Catholic schools in the city and maybe not even like the public schools in the city. But this school had enclosed staircases which was not a problem in my town. But, still, people were fearful of going back to school and we had to be shown the many ways my school was not like the school that had burned.

The 1967 snow storm was the first time my school ever closed for a snow day! Since then it has closed several times, both for snow and for extreme cold. Admittedly, it has to be at least 27" worth of snow for it to happen. This is partly because in Chicago (and in my suburb) most people live within a couple of blocks of public transportation, which almost always works.

My only complaint about the reporting on the Convention and the related riots was that the author discussed the assassination of Martin Luther King before Lyndon Johnson announced that he would not be running. Only they occurred in reverse order. Johnson made the announcement in March and King was killed in April.

So for the most part this was an all right book. She was a decent writer. I sometimes wondered why she presented the disasters in the order that she did.

[Thomas MacEntee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gayle Soucek, the author, in Chicago Calamities, provides a solid background on the disasters that helped shape Chicago throughout its history. Although I've lived in Chicago for almost ten years, not being a native has left me with a knowledge gap about certain areas of Chicago history. So I appreciate the way in which Soucek not just presents the facts, but has researched what led up to each event and its aftermath.

I would recommend Chicago Calamities not just for the lover of US and Chicago history, but also for those doing research on Chicago ancestors and family history. This is a "must read" if you want to place your ancestors in perspective and in relation to the events that transpired over the course of the city's history.

[Judy Egnew Ness · Rating 5 out of 5]

We recently spent a few days in Chicago and I picked up this book in the art museum gift shop. Soucek did some great research and writing, and her accounts of these calamities and heroes of Chicago, added to my understanding of the city's history.

[Hiedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was incredibly interesting but probably only because I was born and raised in the Chicago area. I found each calamity incredibly important to the history of Chicago and I would recommend it to anyone who wishes to learn just a little bit more about such a résiliant city.

[lorraine stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the stories are about owners who put profit ahead of safety.

This book is for people who like both history and disaster stories. There are also stories of how powerful people will do anything to hold on to their power.

[Pam Koenig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting collection of disasters gat have occurred in Chicago. Floods, fires, tornadoes, accidents etc that have occurred over the years told in short straight-forward chapters. Some of these I was familiar with, others were new to me.

[John C Cargill · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book, well researched.

[Jenny J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun read while on vacation in Chicago.

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never really realized just how many disasters had happened in Chicago. A quick read that tells the stories in a quick but informative way

[Karen Levi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting history for a small paperback sold at tourist sites--informative, concise, easy to read. I bought the book to read about infamous Chicago Fire of 1871.