The San Francisco call., 1904-06-16

the dock, where he and Van Tassel
pulled a number Of persons out of the
water.
Rev. George c. F. Haas. pastor of the
church. was saved but his wife, Ger
trude. and his daughter. Anna, are
among the dead. Haas told the story
of the disaster.
THE fire started in the kitchen, in
the forward part, when we were off
One Hundred and Thirty-fourth street"
he said. Il understand that some fat
that boiled over started the blaze. AT
that time most of the women and chill
dren were jammed in the rear end Of
the boat, where the band was playing.
why the captain did not point the
boat for the Meadows l do not under
stand. He kept on and the fresh wind
drove the fire back on the decks. In
thrAe minutes from the time the fire
stat tted all the decks were ablaze. Such
scenes as followed I do think were ever
witnessed before. / was in the rear of
the boat with my wife and daughter.
Women were shrieking and clasping
their children in their arms. Some
others had as many as three or four
with them.
when the fire shot up to the top
deck ard drove the crowd back the
panic was terrible TO witness. The
women and children clunG to the rail
ings and stanchicns, but could not keep
their holds. /, with my wife and
daughter, was swept along with the
rest
Il believe that the first that fell
into the water were crowded over
board After this there seemed to be
a general inclination to jump. The
women and children went over the rail-
ings like flies.
an the great crush many women
tainted and fell to the deck, to be tram
pied upon. Little children were knocked
down.
Il got my wife and daughter out on
the rail and then we went overheard.
/ was in such an excited state that
do not remember whether we were
hurled over or jumped.
When / struck the water I sank and
when ] arose there were scores about
me fighting to keep afloat. One by one,
] saw them sink around me. But /
was powerless TO do anything.
With q great effort / managed TO
keep afioat. but my strength was about
gone when a man on one of the rugs
picked me up"
Paul Lebenow. one OF the passengers
who WAS on board. says a ferry-boat
passed near the burning steamship,
but offered no assistance.
John Edell. % years old. one OF the
survivors Of the disaster. gave the fol-
lowing account of his terrible expert
ence. his mother and little brother hav-
ing been drowned before his eyes:
when we left the pier the decks
were packed To the limit of their ca
pacity. The bard Yves playing, the
children were frolicking about and we
were having fine time AS we neared
He'll Gate the children were called
down to the lower deck, where ice
cream and soda water were served
another in an effort to get to the
tables which held the refreshments.
With my mother and my little brother
Paul. l went to the engine-room to
watch the machinery.
Suddenly there was a burst of flame
that rushed up through the engine
room and flashed out about us. The
flames spread with the rapidity of an
explosion, setting fire to the clothing of
the women and children who were
grouped about the engine-room watch
ing the machinery.
There was the most terrible panic
as the burning women and children
rushed out among those surrounding
the icecream and soda water tables.
In the terrible scramble my mother and
little Brother were swept away from
me and carried toward the side where
the children and women, with their
clothes burning, had begun to jump
into the water. The flames spread in
bursts that soon had the entire deck
enveIoped.
''The crew was helpless to render any
assistance or make efforts to check the
advance of the fire. We were just pass
ing out through He'll Gate when the fire
started. The captain headed the boat
toward North Brother Island and the
pilots. who were with him. yelled fran
tically to us to stay aboard until they
beached the boat. But in a moment
after the flames had burst from the
engine-room great numbers began to
jump overheard. The women were wild
with fright, and picking up their chill
dren leaped into the whirlpools that