Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-06-16
BURNING OF THE GENERAL
SLOCUM,

1
Bv the burning of the big excursion
steamboat General Slocum yesterday off
North Brother Island it is estimated that
nearly a thousand persons lost their
lives.
Fiftv-three injured persons died on
| North Brother Island while the doctors
were attending to them just after they
had been carried from the boat to the
shore.
When the Slocum went down at 1928
O'Clock, two hours and twenty-five min
utes after the fire was first discovered,
it is estimated that there we're nearly 100
cbarred bodies on her decks. Until the
mass of wreckage of the General Slocum,
which is now smouldering, can be ex-
plored the number of the dead cannot
be definitely determined.
Survivors of the disaster related heart
rending stories of the scenes on the
General Slocum while the flames ragged,
while women fought for their lives and
while children screamed in their terror.
Rev. George G. f. Haas, the pastor
of ST. Marks German Lutheran Church,
was saved. but his wife Gertrude aud
his daughter Auna are among the dead.
Rev. Mr.. Haas told his story OF the
disaster.
''The fire started in the kitchen in the
forward part when we were off One
Hundred aud Thifty-fOurth street. l
understood that some fat that boiled
over started the tlaze, and that the men
in the kitchen, instead of fighting it, ran
for their lives. At that time most of the
women and children we're jammed in the
rear Of the boat, where the band was
playing. why the captain did not
haed the boat for the meadows l do not
understand. He kept on and the fresh
wind from the sound drove the fire back
through the different decks with
lightning rapidity. In three minutes
| from the time the fire started all the
decks were ablaze. Such scenes as fol-
lowed / don't think were ever witnessed
before. | was in rear of the boat with
my wife and daughter. Women were
shrieking and clasping their children in
their arms. Some mothers hau as many
as thee or four with them Our case
seemed hopeless. Death from fire was
to be escaped only to die in the water.
When the fire shot up to the top deck
and drove the crowd back the panic was
terrible to witness. The crush from
the forward part of the boat swept
those in the rear along The women
and children clung TO the railings
and stanchions, but could not keep
their holds. /, with my wife and daugh-
ter, were swept along with the rest. l
believe that the first that fell into the
water were crushed over. When they
went there seemed to be a general in
clination to jump. The women and
children went over the ratings like flies.
They preferred to take chance in the
water rather than wait sure death in
fire. In the great crush many women
tainted and fell to the deck, to be
trampled upon. Little children were
knocked down. Mothers with their lit
tie boys and girls in their arms would
give wild screams and then leap into the
water We could see boats pulling out
from the shore by this time, and faint
ray of hope came to us. With my wife
and daughter | had been swept over to
the rail. The fire then looked as If it
would devour us the next instant. |
got my wife and daughter out on the
rail and then we went overheard. ! was
in such an excited state that | don't
remember whether we we're pushed over
or Jumped. When / struck the water l
sank, and when rose there were scores
about me fighting to keep ahoat. One
by one | saw them sink around me, but
III was powerless to do anything.
was holding my wife and daughter
up in the water as best could, almost
under the side of the boat, when some
one, jumping from the rail directly
above me, landed on top of us. My
hold was broken and we all went under
together When | came up my wife
and child were gone With great ef-
fort | managed to keep !afloat, but my
strength was about gone when a man on
one oil Jne tugs piOACu u'C up
Capt. William Van Schalk, who was
in command of the SlOcum, is at the
Alexander avenue police station. In
telling of the disaster, he said:
''The Socum left the foot of east
Twenty.third street at half past 8
O'Clock yesterday morning. There had
been collected from those on board nile
hundred and eighty.two tickets. The
boat passed slowly up the river, through
| He'll Gate, and over toward Suuken Mead
ows where the Seswanaka was burned
lin 1878. When close to the meadows
an alarm of fire was given. AT that
time | was in the rilot-house. Jumped
down to the deck, and gave immediate
orders for fighting the fire. The hre
drill was sounded, and the crew OF the
boat numbering twenty-three men,
worked like najlers to get water onto
the part of the boat which was burning
The fire was under the forward boil
era on the port side, as | made it out IN
the excitement. My men were exernng
their efforts toward keeping the passen-
gers from jumping. The fire was gam
ing ing everv instant. and theories Of people
burning to death could be heard above
every other discordant sound. got the
boat under way direct for North brotner
Island, which was the safest place 70 at
L.. aNt