The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1904-06-22

hundreds jumped overheard into the
swiftly running waters.
The life preservers We're too securely
fastened to their holdings to be avail
able. stories are told of frantic efforts
made by strong men to cut them loose;
but even if they could have been torn
down they were too high up for the
children to reach. No attempt was made
to lower boats or life RATS.
The race to North Brother island was
horribly dramatic. 1t was made While
the flames, which had been famed into
a fury by the strong head wind, were
consuming hundreds of persons, old and
young. The scene was one of frighttul
panic. with women and children jump
ing overheard and being lashed by the
channel whirlpools against the vessel
sides. Women and children were crowd
ing together on the hurricane deck
which soon burned away and fell, and it
is believed most of those on this deck
were burned.
The after rail gave way and the pas
sengers who had crowded against 1t
were pushed into the river. Mothers
and children became separated and
frantically sought each other, while in
several cases fathers and mothers
gathering their children together,
Jumped with them into the water. Lit
tie children holding each other by the
hand Jumped together and were after
ward found clasped in each Others
arms. 1t is alleged that men fought
with women to escape, resulting IN the
trampling under foot Of scores Of chill
dren.
During her hame-enveloped run to
North Brother island the Slocum
whistles kept blowing for assistance
but before the whistle had begun to
blow several tugs, the captains Of which
had seen the outbreak of the fire start
ed after the vessel, while several row
boats put out from the shore. The num-
Der of these craft constantly grew, and
not the least dramatic incidents of the
catastrophe We're the efforts of the peo-
pie on these boats to rescue those who
had Jumped overheard from the burning
vessel. Men crowded to the rails of the
! tugs and caught up the drowning per-
sons as they We're borne by the cur
rent. There We're many thrilling rescues
| by this means.
Captain Van Schaick and his two pr
! lots Edward Van Wart and Edward NJ,
! Weaver have been arrested.
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 add
ed to the long row on the beach Fifty
three persons died there while the dos
| tors were attending them.
AS the bodies of the living and the
dead We're taken out of the water those
alive were taken to the hospitals or
the island or sent across the river to
hospitals in Manhattan.
For hours the bodies of the burned
and the drowned drifted ashore on the
island and between 131st and 1851
streets in Manhattan. Some came
ashore still alive.
The scene was pitiable in the extreme
as the living and the dead were brought
in. Rows of bodies were stretched
along the beach. Frantic men wen
along looking at one after another
searching for children and friends. Wo
men with disfgured faces, their clothes
partly stripped from them, were car
rled to the improvised emergency hos
pital, crying for children who had beer
torn from them in the mad rush wheI
the boat took fire.
Just after the steamer sank the waite
near by was black with bodies TIL
tug finally succeeded in picking nj
eghty-eight charred corpses In Hunt
cove, and carried them into the sound
None OF these bodies, 1t is thought, car
! ever be identified.