The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-06-16


ones were sucked in by the whirl-
pools at Hell Gate.
One man who went out In a row
boat said that he saw at least fifty
children perish in these whirlpools be-
fore he could reach them.
An eyewitness, who saw much of
what happened to the boat, said:
"The steamers whistle was blowing
for assistance as she came up the riv-
err. Her position in the water made
Ii impossible for those aboard OF her
to reach land except by swimming.
81 saw perhaps fifty or a hundred
persons. mostly women and children.
jump overheard. Most of the throng
was on the hurricane deck when we
plainly saw a portion of it collapse.
Many must have been killed Instant
| ly'
The Slocum sailed from the foot of
Third street. East river, shortly after
o'clock. The exact point she had
reached when the fire was discovered
in the forward partsof the boat was
! Oh the GuihGH -nCduoNS at t4it CA
| treme east end of Dandal's Island.
/ So quick was the spread of the
| flames that the captain of the Slo-
| cum could not turn and was forced
to make head-on for North Brothers
| Island under full steam.
By the time the Slocum reached
| 125th street, the excursionists. driven
| to the rail. many of them with their
| clothing on fire, began to jump over
board by twos and threes. When 13Stn
street had been reached the heat from
the fire had become so intense that
men, women and children plunged
overheard by the score. There was a
terrific crash when the boat was
beached.
1t is said the fire started in the lunch
boat. When he alarm spread among
the passengers the hurricane deck was
| crowded and when off 12S tn street this
deck collapsed. Many persons were
thrown into the water but hundreds
We're precipitated into the lower deck
WHICH was lASCll q iiieSS VI WOiitCh anu
children.
tug of the New York Central
Railroad saved nearly a score through
the heroism of some unknown man.
This man stood on the paddle wheel
box of the Slocum and passed women
and children to the tug until he vas
driven back by the flames. He then
jumped into the tug himself Neither
police ror fremen when they arrived
waited TO remove coats or clothes, but
jumped overheard and saved a goou
many who would otherwise have
drowned.
Many of the bodies recovered We're
horribly burned. Wreckers say that
it will be hours before the fire in the
hold Of the boat is out and the bodies
there can be recovered. Both fremen
and wreckers say that the greatest
loss of life. extending into the hun
dreds. will be found in the hold.
When the police received the first
vague report of the disaster, every
source os succor and aid was utilized
Inc iOS@ttaiS WtiS iiOkiiiCQ w. bC'N-
phone and each sent all available sur
geons, nurses and ambulances to the
scene.
The police reserves of a half dozen
stations were hurried out and more
than fifty patrol wagons were sent
for ambulance purposes.
North Brothers Island, where the
Slocum was beached. is occupied by
municipal charity hospitals and con-
siderable number of physicians and
nurses were Immediately available.
Many of those picked up alive in
the river will die in the hospitals
Most of them were frightfully burned
having delayed leaving the boat until
their clothing was on fire.
Some died in the im?rcvised ambul-
ances in which they were hurried from
the shore.
Every man on board who could swim
went overheard loaded down with
children. Many of these heroes host
their lives. because burdened as they
were they could make no headway
against the overpowering swirl of the
tide as 1t rushed from the East river
into the sound.
John Edell. 22 years of age, one of
the survivors of the disaster. gave the
following account of his terrible ex-
perience. his mother and little brother
being drowned before his eyes:
when we left the pier the decks
were packed to the limit OF their ca
pacity. The band was playing. the
children were frolickins about and we
we were having fine time.
"As we neared He'll Gate children
were called down to the lower deck
where ice cream and sodawater were
served.
THE children were falling all over
each other i'm an effort to get to the
cht,aa tc