Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-06-18

of the women an children were all
crowded together. and soon burned
away the light wooden uprights. which
came down with a crash on those be
low. II is thought tllt most of those
on the hurricane deck were burned
To death
As tie Gre incrc~ sci tho struggle
to gain point CT vanta e AT the stern
became frishtful. Wo. IN and chill
dren were crowded against the after
rail until II gave way and hundreds
were pushed of into the river. After
this there was a steady stream of per-
sons who jumped or were thrown into
the water. Mothers and children be-
came separated and frantically sought
each other while in several cases.
fathers and mothers. gathering their
children together. jumped with them
into the water. Little children. holding
each other by the hand. jumped to-
gether and we're afterward found
clasped in each others arms. II is al
legged that men fought with women to
escape. resulting in the trampling I'M
der foot of scores of children.
Small Eoats Rush to Rescue.
BY this time the shrieking whistle
of fhe Slocum had attracted the atten-
tion of river craft for considerable
distance around and tugs and other
small boats were rushing to the as
sistance of the burning steamer.
These small boats rescued all those
T.. 81. .l...s Nka.. oh
bnt many persons struggled and sank
before any help could reach them In
the wake Of the SlOcum as she hur-
ried up stream was a line of little
black spots. marking the heads and
bodies of those who had sought To es-
cape the roaring furnace on the ship
by throwing themselves overheard.
Few of those saved by the small
boats had on life. preservers. At no
time during the progress of the fire
was there any opportunity TO either
lower the life boats or get the life
preservers out from underneath the
seats. tbs perhaps gives an idea of
the rapidity with which the flames
swept the decks.
II was an experience narrowing and
terrible. and that any escaped alive
seems wonderful.
Through all the wild panic. during
all that inferno. with fire and smoke
surrounding them. the officers and
men of the doomed boat remained at
their posts. but they were powerless
to avert the catastrophe.
81
the northwest point of North Brother
Island and there stopped in the shall
low water.
Tug Tracey Reseues Many.
II was inst before she beached that
the hurricane deck. the supports of
which had burned away. fell with its
load of women and children. adding
To the panic and horror of those on
the deck below Very soon after parts
of the second and third decks also
caved in. But before this happened the
tug Walter Tracey had come along
side the burning steamer and been
dashed to IL. Many of the passengers
were taken of by the crew of the
Tracey. which remained alongside the
steamer until the tugs pilot house
took fire
The point where the Slocum beached
was just of the scarlet fever ward on
North Brother Island. The patients
who had been out on the porches and
lawns watching the approach of the
burning steamer were ordered in
doors. and the physicians on the island
FASTENED to the assistance of those
who were being brought ashore
through The shallow water Many of
those who leaped from the Slocum
were carried away by the current even
after she was beached. and were
drowned.
The scene on North Brother Island.
as described by the rescuers. was a
pitiful one. Body after body was
washed ashore or brought in by boats
and added to the long row on the
beach. Fifty-three persons died there
while the doctors were attending to
them.
AS the bodies of the living and the
dead were taken out of the water.
those alive were taken to the hospitals
on the island or sent across the river
TO hospitals in Manhattan. Here am
balances from almost all the hospitals
I'm Greater New York. and every other
sort of conveyance which could be
found. were put into service.
For hours the bodies of the burned
and drowned drifted ashore on the
island and between 13lst and 13Sth
streets in Manhattan. Some came
ashore still alive. Many of these died.
while others will recover.
Pitifui Scenes on the Beach.
The scenes on the beach of North
Brother Island We're pitiable in the ex-
treme as the living and the dead were
brought in. The row of bodies stretched
along the beach. and hysterical women
and frantic men went along looking at
one after another. searching for chill
dren and friends. Women with disfig.
ured faces. their clothes partially
stripped from them. were carried to
the imprOyised emergency hosDitai