The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-06-22
SIX HUNDRED DIE.
icontinue6 from nava

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water.
BY this time the shrieking whistle
Of the Slocum had attracted tie at
tention OF river craft for q consider
able distance around and tugs and
other small boats were rushing to the,
assistance Of the burning steamer.
These small boats rescued all those
in the water whom they could reach,
but many persons struggled and sank
before any help could reach them. In
the wake of the Slocum as she hurried
up stream was line OF little black
spots, marking the heads and bodies
OF those who had sought to escape the
roaring furnace on the ship by throw
ing themselves overheard.
Few OF those saved by the small
boats had on life preserverS. At no
time during the progress Of the lire
was there opportunity to either lower
life boats or get the life preservers out
from under the seats. This perhaps
gives an idea Of the rapidity with
which the flames swept the decks.
1t was an experience narrowing and
terrible and that any escaped alive
seems wonderful.
REMAINED AT THEIR POST.
Through all the wild panic, during
all that inferno, with fire and smoke
surrounding them the officers and men
Of the doomed boat remained at their
posts, but they were powerless to
avert the catastrophe.
The Slocum got within so feet of
the northwest point Of North Brother
island and there stopped in toe shall
low water.
It was just before she beach ed that
the hurricane deck, the supports OF
which had burned away. fell with Its
loads of women and children, adding
to the panic and horror OF those on
the deck below. Very soon after parts
of the second AID third decks also
caved in. But before this happened
the tug Walter Tracey had come along
side the burning steamer and been
lashed to it. Many Of the passengers
were taken off by the crew OF the Ira
cey, which remained alongside the
steamer until the tugs pilot house
took fire.
The point where the Slocum beached
was Just off the scarlet fever ward on
North Brother island. The patients
who had been out on the porches and
lawns watching the approach OF the
burning steamers were indoors and
the physicians on the island FASTENED
to the assistance Of those who were
being brought ashore through the
shallow water. Many Of those who
leaped from the Slocum were carried
away by the current, even after she
was beached, and were drowned.
A PlTIFrL SCENE.
The scene on N.rJh Brother island
as described by the reScurers was a
pitiful one. Body after body was
washed ashore or brought in by boats
and added to the long row on the
beach. Flfty-three persons died
there while the doctors were attend
ing them.
AS the bodies Of the living and the
dead were taken out Of the water,
those alive were taken to the hos.
pitals on the island or sent across the
river to hospitals in Manhattan. Here
ambulance, from almost all the hoSpit'
ais in Greater New York and every
other sort OF conveyance which coulo
be found were put into service.
The bodies Of the burned and drown
ed drifted ashore on the island be-
tween l3lSt and 13Sth streets in Man.
haitian. Some came ashore still
alive. Many Of these died while 9th,
erS will recover.
The scenes on the beach OF North
Brother island were pitiable in the ex'
treme. as the living and the dead were
brought in. The row Of bodies
stretched along the beach and hysteri,
cal women and frantic men went
along looking at one after another
searching for children and friends
Women With disfgured faces, their
clothes partially stripped from them,
were carried to the improViSed emer
gency hospital, crying for children
who had been torn from them in the
mad rush when the boat took fire.
Meanwhile the Slocum burned te
the waters edge. At II % O'Clock,
two hours and 25 minutes after tbs
IRE was first discovered, she sank. 1t
is estimated that there were ther
nearly 100 charred bodies on her decks
Just after the steamer sank the water
nearby was black with bodies. The
tug Fidelity succeeded in picking up
So charred corpses in Hunts Cove Oh
Rakers island and carried them into
the sound. None OF these bodies, il
is thought, can ever be Identified.
DOES NOT KNOW CAUSE.
Charles Z. Hill, a diretor Of the
Knicke1bocker Steamboat company,
visited the Lebanon hospital late
Wednesday to see Capt. Van Schaick
the commander OF the Gen. Slocum.
who had been taken there earlier ir
the day under arrest. After a talk
with him Mr.. Hill said that the cap.
tain did not know the cause OF the
fire.
1.-THE cause Of the fire isnot known, >
said he. Il say that, because no in
vestigation has begun. The govern
ment will undoubtedly begin an in
7estigation. The captain Is under
arrest and it would be inadviSable fol
him to make any statement at pres
ent, but be told me that ne and the
first and second pilots, Edward Van
Wart and z. NJ. Weaver, were in the
pilot house until the Slocun was
beached. Then they jumped direct ly
from the pilot house into the water.
The captain hurt his leg and may re-
quire an operation. The two pilots
were practically uninjured and assist
ed in saving life. They were all in the
wheel house until the last"