Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 June 1904 — FRIGHTFUL CALAMITY AT NEW YORK [ARTICLE]

FRIGHTFUL CALAMITY AT NEW YORK

Death Rides the Fire That Overtakes a Sunday School Excursion. REVELS IN A HARVEST OF BABES Probably 600, Mostly Women and Children, His Victims. STEAMER IN FLAMES ALL OVER Rushing for Shore in a Vain Attempt to Save Her Human •. Freight. Decks Come Down on the Frantic Passengers, Who Leap to Death In the Waters—Struggle for Life Is Terrible. New York, June 16.—After an allnight search with the aid of professional divers at North Brother island for vlctiaoß of the ill-fated General ftlecum, which was burned in East river, 504 known dead had baen reeovered up to noon. Of this number 118 had been identified. The number of missing is estimated in the vicinity of 400. New York, June 16. The threedecked excursion steamer General Slocum, of the Knickerbocker Steamboat company, burned to the water's edge off North Brother island, East river, at the entrance to Long Island sound, resulting in the death through burning or drowning of at least 600 persons, mostly women and children. Bodies recovered up to this writing number 485, and divers are still at work. The remains of many persons who leaped into the river have not yet been found, and it will be some time before the list of dead is any l where near complete. Scores of those* on board were babes in arms, not counted at the booking office. Sunday School Excursion on Board* The General Slocum, one of the largest excursfon steamers in these waters, left Third street, East river, at 9:30 a. in. yesterday, having on board the annual Sunday school excursion of St. Mark’s German Lutheran church, located in Sixth street. Her destination was Locust Grove, one of the many resorts on Long Island sound. Tha excursion was in charge of Rev. George C. Haas, pastor of the church. The vessel was command ed by Captain William Van Scbaik, one of the best-known excursion boat captains in New York harbor.

Fir* Breaks Out Forward. According to an official statement issued by the Knickerbocker Steamboat company, owners of the Slocum, the number of passengers on board was 573. that being one-third of the vessel’s licensed capacity. The Slocum had reached a point near the Sunken Meadows off One Hundred and Thirtyfifth street, Manhattan, when fire broke out iu a lunch room on the for ward deck. The blaze was caused by tbe overturning of a pot of grease. The headway of the vessel and a high wind almost instantly fanned the insignificant flame into fury. Efforts were at once directed to subduing the fire, but they were futile. FLAMES SPREAD LIKE LIGHTNING Whole Vessel Ablaze iu a Moment—Fran tic Scene on Board. The blaze spread aft with almost lightning rapidity. Captain Van Scbaik, in the pilot house, had been informed of the outbreak of the fire, and realizing the danger to the hun dreds of excursionists decided to send his vessel to shore at One Hundred and Thirty-fourth street At this point there is a number of lumber yards and several huge oil tanks, and the captain was warned that to attempt to laud at this point would endanger tbe property and perhaps further imperil the scores of people, who bad already been frightened into a state of almost uncontrollable excitement. Changing the big steamer's course alightly he headed her for North Brother island, half a mile away. By this time tbe flames were rushing by leaps and bounds from the forward part of the ahip aft. The great open decks, built for excursionists, with little obstruction from bow to stem, offered a clear sweep for the fire. As tbe Slocum dashed forward tbe flames caught stanchion and cabin woodwork, eating and tearing their way across the vesael. The excursionists, but a few mo-

menta before In the full enjoyment of an ideal summer’a day on Long Island sound, were driven to the after part of the steamer to escape the heat, flames and smoke that were constantly Increasing. Policemen and deck hands aboard the boatstruggled hard to quiet the panic, but their efforts were In vain. The wild disorder Increased, as frantic mothers sought their children, who had been at piny about the decks. The steamer's whistle was blowing for assistance, and tugs and other nearby craft answered to the call. Before any of the boats could reach the burning steamer, however, the frantic women and children began to Jump overboard. The current was strong, and there are many whirlpools In the channel. The boats that always abound In the vicinity picked many persons from the water, but these were only a small number of those thut were seen struggling In the swift current.

DECK FALLS WITH A CRASH Down on tho Passengers. Crowded Beneath —Rescuers at Work. On the Slocum the first sweep of the flames cut off escape from the hurricane deck, where a great many of the women and children were crowded together, and soon burned away the light wooden uprights, and the deck fell with a crash on those below. It is thought that most of those on the hurricane deck were burned. As the fire increased the struggle to gain a point of vantage at the stern became frightful. Women and children crowded against the after rail until it gave way and hundreds were pushed off Into the river. After this, there was a steady stream of persons who jumped or were thrown into the water. By this time the shrieking whistle of the Slocum had attracted the attention of river craft for a considerable distance around and tugs and other small boats were rushing to the assistance of the burning steamer. These small boats rescued all those in the water whom they could reach. In the wake of the Slocum as she hurried up stream was a line of black spots, marking the heads and bodies of those who had sought to escape the roaring furnace on the ship by throwing themselves overboard. Few of those saved by the small boats had on life preservers. At no time during the progress of the fire was there any opportunity to either lower the life boats or get the life preservers out from underneath the seats. This, perhaps, gives an idea of the rapidity with which the flames swept the decks. Through all the wild panic, during ail that inferno, with fire and smoke surrounding them the officers and men of the doomed boat remained at their posts, but they were powerless to avert the catastrophe. ROW OF CORPSES ON THE BEACH Scenes on the Island Are PUifal— Many Charred BodiesThe Slocum got within fifty feet of the northwest point of North Brother island, and there stopped in the shallow water. The scene on North Brother Island as described by the rescuers was a pitiful one. Body after body was washed ashore or brought in by boats and added to the long row on the beach. Fifty-three persons died there while the doctors were attending them. As the bodies of the living and the dead were taken out of the water those alive were taken to the hospitals on the island or sent across the river to hospitals in Manhattan. For hours the bodies of the burned and tbe drowned drifted ashore on the island and between One Hundrded and Thirty-first and One Hundred iftid Thirty-eighth streets in Manhattan. Some came ashore still alive. Many of these died. The scenes on the beach of North Brother island were pitiable in the extreme as the living and the dead were brought lu. The row of bodies stretched along the beach, and hysterical women and frantic men went along looking at one after another, searching for children and friends. Women with disfigured faces, their clothing partially stripped from them, were carried to the improvised emergency hospital, crying for children who had been torn from them in the mad rush when the boat took fire. Meanwhile the Slocum burned to tbe water's edge. At 12:25 p. m., two hours and twenty-five minutes after the fire was first discovered, she sank. It is estimated that there were then nearly 100 charred on her decks. Just after the sjefimer sank the water nearby was black with bodies. The tug Fidelity succeeded in picking up eighteight charred corpses in Hunt’s Cove, off Biker’s island. None of these bodies, it is thought, can ever be identified. Heads, legs and arms are burned off and not a shred of clothing is left on any of them. There were so many individual Instances of heroism that it is impossible in this story to specify; suffice it to say that tug boats ran up to the blazing vessel until the skin on the faces of the crews was blistered; that men jumped overboard and rescued people struggling in the water, going back again and again until exhausted, and that probably never were there more men risking their lives for others than during the burning of tbe Slocum. The bodies were brought to tbe city •a fast as possible and taken to tbe morgues, and tbe scenes here were heart-breaking.