The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-06-24
TALE OF HORROR
NOT HALF TOLD
Hundreds Of Bodies of Steamer
Disaster May Never
Be Found.
SCENES AT THE MORGUE
Thrones Of People Plead for Chance to
Try to Identify Their Dead
Mother Finding Her ChId's
Body Tried Suicide.

New York, June 18.-With unceasine
efforts search Is going on for the bodies
of those who persisted on the General
Slocum. What the list of victims Will
total scarce any one dare venture 4
guess, but whatever the number may be
there is hardly parallel in the history
OF disasters where death came to SC
many In so brief a period Of time.
Police ana health department officials
have placed the number at a figure as
high as 1000 and more, but 1t would
seem that the maximum fatality viii
not largely exceed 200.
All day long, from sunrise until dark
ness shut off even the melancholy sat
isfaction of watching for the dead
anxious searChers kept up their vig-
lance and at dusk there had been recov-
cred $50 bodies, for the greater part
women and chiIdren-mothers who
weeks ago had planned that fatal out
ing for their children. little ones who
had lonSed for the coming Of the happy
day. Up to dusk 499 bodies had passed
through the morgue, and of those more
than 800 We're identified.
The east side has its human sym
pathies aroused TO the fullest extent,
and down by the river, where the boats
unloaded their dead, thousands gath
cred throughout the day. Streets lead
Ing to the mOrguc were blocked, and
only with difficulty could the police
keep clear the passages leading TO the
long rows Of collins for those who came
to search for the missing
New York, June 1S.-The loss Of life
by the burning of the steamer General
SlOcum III the East river yesterday will
approximate loo. This estimate Is
based on the opinion of the chief OF the
fire department, the coroncrs office and
the police. At 2:30 o'clock this afternoon
522 bodies had been recovered, of which
1875 had been Identified. There were re-
ported missing 4G7 persons. The hos
pitfalls had III injured.
New York, June lS.-Aftcr an all
night search, with the aid of professions
al divers, at North Brother island for
the victims Of the Inflated steamer
General Slocum, which burned yester-
day l63 known dead had been recov-
cred up to 8 O'Clock today. OF this num-
Der JIG had been identified. The mum
Der missing WAS estimated in the vicin-
ity of 400.
During the day yesterday 2o3 persons
were taken to hospitals After treat
ment it vas found that in many cases
the injuries were not serious ana they
We're allowed TO depart. Some of those
who remain in the hospitals are stul in
Il critical condition.
All night crowds of people visited the
morguc with entrcutics for a chance
to Try TO make identitications. Esti-
mates OF the number Of dead given by
officials vary exceedingly. Dr. Darling
ton. president of the board of health,
estimates the total Mt 1,2o0. Inspector
BROOKS placed the number at 1000
Mother Attempts Suicide.
particularly sl1 incident during the
nj trlt .g,, .,tt
grief stricken mother ut the morg,le,
The woman VAS Mrs. Lena Rekansli
She went there to try to find her little
daughter, Wanda, ana found a body
which she identified as chat Of her
child. Wandering from the morsue
she walked down to the pier ana at
tempted to throw herself into the river.
She bad been watched and a policeman
seized her in time to save her life
Pastor Haas Of st. Marks Lutheran
church is completely Frustrated lie
has been unconscious most of the time
since the disaster His condition is
critical He lost besides his wife and
daughter his mother-ln-law. Mrs Carl
Hanson, and his sster-in-law. Mrs.
William Tetimore. The lntter's daugh-
ter. Edith, 2 years of age, was also
lost.
Assistant District Attorney Caravan
has placed under seal dozen life pre-
servers taken from the General Slo-
cum; of these only three were intact.
the rest had burst their compartments
from which the cork was pouring. The
canvas coverings or the cork were so
rotten that an assistant of Caravan had
no difficulty in ripping them open with
his finger nail
Seeking Bodies of Victims.
All through the night and today men
In diving suits and others with Crap
ping hooks stood on the decks of tugs
which lowered about the slmken wreck
of the General Slocum. AS bodies were
brought up they We're transferred to
other tugs and taken ashore How
many dead lie in the cnarred and
sunken hull cannot be estimated until
every nook and corner shall have been
gone over by the divers.
Unlike the 1roquois theater and other
great cataStrophieS of recent years
where the woe of the disaster reached
throughout the land the blow of the
Slocum's mortality falls practically up
on one little neighborhood of a great
city. st. Marks parish, which furnished
nearly every victim, lies within ten
crowded blocks of the middle East Side.
Therein today there is hardly q house
that is not one of mourning.
Nearly All Are Germans.
The members of the little Lutheran
church were practically all Germans
or of German descent, and all We're
comparatively of the well to do class.
The race of the burning steamer from
the moment tne fire was discovered
until her bows crashed on the shelly
Ing beach of North Brother island
lasted little more than ten minutes;
Yet that time sufficcd for deeds Of
hcroism which make one bright chap
ter in the heartrending story. Brave
men, devoted mothers, and even maid
ems and youths of tender years contrib
uted their part to the roll of heroic
acts. There We're rescues in the face
Of almost certain death. and useless
hut exalted self sacrifice. Credit for
the greatest sacrifice In saving life is
due to the hardy tug ooat men and
other followers of the river, who braved
the flames and held the noses of their
boats against the fire wrapped steam
er until driven off by the awful heat
scorched and choking. Dead bodies of
women were found with their burned
arms clasping close the pitiful forms
Of little children.
A Darker Side, Too.
But there is darker side limited at
along the river front, where are told
stories that seem to be the Inevitable
accompaniment Of all great calamities
There has been no evidence of char
acter specific enough to fasten it upon
individuals and permit of punishment;
but survivors ana eyewitnesses say
some brutal acts of seltishness and