Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-06-16


deck. The men from the tugs who
could get near the steamboat shouted
for those OH board TO jump, and then
the small boats picked them up by the
score
DETAILS OF THE HORROR.
When the Slocum left her dock she
is said to have had 1000 women and
children aboard. Nearly all belonged
to st. Marks German Lutheran Sunday
school. The pastor, Rev. George G. r.
Haas and family, are reported lost.
Frightful scenes of panic followed
the breaking OUT of the fire. The flames
had complete control before any move
could be made to check them. 1t was
Impossible to run the steamer ashore
because of the He'll Gate rock on either
side. The captain headed her for North
Brother island, where she was beached
and burned to the waters edge.
Nothing could be done in the way of
launching boats, and as the flames adj
vanced the passengers began to jump
overheard by hundreds
The latest report is that at least 500
have been burned.
HUNDREDS OF BODIES ASHORE.
Many were rescued by tugs and other
vessels. Several hundred bodies have
been washed ashore or picked up by
boats. Almost every other woman who
W., MIS- rescued wa' sli.!iis lot n.y. lin
lile u'ss'slei M's I'm. So, W ~ ~.
river. and as rapidly as possible hun
dreds of small boats and launches set
off to render assistance.
With the boat burning at their feet
the captain and engineer remained at
their posts until the boat was beached.
GREATEST LOSS OF LIFE.
An eye witness said the greatest loss
of life was due to the collapsing of the
heavy upper deck. which fell soon after
the fire started crushing hundreds of
persons on the lower deck. II was
then the greatest panic ensued. living
streams of persons going over the rail
into the water. A large part of the
crowd on the steamer was children and
there was little hope for them after
jumping overheard.
The current in the East river is very
strong and scores of the little ones
We're sucked in by the whirlpools at
Hellgate One man who went out in
row boat said he saw at least fifty
children perish in the whirlpools before
he could reach them.
HOLD FULL OF DEAD.
Az mo of,;oa of tha 11nited st,tas
..t,,,,,,,a,+ ins,,antion ,,,raa,, n Voc
e,;1 tho s1or,,,,, was ,nsnected Nav
81 ,.a,,n,.tad 10 l,n n, thoro1ph,v gooI
,,,,,, ,1;t;o,, a,,J ,aaJv for fba oyr,,,Sio,,
,1,s,..,, hl,na,.d tho staaroar VOC oil
the life saving apparatus required by
law for steamers of her capacity. The
Slocum's licensed captain is Captain w.
III. Van Setback, one of the oldest ex-
cursion captains in New York harbor
waters.
Many of the bodies recovered were
horribly burned. Wreckers say 1t will
be hours before the fire in the hold of
the boat is burned out, when the bodies
can be recovered. Both flremen and
wreckers saw the greatest loss of life,
extending into hundreds. will be found
i'm the hold.
From all that can be gathered no
alarm was sounded when the fire was
discoyered hnt the crew tried to ex-
,inguish the DANES without alarming
tho nnssanpars Those i'm the after
,al,,,;a,, ~ tha ,,o,t ala NOT know A.
1879. ~. Wv. .;, H. fa,,,,,. I,,d s,,,a,,t
'', W. -, ,iua,, +hare as.rot HING
-. - r.. 49,, a,,orh,o,,l M IN, burned
70 90 p,ll Jump oVeipoara VI 0e ''ui 'ieu
70 usath 4,, o,.o
PERSONS OF, s,loie say ~, ..s.a 49,
scores huddleu IN apparently sur Pos.-
tions ON the hurricane Geek WIN t,le
breeze blowing the names ana SMOKE
a"ay from them, When sudaeniy 'he
deck fell In After the cloud OF smoke
had blown away the observers looked
back to where the crowd mad been
standing The space was vacant.
Cali pREN dashed TO FLOATS.
~, a,,,sra,, ,,icl.ed nm nv small
boats were lashea 10 camp camp, s'opls ,. anu
otlef llslit no ,t 1 4,,li o. .isa the
VIZ, WIZ so.iie "uu.s '''u r,nsa ,,t;o,,s
NIUE ones saie =. n .,s lie. pv nI,,.'
proved liIaaequ ,..l Nv eAe ny
re W and EN- tme w M'i tba Children n,cked nm
,,,a ~, lie nrasnrvers Children cam
haa on ne preserves. ~, e th s..,
no. see ~ et,s -, ,' t,,;s b.,rhnr Tbav ire
,asIad 10 tho ceilings over the decks
lashea 70 tile ue,.a.ieh ~ ~, fan na,.,
aa,, e''i' o'''s "s ~
ID D., a,,anov, ono of tho nassenpers
aul Lepellom St uiie ~ INC ne,, tl,a he,r,,'
fas staa,,,er mt nft'ered NO assistance.
~, ,,olinon,an who had heen assigned