New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-16

quantity OF of that carried and by the stiff
breeze that was blowing.
Henry Iden Of No. 100 East Fourth-st, who
saved his sweetheart Miss Swartz by holding
her TO the side OF the burning boat after they
had Jumped overheard. declared that the fire was
due to q stove on which clans were being cooked
on the deck.
I was on the lower deck with Miss Swartz,"
he said last night, when suddenly there was
burst of fame from q kitchen on the deck, where
they were frying clans. Without any warning
whatever the flames broke out. and in minute
were all over the forward part OF the deck
think that the flames spread fast because of
some overturned oil that had been spilled on
fhe deck"
The most readily accepted explanation is that
On oil stove exploded in the kitchen while some
one was trying to light it This is borne out by
the statement Of Albert Kolb. OF Marion-ave
and wo-hundred- and first-st- who went down
below decks to get plate OF chowder Just as
Kolb entered the pantry, or kitchen the exp!o-
sion OF the stove took place, and there a
hurried exit from the room by Kolb. and the
Others who were there followed All or the crew,
from The captain down, escaped Of these, Cap
tain Van Schaick. Pilot Edwin Weaver. James
Wood ana Edward Robertson, deck hands Henry
Garfield, the cook and Edward Waut, dish
washer. are in the Lebanon Hospital. They viii
recover.
The crew is said by some TO have paid little
or no heed TO the cries for help of the Slocum's
passengers, but busted themselves about
Of the survivors last night that if they had pro-
F1ded the women and chtdre1 with life pre-
servers that the disaster would never have oc-
CURED in its present immensely.
A MYSTERY TO WATERMEE
Why the Slocum was not beached on the
Bronx side Of the river is a mystery TO water
men. Thousands Of persons were at hand 10
go 10 the rescue if the burning boat had been
kept TO the New-York shore. This was explained
10y the fact that the steering apparatus had
given way and the pilot was unable to control
the boat. One man. however, who the Slo-
cum come up the river said that the steering
gear could not have been out OF order, as the
Slocum was run past North Brother Island,
and then turned toward il Many factories line
The Bronx shore near where the SlOcum beached
and the North Beach ferry and the Health De-
partment pier there, so that there would
have been any number Of men 10 go out 10
the help Of the steamer and its load Of pas
senge1s. There was rumor that the ferryboat
Bronx which runs from NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ty-fourth ST. 10 College Point. Long Island. had
passed the Slocum without pausing 10 give aid
This was denied at the Office OF the ferry com
pany.
Joseph Gillian. who runs a bathing house at
Observation-Disclosures -fourth-st and the East
River, where the Bronx docks. her
while the Slocum coming up the stream. He
Gays that there We're two barges and a schooner
between the Bronx and the Slocum and that
when the way was clear the Slocum was going
so fast that the Bronx could never have reached
her. Gillian says that the ferryboat was fully
seven hundred feet away from the slocum.
Chief Pilot Edward Van Wart, who at the
wheel when the FIRE broke out said
I was in the pilot house with the captain and
second pilot. Edward Weaver. The first mate
called through the tube that there a fire
In the stern. The captain Immediately told hI2
30 lower the boats and get the fire apparatus
out IT seemed as though the words were barely
out OF his mouth when the entire boat was
wrapped in flames.
I turned her head with the idea Of making
she nearest dock. but at that our
cables were burned and that il would be fatal
to attempt landing without them in the deep
water near the docks
BY this time the heat was so intense that we
had TO close The windows Of the pilot house
after we beaChed her We managed in some way
20 get 10 the deck and jumped into three feet of
water Ia doing so the captain hurt his spine
And split one Of the bones in his ankle
THE CREW OF THE SLoCUM.
Captain Van Schaick was born in Troy. this
State, sixty-one years ago, and is one of the
Oldest excursion boat captains plying In New
York waters. He has always had the reputa :
ton Of being capable and careful and was con-
siderec an expert handler Of side-wheelers.
Captain Van Schaick's first pilot was Edward
Van Wart, aged slxty-twO OF No. 331 West
1wenty-first-st, Manhattan; his second pilot
was Edward II. Weaver. aged twenty-eight who
lives In Troy; B. F. Conklin was the engineer
Edward Falnagan The mate and Michael Nc
Cram the steward. Captain Van Setback lived
on board the boat.