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

to the clothing of the women and chill
dren who were grouped about the en-
gine room watching the machinery.
There was the most terrible panic
as the burning women and children
rushed ont among those surrounding
the ice creame and soda water tables,
screaming with pain.
I'm the terrible scramble nv moth.
er and little brother were syept way
from me and carried toward the side
where the children and women with
their clothes burning had begun to
jump into the water. The flames
spread in bursts that soon had the
ertire deck enveloced.
1.-THE crew was helpless to rencer any
assistance or make efforts to check the
advance of the fire. We were just
passing out through He'll Gate when
the fire started. The captain headed
the boat toward North Brothers Islane
and pilots who We're with him yelled
franctically to us to stay aboard until
they beached the boat.
But in q moment after the flames
had burst from the enc::se-room great
numbers began to jump overheard.
The women were wild with fright and
snatching their children to them
eaped into the whirlpools that car
ried them toward the rocks on both
shores.
II endeavored for a few minutes
to break through the mad crush and
get ny mother and little brother. bu,
I was swept into one corner
boat and held there unable to 80 "e
LAS the boat kept on ner way the
| breeze drove the flames toward the
| afterpart of the ship where those who
in their panic had not jumped over
board, We're huddled together. 1t
seemed but a few seconds before the
| flames had swept down upon the chill
dren who were struggling about the
ice cream tables and set their cloth
/ ing ablaze.
They all dashed to the afterpa ,
of the ship in a stampede that car
ried those neal the lail overboa 81
against their will
"At one time it seemed to me as
If the women and child en- were pour
ing over the sioes like a waterfall. AS
we made for the sno.e the captain
1lew his whistle In one continuous
olast and soon boats or all desc. ip-
iio MS Wee making for us Il ON both
s.ldes of the river
l 10, iY,St -
the boat settled close to the snore.
When she was =ruuffded the flames
mad spread over the eItlte upper and
.uWer decks. Iaeie were amy few
spots on the boat Untouched by the
i:ames and in these were piled up men
anu women VINO had tainted and fall
.ng pinned Others TO the decks.
THE men fiom the tugs who could
get near the steamboat shouted for
those on board to jump and then the
stCre."
From all that can be gathered no
alarm was sounded when the fire was
discovered, but the crew tried to ex-
tinguish the flames without alarming
the passengers.
Those in the afteroart of the boa
did not know it was on fire until the
flames had SWEET back on them. Then
there was nothing to do but to jump
overheard or to be burned to death.
Persons on the shore say that there
were scores huddled in apparently a
safe position on the hurricane deck
y ith the breeze blowing the flames
and smoke awav when suddenly the
deck fell in. After the cloud OF smoke
had driited away the observers looked
lack to where the crowd had beei
standing. The space was vacant.
Ambulance Surgeon Krauskoof. OF
the Harlem hospital. said he profess
si"nally treated not less than one hul.-
dred and twenty-five pei sons. and doc
icrs near him We're as busily engaged
he could see one Of the paddle wheels
of the Slocum chone1 wit the burned
LeC.ee OF those who uerlshod.
Edward Weaver ;.n1 Edward v.r
Wart. the pilots of the boat. were ar
rested along with the captain. and
were then transferred to the Harlem,
hospital.
Coroner's Physician Weston has no.
fled the morgue keeper that los bod
les are one the way to the morgue
with Massassert. Superintendent u
the Harlem morgue has asked the
Charles department for 200 boxes IN
which to put the bodies of those whc
berished in the disaster.
Captain William II. Van Schaick
captain of the Slocum. who is at the
Alexander avenue police station said
1.-The Slocum left the foot OF Eas'
Twenty-third street at half past nint
O'Clock this morning. There had beer
collected from those on board nin'
| hundred aiUhtV-twn tickets. Tnt