Mower County transcript., 1904-06-22
STORY OF DISASTER
SCORES BURN DEATH ON BOAT
OR DROWN IN FUTILE EF-
FORTS TO ESCAPE. =.

New York, June 16.-More than 800
were burned or drowned Wednesday
in East river by the burning of the
three-deck excursion steamer General
Slocum. Nearly 900 bodies have been re-
covered and many persons are missing.
Flag bedecked and loaded with JOY
GUS members Of st. Marks German
Lutheran Sunday school, bent on a
picnic at Locust Grove on Long Is
land sound, the big steamer left it's
wharf at o'clock. In an hour fire
started in lunch room from the over
turning of pot of grease. The
flames spread rapidly, driving the S73
passengers, some say 1900, to the rear
end of the boat.
The steamer was still in sight of
New York city and was about to enter
the sound.
Hundreds jumped to the water and
many of these drowned. Many scores
were burned with the ship, while few
were taken off by tugs.
Under forced draught the burning
vessel was run ashore, leaving a trail
OF dead and dying bodies behind. The
hurricane deck fell, adding 70 the hos
ror of the catastrophe. In little more
than two hours after the fire sta. ted
the hold Of the steamer burned TO the
water, rested on the sand with Its NAV
full of charred bodies. Hundreds OF
other bodies lay on the beach, while
hospitals were crowded with injured
and dying.
CUT OFF ESCAPE FROM
THE HURRICANE DECK.
The first sweep of the flames cut off
the escape from the hurricane deck Of
the Slocum, where great many Of
the women and children were crowded
together and soon burned away the
light wooden uprights, which came
down with 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 point of vantage at the stern
became frightful. Women and chill
dren 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.
In the wake of the Slocum as she
hurried up stream was line of little
black spots, marking the heads and
bodies of those who had sought to es-
cape the roaring furnace on the ship
by throwing themselves overheard.
At no time was there any opportun-
ity to lower life boats or get out more
than few life preservers from under
the seats, so rapidly did the flames
spread
The Slocum got within fifty feet of
the northwest point of North Brother
Island and there stopped in shallow
water. 1t was just before she beached
that the hurricane deck, the supports
of which had burned away, fell with
Its load of women and children, add
ing to the panic and horror of those
on the deck below.
CARRIED AWAY BY THE
CURRENT AND DROWNED.
The point where the Slocum
beached was just off the Scarlet fever
ward on North Brother Island. The
patients, who had been outside watch.
ing the approach Of the burning steam.
er, were ordered indoors and the ply.
sicians on the island hastened to tha
assistance of those who were coming
ashore through the shallow water
Many of those who leaped from the
Slocum were carried away by the cur.
rent, even after she was beached, and
were drowned. '..~ -
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 ships on the
island or sent across the river to hos
pitfalls in Manhattan. Ambulances
from almost all the hospitals in New
York city and every other sort Of con