The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-06-23
EH0RROR GROWS
Dead in Steamer Holocaust
May Reach Thousand.
GHOULS PLY THEIR WORK
Over Five Hundred Bodies Recovered
Up to Thursday Night from
Waters of He'll Gate and
Charred Hull Of Vessel.

= A. New York dispatch says: With
unceasing effort search is going on for
the bodies Of those who perished We'd
nesday On the General Slocum. What
the list of victims will total scarce
one dare venture a guess, but what
ever the number may be, there Is
hardly parallel in the history of dis
asters where death came to 80 many
in so brief a period of time. Police
and heath department officials have
placed a figure as high as 1000 or
more.
All day long Thursday, from sun
rise until darkness shut of even the
melancholy satisfaction Of watching
for the dead, anxious searchers kept
up the eternal vigilance, and at dusk
there had been recovered 536 botiies,
for the greater part womep and chill
dren-mothers who weeks ago had
planned that fatal outing for their,
children; little ones, who had longed
for the coming Of the happy day.
Unlike the Iroquois theatre, and 9TH
er catastrophes of recent years, where
the woe of the disaster reached
throughout the land, the blow of the
Slocum's mortality falls heavily upon
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
of New York, and there is hardly a
house there not in mourning.
The race of the burning steamer
from the moment the fire was discov-
cred until her bows crashed on the
shelving beach of North Brothers is
land lasted little more than ten min
utes, yet that time suficed for deeds
of heroism which make the one bright
chapter IN the heartrending story. The
credit for the greatest saving Of life
is due to the hardy tugboat men and
other followers of the river, who
braved flames and held the noses OF
their boats against he frs-wrappeds
steamer until driven OFF by the heat.
scorched and choking. Dead bodies
Of women were found with their burn
ed arms clasping close the pitiful
forms of little children, and babes
were found, their arms enfolding eacn
other in the stiff embrace of death.
cowardice Laid to Crew.
But there is a darker side hinted
at along the river frolt, where are
told stories that seem % be the newt
able accompaniment OF all great ca
lamities. There has been no evidence
of character specific enough to fas-
ten it upon individuals and permit OF
punishment, but survivors and eye-wit-s
nesses say that some brutal acts OF
selfshness and cowardice on the part
of the Slocum's crew were seen and
that distress signals from the burn
ing boat were disregarded by passing
craft.
Even more horrible is the story 1t
Miss Martha Weirk, who says that
while she struggled in the water a
boat drew alongside her, and that men,
after stripping her of her rings and
other jewelry, pushed her back into
the water. The body of the steward
had been rifed when found, and OF
several dollars he was supposed to
have in his pockets, not cent was
found. ~
Mayor Takes Action.
Mayor Mcclellan announced Thurs
day afternoon that he had decided to
issue a proclamation asking for sub
scriptions for the burial Of the dead
and for such other immediate relief
as could be given. He said he would
.ely +on mon of nrominence to serve