Oakley, counting passengers on the Petoskey , senses there is something wrong and departs to observe the Eastland at a 30 to 40 degree list. The musicians in Bradfield's Orchestra dig in their heels to brace themselves against the list. They switch to playing ragtime to entertain the passengers, as dancing has become impossible due to overcrowding on the dance floor. Panic still has not yet ensued. The angle of the list reaches 45 degrees.
Dishes begin slipping off of the shelves and racks in the pantry.
Chief Steward Albert Wycoff watches his dishes fall out of their rack in the dining area. The piano on the promenade deck slides across to the port side, almost crushing two women. Bradfield's Orchestra stops playing in the middle of a bar. The refrigerator behind the bar crashes over with a loud noise, alerting all passengers that the disaster is imminent. One or two women are pinned beneath the refrigerator.