New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-16

ting together the upper deck when the fire
broke out" he said. Il put my arms around
both, but my mother broke away. saying that
she could look after herself. and for me to save
grandmother.
Il picked UP my grandmother and carried her
10 the rail. waiting for some boat to come near
enough to put her board. Suddenly the rail-
and a part OF the deck gave way. and we fen
with twenty-five or thirty others into the water
There were hundreds Of others in the water
with us and in the fight for our lives my grand
mother was torn from me and drowned before
could get to her again. I was picked up by a
tug and taken to North Brother Island.
From the shore I a lot of bodies float
ing. and 1 took off my clothes and swan out
looking for my mother and grandmother.
found my grandmother's body and took 1t to
the shore. Then I SWAN out again. and AFTER
a while found my Mothers
Gertrude Macy Of No. so Avenue a, says
that three times she got life preserver. only
to have 1t torn from her by men She said that
she was at the stern when the fire broke out
She at once climbed up on bench and pulled
a life preserver from the rack. man, she
says seized it from her, put it on and jumped
overheard. The second and third life preserv-
ers. she declared, were likewise torn from her.
She says she was then picked up by a towboat
POLICE AND FIREMEN SAVE MANY.
Otto Goehring and George Tyrrel. life savers
at the One hundred and thirty fourth-st. baths
did splendid work in the rescuing Between
them they took seventy persons-dead and liv-
ing-from the water. They worked from the tug
Cummins whose lent a willing hand in
taking the bodies they were handed up by
the two life savers.
George H. Grifen, a policeman attached TO
the Thirty-third Precinct who lives in Prospect
ave. near st. John's-ave., in The Bronx. saw
the burning boat she came up the river oppo-
site North Brother Island. He heard the
screams and shouts of the passengers, and saw
them jumping into the river by the score. He
got a boat and rowed out to the burning Slocum
He met Patrolman Rush Webster, of the Thirty
sixth Precinct and the two officers quickly
jumped overheard. They pulled many persons
from the river and swan with them to tugs and
other boats which arriving at the. scene
Policemen Goss and Sullivan. of the Thirty
fifth Precinct were others who rendered val
liable aid by jumping into the river and rescu-
ing many from drowning and taking those al
ready dead from the water. Goss has a reputa-
ton for life saving in The Bronx.
Firemen Dean and Plato. Of Engine Company
No. co, which early ordered to the scene
dived overheard time and again, and returned
with bodies TO New-York Central Tug No. l6
which stood by 10 receive them. Both men were
so exhausted by their efforts that they had to be
pulled up by those on board the tug. Plato
declared that the crews OF many tugs coolly
watched the people struggling in the water
without lifting a finger 10 save them. When the
police and hremen became active. however the
men on the tugs began to jump IN for bodies.
Plato says that every time lie went over dozen
persons would grab at him, and he had to shake
them off 10 save himself and the person he
rescuing. This was the experience Of many OF
the rescuers.
The OF the tug D S. Arnott OF the Keller
Transportation Company. assisted IN rescuing
the living and recovering the dead. The tug was
under command Of Captain Van Etten, who was
severely burned about the hands and arms. His
face, too. was scorched.
We were coming down stream toward New
York. when the Slocum hove in sight near the
Sunken Meadows of Hell Gate" he said. Dense
clouds Of smoke were rising from her. and she
was heading for North Brother Island. with the
evident intention OF Bleaching. AS soon she
struck shoal water she became mass OF flame
from stem to stern. and then saw people jump
ing from her. II was terrible scene. Women
and children ran franucally to the rails and
sprang overheard 10 escape the FIRE. many Of
them 10 meet death by drowning. II seemed 10
that the Socum was carrying pretty near
10 her capacity. By the time got my tug near
enough to be Of any service there were hun
dreds Of people drowned and drowning. We
managed 10 pick up six women and two chill
dren, and also hauled in fifteen bodies. which
taken aboard the hospital boat Of North
Brother Island and placed alongside the others
the shore"