The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-16


from them, were carried to the impro-
vised emergency hospital. crying for
children who had been torn from them
in the mad rush when the boat took
fire.
Meanwhile the Stocum burned to the
waters edge. At 1925 O'Clock, twu
hours and twenty-five minutes after the
fire was first discovered. she sank. 1t
is estimated that there were nearly
100 bodies on her decks.
Just after the steamer sank the
water nearby was black with bodies.
The tug Fidelity succeeded In picking
up Lightweight charred corpses in
Hunts cove OF Riker's Island, and car.
ried them into the sound. None of
these bodies, It Is thought. can be idcn-
tilted.
The following telegraphic message
from President Roosevelt was received
by Pastor Haas: 49,.
Accept my profound sympathy for
yourself, your church and your congre-
cation. Theodore Roosevelt"
What looked like big hatchway on
which were five or six charred bodies
was found floating in the cove at Hunts
Point and towed carefully alongside
the Fidelity. The wood was badly
charred and the bodies seemed to stick
to it, The policemen and the crew of
the Fidelity were unable to release the
bodies without further mutilating them,
and in order not to do this arrange
ments were made to hoist the hatch
way with the bodies on 1t to the deck
of the Fidelity
Boats to the Rescue.
Among the boats that hurried to the
succor of the stricken passengers were
several tugs of the New York Central
nj PafIrnad
the auxiliary cat boaS Easy Times. the
health department tug, Franklin Edison,
and the Charities Departments steamer
Massasoit.
These, with a swarm of rowboats
manned by willing hands. approached as
near the blazing vessel as was possible
and rescued scores of persons. The
franklin Edison went so close to the
burning steamer that her own paint
was scorched. The crew of the tug.
however, stuck bravely to their work
and snatcned many women and children
from terrible death
The fire mad possession of the boat
from stem to stern by the time she was
off One Hundred and Thirty eighth
Street. The FIRE boat Zophar Mills was
summoned from its moorings at the
foot Of East Ninety-uinth Street and
was soon on the scene. its crew lending
valuable aid in saving life.
Tonight a. surging crowd Is held back
by police lines formed about the city
mogue at the foot of East Twenty
sixth Street. The crowd began to
gather as soon as 1t became rumored
about the city that the dead would be
brought to Manhattan from North
Brothers Island. and other places where
the dead had first been taken.
MOrEue Filled TO Overlooking.
When the Massasoit came to dock
with eighty-fve dead. the work OF ro-
moving the bodies to the steamer
proceeded slowly until no more
room was found inside the morgue, and
the autopsy room was cleared and the
bIackened and distorted bodies were
placed on the floor there. When finally
the morgue authorities allowed the
crowd to enter the morgue, a scene
ensued which was narrowing in the ex-
treme. In some cases identificationS |
were found to be erroneous, men laying |
claim to bodies they afterward discov-
cred were not those OF their relatives. |
At the entrance to the Charities pier, |
at the foot of East Twenty-six |
Street, the crowd tonight tried to push |
past the police and riot resulted. AZ |
the height Of the trouble a man whe |