Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-06-16
HELL GATE WRECK Steamer General SIOCum
 Destroyed by Fire. SIX HUNDRED BURN OR DROWN St. Marks Church Sunday School
 Excursions Fatal End.
SIX HUNDRED BURN OR DROWN
BURNING VICTIMS LEAP FOR LIFE

Shoal-The Wreck Full of Burned
 and Drowned Women and ChiIdren. NEW YORK, June 16.-One of the most appalling disasters in the history eff New York, tragic in its inmensity, dramatic in it's episodes and deeply pathetic in the tender age of most of its victims, took place in the Hast river at the entrance to Long Island sound, within a short distance of the New York shore and within sight of thou sands of persons, the majority of whom were powerless to minimize the extent of the catastrophe.
 By the burning to the waters edge of the General Slocunn, three decked excursion steamer, the largest in these waters, more than 600 persons, the ma jority of whom were women and chill dren, were burned to death or drowned by jumping overheard or by being thrown into the whirlpools by the Iurching of the vessel.
 Within a few hundred feet of the spot where the Seawanhaka was burn ed to the waters edge in 1880 this similar disaster has resulted in a 1 greater loss of life.
 The Slocum caught fire in nnidstream soon after passing Hell Gate and, with flames sweeping over her decks, ran up the East river to the shore of North Brother island, where she was beached!
 Hundreds of Sunday school children, with their mothers, friends and teach CTS, jumped overheard and were drowned. Many more, fearing to leap, were consumed in the ire Others in the huddled multitude on the lower decks were crushed by the collapse of the hurricane deck after the flames had eaten away the supports. It may never be known how many remained in the seething hulk or were carried away by the tide and left to settle in the river bed half a mile above.
 Coroner O'Gorman has reported that 4O8 bodies had been recovered. Of these 436 were examined and tagged l by him at North Brother island The others were taken from Riker's island. The value of the money and jewels re- moved from the bodies was fully $2o0,- 900.
 Many of those present at the destruc- ton of the steamer believe that fully 800 or 400 persons whose bodies have not been recovered lost their lives. The list of missing runs even above these figures, and the number Of lives lost may not be accurately determined for several days.
 Passengers who were saved have made specific accusations that the life preservers were so rotted by age that fal1 3xa% hns1 hoVN HS vnd practically worthless.
 Scathing arraignment of the alleged lack of discipline of the crew and of the bad condition of the emergency l fire hose and the life preservers has been made by John Holthusen, the ven- erable sexton of St. Marks church.
 Captain William H. Van Schaick said:
 T did the best I could. ordered Van Wart to beach her, and we start 1 ed for shore at One Hundred and Thir- l ty-fourth street. But the shore there is lined with rocks, and I was afraid we would founder. There the captain of a tug warned me of He shouted that the steamer would set fire to the oil tanks and the lumber. Then we start I As ing and hat were burning when jump ed into the water.
 'sVan Wart and Weaver got off ahead of me. 7 jumped through the flames on the starboard side I hit the bot tom and hurt my leg. Some nurse helped me on the bank, and then the dominic grabbed ma. Thank God, you're safeY he said. One of the deck hands came up and kissed me''
 Here the aged, white haired man broke down, and tears coursed down his cheeks. '4I can't tell you how it happened" he said
 Four hundred and ninety-eight bod ies have been recovered and are now being tagged at the morgues of Belle vue hospital and Harlem. Divers are still busy taking bodies from the hold of the vessel, which, they say, is choked with bodies, and hundreds who leaped or were thrown into the river have not been recovered
 Yhe General Slocum, which was the largest excursion steamer in these wa ters, left Third sEeet, East river, at 0:SS o'clock in the morning, having on board the annual Sunday school excur- sion of St. Marks German Lutheran church, Sixth street. Her destination was Locust Grove. one of the many re- sorts on the sound. The excursion was in charge of the Rev. George c. F. Haas, pastor of the church. The ves- sel was commanded by Captain Will liam Van Schaick, one of the best known excursion boat captains in New York harber, who has commanded the General Slocum almost since she was built in 1891. The number of excur- riOniSts on board is variously estimated at from 1,5Oo to 2,bOO, but according to an official statement Issued by the Knickerbocke Steamboat company the number of passengers was 8T8, that being one-thtrd of the vessels licensed capacity.
 s The steamer proceeded up the East river, eacs 51 aSr decks being crowded with merrymakers, with bands playing and flags fsysn~ The Sl0cuua had