Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-06-16
HORROR IN new
YORK HARBOR.
600 People Perish by the Burn
ing OF Steamer General
SIocum.
WE'RE MOSTLY CHILDREN
Members OF the Sunday School
of ST. Marks German Luz
theran Church.
SOME BURN, MORE DROWN
like a Flash Flames From the Engine
Room Enveloped she Vessel From
Stem to Stern-Awful
Sights.


New York, june !s-Fve hundred
day by the burning of the excursion
steamer General Socum near He'll
Gate in the East river.
The Slocum With the annual Sunday
school excursion of st. Marks German
Lutheran church of this city on board,
WAS proceeding UP the river to one of
the many resorts on Long Island sound.
When she was near one Hundred and
TWenty-fifth street, persons on shore
saw smoke and flames spring from
the upper part of the crowded steamer.
A panic ensued on the boat and al-
most instantly the crowds on the for
ward deck began to spring overheard
or crowd to the after part of the boat.
The screams of terrified passengers
could be heard on shore and hundreds
of small boats Immediately put off to
the rescue.
COULD NOT BE BEAcHED.
Owink TO the rocks ON either side of
The channel at this point 1T had been
Impossible to beach the vessel. The
captain stuck to his post at the wheel
and headed the vessel straight up the
river for North Brother island where
she was put aground in shallow water.
Several hundred feet of open water
still lay between the burning steamer
and the shore and many persons per-
ished either in the water or on the
burning vessel after she had been
beached.
1t is estimated that the steamer car
ricd more than 1000 persons She was
the largest excursion steamer in these
waters and could carry 1000 passen-
gers.
There are forty bodies on North
Brother island, eighteen ON the fire
boat Gopher Mills and eleven on Riker's
island. The board of health has sent
100 doctors, and 800 policemen are on
the scene.
The excursion was in charge of the
social committee of the church, headed
by Miss Mary Abendschen. In the
minister's party We're the pastor, Miss
Abcndschein, Assistant Superintendent
Carl Anger, VIM sschlafer, the PASTORS
daughter Gertrude, his sister, Miss
Emma Haas, and w. y. Tetamore.
PASSENGERS BEGIN TO JUMP.
Ky the time the Slocum had reached
One Hundred and Thirty fifth street
the cXcursionists were driven to the
rail and many of them, with their
clothing on fire. began to jump over
board by tWos and threes.
When One Hundred and Thirty
eighth street was reached the heat had
become so intense that men, women
and children plunged overheard by the
score There was a terrific crash when
the boat WAS beached.
1t is said the fire started in the lunch
counter in the forward part OF the
boat. When the alarm spread among
the passengers the hurricane deck was
crowded, and when off One Hundred
aud Thirty eighth street this deck coll
lapscd. Many persons We're thrown in
to the water, but hundreds We're pre-
cipitated into the lower deck, which
was itself a mass of women and chill
dren.
A tug of the New York Central rail-
road saved nearly a score through the
heroism of some unknown man. This
man stood on the paddle wheel box
of the Slocuin and passed women and
children to the tug until he was driven
back by the flames. He then jumped
into the tug himself
MANY HEROIC RESCUES.
Neither police nor firemcn, when they
arrived, waited to remove their coats
or clothes but jumped overheard and
saNel q great many who would other
wise have drowned.
Many of those picked up alive in the
river will die in the hospitals. Most
of them are frightfully burned. hay
ing delayed leaping from the boat until
THEM Clothing was on fire. Some died
In the improvised arnbuances.
Every man on board who could swim
went overheard loaded down with chill
dren. and many of these heroes lost
their lives because, burdencd as they
We're, they could make no Roadway
against the overpowering swirl of the
tide
A SURVIVORS, EXPERIENCE.
Jno. Edell, % years old, one of the
survivors of the disaster, gave the fol-
lowing account OF his terrible eXper-
fence. His mother and little brother
were drowned before his eyes.
When we left the pier the decks were
packed TO the limits of their capacity.
AS we neared He'll Gate the children
We're called down to the lower deck
where ice cream and soda water were
served. With my mother and little
brother Paul, l went to the engine room
to watch the machinery.
Suddenly and without the least
from the furn: room, that rushed
up through the engine room and flashed
out about us. The flames spread Will,
the rapidily of an explosion, setting
fire To the clothing of the women and
children who We're grouped about the
engine room watching the machinery
There was a terrible panic as the
burning women and children rushed
out among those surrounding the ice
cream and soda water tables, screaming
With pain.
I'm the terrible scramble my mother
and little brother We're swept from me
and carried toward the side, where
children and women with their clothes
burning had begun to jump into the
water. The flames spread in bursts
that soon had the entire deck enveloped
/ The crew was helpless to render am,
assistance or make efforts TO check the
advance of the fire. We We're jus1
passing out through Hell Gate whel
the fire started.
(, THE DEVoURING FLAMES.
The captain headed the boat TOWARD
North Brother Island. and the pilot.
who We're With him yelled franticall,
to us to stay aboard until they beachet
the boat. But i'm a moment after the