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SPECIAL DELIVERY - A Messenger Boy’s Path to the Eastland
Description
This week, we’re continuing the biography of Eastland disaster survivor, Charles Borovansky. He has a lot more to say!
When I wrapped up my research on Charles for a previous episode, I felt that his story wasn’t finished. Tracking him backward through Chicago’s industrial labyrinth led to records hiding in plain sight. Long before the Eastland ever listed in the river, Charles’s life was a guided tour of American industrial ambition. We follow him from his Bohemian immigrant roots to his early days as a bicycle messenger and a stint at the Pullman Company. It’s here we detour into the corporate utopia of George Pullman’s company town—an experiment in total worker control that went perfectly until the workers inconveniently demanded rights during the seismic 1894 strike.
But the real find was Denní Hlasatel (Daily Herald), a Czech-language Chicago newspaper from July 25, 1915—exactly one day after the disaster. There, in print, was Charles: Western Electric chief clerk, excursion organizer, and immediate eyewitness. He gave a vivid, raw account of the ship’s sudden tilt, his leap into the river, and his rescue of a young girl whose name is lost to time.
Charles didn't just survive; he was an active hero. He even repeated his story in at least three newspapers across 25 years. Yet, somehow, as the years passed, his story disappeared.
If you’re drawn to history sleuthing, this episode is for you. Subscribe, share it with a fellow history enthusiast and leave a review. Thanks for listening!
Resources:
- Denní Hlasatel (Chicago, IL), July 25, 1915, Eastland disaster coverage.
- Pullman and the Railroad Rebellion—A Chicago Stories Documentary. Produced by WTTW. Chicago, IL, November 13, 2023.
- Friends of Pullman National Historical Park, Chicago, IL, accessed May 21, 2026.
- Pullman Museum/THE PULLMAN HISTORY SITE, accessed May 21, 2026.
- Pullman Company employment record for Charles Borovansky, Pullman Car Works employee records, Chicago, Illinois; digital image, FamilySearch (accessed May 21, 2026).
Additional Music:
- Additional music by Kevin MacLeod ( Incompetech), licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
- Additional audio from Pixabay
- Book website: https://www.flowerintheriver.com/
- Substack: https://nataliezett.substack.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-z-87092b15/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zettnatalie/
- YouTube: Flower in the River - A Family Tale Finally Told - YouTube
- Medium: Natalie Zett – Medium
- The opening/closing song is Twilight by 8opus
- Other music. Artlist