Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-06-15

New York, June 15.-Five hundred
persons. mostly children. perished to-
day by the burning of the excursion
steamer General Slocum near Hell
Gate. in East river.
The Slocum, with the annual Sunday
school excursion of st. Marks German
Lutheran church. this city, on board.
the many resorts of Long Island Sound.
When near 125th street persons on
shore saw smoke and fiarnes spring
from the upper part OF the crowded
steamer. A panic ensued on board al
most instantly. The crowds on the for
ward deck began to spring oyerboa rd
or crowd to the after part of the boat.
The screams of the terrified passengers
could be heard on shore, and hundreds
OF small boats Immediately put off to
the rescue. Owing to rocks on either
side OF the channel at this point, II had
been impossible to beach the vessel.
The captain stuck to his post at the
wheel and headed the vessel straight
up the river for North Brother island,
where she was put aground In shallow
water. Several hundred feet of opel
water stilI lay between the burning
steamer and shore, and many persons
perished either In the water or on the
burning vessel after she had been
beached It Is estimated the steamer
carried more than two thousand per-
sons. She was the largest excursion
steamer In these waters and could car
~ four thousand passengers.
There are forty bodies on North
Brother island, eighteen on the fireboat
Zephcr Mills and eleven on Rikers
Island. The board of health has sent a
hundred doctors and five hundred po-
licemen are on the scene.
At the Office of the United States
steamboat inspection bureau 1t was
said the Slocum was inspected May s,
was reported to be In thoroughly good
condition and ready for the excursion
season. Aboard the steamer was all the
life-saving apparatus required by the
law for steamers of her capacity.
+ The Slocum's licensed captain is
Capt. w. Fl. Van Schaick, one Of the
Oldest excursion captains in New York
harbor waters.
Many of the bodies recovered were
horribly burned. Wreckers say it will
be hours before the fire in the hold Of
the boat is out, when the bodies car
be recovered. Both firemen and
wreckers says the greatest loss of life.
extending into the hundreds, will be
found in the hold.
The excursion was in charge Of the
social committee of the church, head
ed by Miss Mary Abendschein. In the
minister's party were the pastor, Miss
Abendschein, Assistant Superintendent
Carl Anger. William Schlafer the pas
tors daughter. Gertrude, his sister,
Miss Emma Haag. and w. B. Tetamore.
by the time the Slocum reached
One Hundred and Thirty-fifth street,
the excursionists were driven to the
rail, and many of them, with their
clothing on fire, began to jump over
board by twos and threes.
Scores Plunge Overheard.
When One Hundred and Thirty
eighth street was reached, the heat hal
become so intense, men, women and
children plunged overheard by the
score. There was a terrific crash when
the boat was beached. 1t is said that
the fire started in the lunch counter in
the forward part of the boat. When
the alarm was spread among the pas
ed. and when off One Hundred AMI
Thirty-e eighth street this dock col
lapsed. Many persons were thrown
into the water, but hundreds were
precipitated onto the lower deck, which
was itself mass of women and child
rem.
Hcroism Shown.
The tug of the New York Central
railroad saved nearly score thru tho
heroism of some unknown man. This
man stood on the paddle wheel box
of the Slocum and passed women and
children to the tug, until he was driven
back by the flames. He then jumped
into the tug himself Neither police
sor fremen. when they arrived, waited