The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-06-16
have moi been recovered.

have not been recovered
The General Slocum, which was the
largest excursion steamer in these wa
tiers, left Third street East river, at
D;30 o'clock in the morning, having on
board the annual Sunday school excur-
sion of ST. Marks German Lutheran
church, Sixth street. Her destination
was Locust Grove one Of the many re-
sorts on the sound. The excursion was
in charge of the Rev. George G. f.
Haas, pastor of the church The YES
sci was commanded by Captain VIII
liam Van Schaiak, one of the lest
known excursion boat captains in New
York harbor. who has commanded the
General Slocum almost since she was
built in 1891. The number of excur-
sionists on board is variously estimated
at from 1900 to $500, but according to
an official statement issued by the
Knickerbocker Steamboat company the
number of passengers was S73, that
being one-third of the vessels licensed
capacity.
The steamer proceeded up the East
river, each Of her decks being crowded
with merrymakers, with bands playing
and flags flying The Slocum had
reached point at the Sunken Mead
ows off One Hundred and Thirty-fifth
street which is at the extreme eastern
end of Randall's Island, when fire
broke out in lunch room on the for
ward deck, caused by the overturnlng
of a pot of grease. A high wind famed
the blaze into instant fury.
Efforts to subdue the fire were futile,
and word was sent ut once to the cap
tain, who started TO land the steamer
Mt One Hundred and Thirty-fourth
street
He was warned, however, that the
boat would set fire to lumber yards
and oil tanks there and changed the
Slocum's course, heading her for North
Brother Island, half mile away. The
flames hnd now broken out all along
either side of the steamer and were
famed by a strong head wind. The
passengers. seized with panic, rushed
to the rear of the vessel to escape the
heat and the smoke that were constant
ly increasing. Policemen and deck
hands aboard the boat struggled hard
to quiet the panic, but their efforts
were unavailing. The wild disorder in
creased as frantic mothers sought to
find their children, who had been at
| play about the decks.
The steamers whistle was blowing
for assistance, and tugs and other
nearby raft answered to the call. Be
fore any of the boats could reach the
| burning steamer. however, the frantic
women and children began to jump
! overheard The current was strong,
and there are many whirlpools in the
channel. The boats that were follow
! ing the Slocum picked up many from
the water, but these We're only Il small
number of those that We're seen strug-
Cling in the swift current.
| On the Slocuni the first sweep of the
flames cut of escape from the hurri-
cane deck, whore a great many of the
women and children were crowded to-
! gether, and soon burned away the
light woodwork which supported the
| deck. 1t is thought that most of those
who were on this deck were burned.
AS the fire increased the struggle to
gain a point of vantage at the stern
became frightful. Women and children
crowded against the after rail until 1t
| gave way, and hundreds were pushed
| off into the river After this there was
steady stream of those who jumped
| or were thrown into the water. The
tugs and small craft following after
| kept close within the wake of the Slo-
cum and rescued all of those who came
| within reach of their crews. Few of
| those who were saved had on life pre-
! servers. At no time during the prog
ress of the fire was there any oppor-
| tunity to either lower the. lifeboats or
get the life preservers out from under
meath the seats. Through all the wild
panic the officers and men of the blaz
ing boat stayed at their posts
Women went literally insane at once.
Some had allowed their little charges
| to be separated from them, and in that
frantic mob there was no chance for
reunion. Men, maddened by fear,
trampied down women and children to
get to the sides and leap overheard.
To most Of the terrorized multitude 1t
was but choice of death that offered.
TO stay on board meant the awful
certainty Of being burned alive. To
take to the water meant for all but a
few the certainty of death by drown
ing.
At the point where the steamboat
was beached is high stone wall which
made 1t impossible for those who were
in the water to climb out on land.
They swan, such as could, round and
round In vain effort to gain foot
hold somewhere.
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