The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-06-17
HAD VERY LARGE CROWD ABOARD
Hundreds of Women and Children Either Crushed
or Burned to Death.
WILD PANIC ENsUEs ON THE VESSEL
Scores of Persons Jump From Burning Boat and
Drown in the East River.

driven TO the after part OF the steamer
to escape the heat, flames and smoke
that were constantly increasing Po-
licemen and deckhands aboard the
boat struggled hard to quiet the panic,
but their efforts were in vain. The
wild disorder increased as frantic
mothers sought to find their children.
The whistle was blowing for assist
ance and a number of harbor craft
answered the call. Before any of the
boats could reach the burning steam
er, however, women and children be-
gan to jump overheard. The current
was strong, and there were many
whirlpoolS in the channel. The boats
that always abound in the vicinity
picked up many persons from the wa
ter, but many sank to death.
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. 1t
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 chill
dren crowded against the after rail
until it gave way, and hundreds were
pushed off into the river. After this
there was steady stream of persons
who jumped or were thrown into the
water.
Mothers and children became sepa-
rated and frantically sought each
other, while in several cases fathers
and mothers, gathering their children
together, jumped with them into the
water. Little children holding each
other by the hands, jumped together
and were afterward found clasped in
each others arms.
1t is alleged that men fought with
women to escape, resulting in the
trampling under foot of scores of chill
dren.
In the wake of the Slocum as she
hurried up stream was a 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-
tty to lower life boats or get out more
than few life preservers from under
the seats, so rapidly did the flames
spread.
THE LIFE PRESERvERS
COULD NOT BE UTILIZED.
It is alleged that the life preservers
were too securely fastened to their
holdings to be available and stories
are told of frantic efforts made by
strong men to cut them loose Some
say that if they could have been torn
down they were too high up for the
children to reach, while one man
says he took life preservers from un-
der seat where they were kept.
Many say time was so short and eX-
element so great that lifeboats and
life preservers were forgotten or were
not manipulated properly by the
frenZied passengers. Captain Schaick
says that he Immediately rang the
bells for getting out the fire apparatus.
According to several statements no at
tempt was made to lower boats or life
RATS. It Is said that none could be
lowered at the speed taken by the
steamer and that Fastening to shore
was thought the better tactic.
Through all the wild panic of that
grim race with death, during all that
inferno, with fire and smoke surround
ing them, officers and men of the
doomed boat remained at their posts,
but they were powerless to avert the
catastrophe.
The Slocum got within fifty feet of
the northwest point of North Brother
Island and there stopped in shallow
water. It 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.
Very soon after parts of the second
and third decks also caved in. Just
before this happened the tug Walter
Tracy had been dashed to the Slocum.
Many passengers were taken off the
Slocum by the Tracy, which remained
by the steamer until the tugs pilot
house took fire.
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 fastened to the
assistance of those who were coming
10 oh ho oh TOW
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