The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-06-16
Story Of the Awfut Dis
aster In Which So
Many Hundreds Of
Women and Children
Were Crushed, 'Droun-
ed or Burned.

New York, june l8,--Up to $50 this
morning, 4S9 bodies Of victims Of the dis
aster on the steamer General slocum had
been recovered The horror grew during
the night The total dead are now esti-
mated al az least 500 Some estimates put
It as high as 1000
Up to noon $50 bodies had been Eecov-
cred and 1856 Of these identified
Health Commissioner Darlington says
the victims will number a thousand and
probably more. or the ! 500 on board,
less than 400 have been accounted for at
home and in hospitals The others are
dead
The health boat Franklin Edison brought
Id 61 more bodies from the North Brothers
Island this morning. sixty two were wo-
men aud three children aud two men. SUI
perintendent Riekard Of the Bellevue Hos
pital said this morning
1T win take days and days to Identify
All the bodies. In all my S years Of hos
pltal experience this Is the most appalling
accident I ever heard / believe 200
people are dead
Yesterday i fire Is said to have broken out
inluneh room on the forward deck through
tLN 8fEA&AtntAks VI q FAt "a AANNa[f AA1
wind was high aud all efforts TO subdue
the fire were futile.
At 134th street there are several lumber
yards and oil tanks and a. Captain wills
liam Van Schalek started to turn his ves-
sci toward the shore there he was warned
that It would set fire to the lumber and Oil
and 80 he changed his course for North
Brother island where the boat. having
burned TO the waters edge was beaehed
and where she sank at Il 70 o'clock, two
hours and 25 minutes after the fire was
frst discovered.
The race TO North Brother island was
horribly dramatic II was made while the
flames famed by the strong head wind
we're consuming hundreds, both old aud
young, The scene was one Of frightful
panic with men, women and children
jumping overheard and being dashed by
the whirlpools Of the channel against the
vessels side. Women and children were
crowded together on the hurricane deck
which soon burned away and fell, and It
is believed that most of those on this deck
were burned.
The after rail gave way and the passen-
gers who had crowded against It were
pushed into the river Mothers and chill
dren became separated and frantlcally
sought each other, while 10 several cases
fathers and mothers gathering their chill
dren together Jumped with them into the
water. Little children holding each other
by the hand jumped together and were
afterwards found clasped In each others
arms 1t Is alleged that men fought With
women to escape, resulting in the tramp
ling under foo. Of scores Of children
During the run To North Brother island
the steamis whistle was blowing for as
sistance and tugs and other near by craft
answered to the call. Before any Of the
boats could reach the burning steamer,
the frantic women and children began to
Jump overheard The current was strong
aud there are many whirlp0Ola in the chan
nels The boats that we're following the
Slocnm picked up many from the water,
bat these were only small number Of
those that were seen struggling in the
swift current.
on the Sloeum the first sweep Of the
flames cut off escape from the hurricane
deck where a great many OF the women
aud children were crowded together and
soon burned away the light wooden work
which supported the deck. II Il thought
that most Of those who we're on this deck
were burned.
The tugs and small craft following after
kept close in wake Of the Sl0cum and res
cued all Of those who came within reach
OF their crews. Few Of those who were
saved had on life preservers. AT no time
during the progress Of the fire was there
any opportunity either 10 lower the life
boats or get the life preservers out from
underneath the seats. Throughout all the
wild panic the officers and men Of tht
blazing boat stayed at their posts
The Slocum got within 50 feet oE tbs
northwest point Of North Brother Island
and there stopped In the shallow water
Just before the vessel was beached, the
hurricane deck, the supports Of which has
burned away, fell With its load Of womeI
and children adding TO the panic and hor
r0r Of those ca the deck below