New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-26

day school excursion from the East Side. is on
fire in the East River opposite Onernundreu l-
jumping Into the water. some with their cloth
Ing on fire. Ambulances have been called from
four hospitals Casualties will be heavy.
The city editor grabbed his telephone and sent
q hurry call 70 the head of the art department.
for photographers. Inside OF ten minutes two
had packed their cameras and were on their
way to the scene. One reporter was in the Of
fee at the tme-the men are not due 10 work
until p. m He was dispatched at once az
sort OF outsider TO look the ground over and
report Immediately 70 the city editor the extent
OF the disaster. Then the telegraph and tele-
phone called into requisition 10 summon
to the Office every available man on the staff
The day off, which every newspaper man looks
forward to each week n relief from his wear
ing toll had TO be sacrificed by several Some
were not due at the office until p m. but all
required to start for the office on receipt
OF the message. BY 1890 p. IN. some ten men
were ready TO take assignments-that is. orders
to cover" certain parts OF the story" BY this
time the outsider had telephoned that the dis
aster was OF enormous proportions. that the
death list could not be less than two hundred
and was more likely TO be five hundred Bulle-
tins bearing the distressing information
We're pouring in from police headquarters. 1t
was the STORY" OF a lifetime. the city editor
knew, and no time TO be lost One re-
porter Of long and varied experience. especially
in towering accidents. hres crimes and the
like was assigned to write the main story--that
sent along with him to look up outlying points
and work under the orders OF his older associ-
ate. They headed straight for the scene.
But the general narrative or main story was
only a small part OF those five pages which ap-
peared IN The Tribune on June 1G. There were
a hundred and one phases that had 10 be de-
scribed. and described infinitely and accurately
What did the officers of the company owning
the boat have to say about the disaster? What
their explanation OF the swift destruction
of the good ship" TO which they had intrusted
the lives Of some hundreds of human beings?
Somebody had TO find that out. for the readers
OF The Tribune would ask that question. But
then, It was not enough to occupy one mans
time. There were other questions which could
be answered in the same neighborhood The
government inspectors of steam vessels We're
responsible for the safe condition of the boat
When had they inspected her and what was
their last report herr How many persons
was she allowed to carry. and had she exceeded
her legal limit the day Of the disaster?
These were cognate phases and the sources of
information were close together. So the city
editor gave 10 one man the general subject
Of investigation down town.
Then there was a possibility of criminal
prosecution for negligence, and the Police De-
partment would have to make an inquiry. Po-
lice Headquarters and the District Attorneys
Office had to be watched for these points. and
another man so assigned.
The neighborhood from which the unfortunate
passengers Of the Slocum came would be
scene OF mourning and distress Incidents
around the homes of the dead would be many
and interesting There would be no end OF
dramatic scenes In Little Germany" so one
man was sent up to the east side with orders
for graphic description OF the happenings in
to watch the church from which the ill-starred
excursion went out and the Office of the sexton
and the home of the pastor. to- which undoubt-
eddy many pathetic reports OF dead and missing
would be carried. The arrangements for fu-
nerals were part OF this assignment Another
man was sent to the neighborhood to
collect all the experiences of survivors that he
could get hold of. Every man on the story
was told to do the same thing, Incidentally
whenever opportunity offered.
The feats OF the rescuers. the devoted care of
the injured by the doctors and nurses at North
Brother Island where the slocum had been
beached. the recovery and care OF the dead at
the island We're left 10 the main story man
these points would form a material feature OF
the general narrative. The outsider In the
mean time had been sent 10 the hospitals to get
the statements OF the injured captain and other
members OF the crew. Still another reporter