The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-07-21
STORIES OF TIE
SL0CUM DISASTER
Dramatic Incidents of the Ex-
cursion Boat Horror.
BOY IN PRAYER ON PADDLE BOZ

BOY IN PRAYER ON PADDLE BOZ
His Head Burned Off as He KneIt In
Supplication - Heroic Rescues by
Young Boys and Plucky Waitress.
Tragic Stories Related by the Sur
vivors.
When the steamboat General Slocum
with her merry party Of Sunday school
excursionists dashed for the shore Of
North Brother island wrapped in flame
and smoke, her decks crowded with
maddened, struggling women and chill
dren, there was enacted a series of
dramatic and unusual incidents quite
apart from the tragic horror IF the
panic on board.
When the flames were at their height
one boy climbed to the top of the rag
pole in the bow and hung on until the
boat was beached. Then the smoke
wrapped him in it's folds, and he lost
consciousness and tumbled into the
furnace beneath just as rescue was
near, says the New York Journal.
Another boy, in the last moments of
the rum climbed to the top of the pad
die box and knelt in prayer. Those
around him had momentary vision
Of the little figure with hands clasped
and eyes upturned; then the flames
swept over him. When the boat was
beached the first arrivals found the
little form still kneeling on the paddle
box, but the head was gone. The long
faxen curls had caught in the first
gust Of fire, and the boys head was
burned to a crisp without disturbing
the posture of the body.
One Of the women victims was found
to have in her clothing cash. securities
and bank books representing a fortune
of $4,000.
Four hundred and fifty Blackwelps
island prisoners who are being kept I'M
der guard during the summer at Ri
ker's island, near North Brother island,
were detailed to assist in searching for
the bodies. All Of these men are 'trus-
ties" and although many have long
terms to serve none attempted to es-
cape. Overwhelmed by the horror OF
the disaster, they lost sight Of their own
condition and worked with a will in
bringing bodies ashore. AS fast as
these bodies were secured they were
sent over to North Brother island.
One of the "trusties'-a gray haired
manufactured to headquarters only a
few minutes after he had been sent
out and saluting a guard, said:
Il have just found a body, SIR" He
was trembling from head to foot, and
his eyes were filed with tears.
Have you turned it over to the prop
er authorities?' asked the guard.
Eyes, SIR" was the reply, and at the
same time the man broke into sob.
what troubles your" questioned the
guard.
"Well, SIR" sobbed the man, "the
body was that Of girl, little fifteer-
year-old girl. She had flaxen hair, and
her eyes-they were wide open-her
eyes, sir, they were blue, and
"Well," interrupted the guard, did
you know herr"
mo, SIR" answered the old man.
And here he broke down and cried like
a baby. II didn't know her, sir; but.
II you please, I'd like to be excused
from searching for any more bodies.
I don't want to see nothing like that
again. Years and years ago l had
daughter, and she had fiaXen hair and
blue eyes and was just like this poor
little girl that found. She died when
she was just fifteen. I'd like to go
back to my cell. l amt strong enough
to do no more work today. l guess nay
old age must be telling on me. l amt
strong enough to do no work that a
mans supposed to do"
Tenderly the guard told the old fel-
low to go to his cell.
Deeds Of heroism by those on the
steamer and rescuers from the shore
were plentiful. Arthur Link, thirteen
years old, Of New York, found a baby
soon after the fire started lying ON the
upper deck and being trampled on. He
put the little one on camp chair and
lay on 1t to save it from being crushed,
says the New York World. When he
felt the deck falling beneath him he
picked up the baby and Jumped into
the water with it. THEN, with the ba-
by tucked under one arm, he struck
out for the shore.
The load was too much for him, and
he was about to sink when a man in
rowboat took the baby from him. Ar
thur refused to get into the boat, and,
calling back to the man to take care
Of the baby" he struggled through the
current till he reached the shore
Peter Wingerter Of New York, who
is only thirteen years old, picked up
four babies whom he found deserted on
the upper deck. Going to the railing,
he dropped two upon tugboat. Then,
with the other two huddled under his
left arm, he slid down a deck post to
the lower deck, where he passed them
to a man in a rowboat Peter then
jumped to tug.