The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-06-24
SIX HUNDRED DIE.
[contlnued from page i.

water.
BY this time the shrieking whistle
| Of Sthe Slocum had attracted the at.
tentfon OF river craft for 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 Slocun 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 fire
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 the shall
low water.
1t was just before she beach ed that
the hurricane deck, the supports OF
which had burned away. fell with It's
loads Of women and children, adding
to the panic and horror Of those on
the deck below. Very soon after parts
of the second a1d 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
fthesphySicans 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 Sl6cum were carried
away by the current, even after she
was beached, and were drowned.
A PrTIFUL SCENE.
The scene on y yrth Brother island
as described by the reScurcrS was a
p;t;s:iI one. BODY after BODY 1as
washed ashore or brought in by boats
and added to the long row on the
beach. Fifty 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 we're taken to the hos
pitfalls on the island or sent across tho
, river to hospitals in Manhattan. Here
ambulance; from almost all the hoSpit
+ ais in Greater New York and ever,
T other sort Of conveyance which coulC
be found were put into service
The bodies Of the burned and drow Il.
{ ed drifted ashore on the island be
tween l3lst and l3Sth 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
, stretched along the beach and hysteri
r cal women and frantic men wen
along looking at one after anothe
searching for children and friends
Women with disiigured faces, theil
clothes par artially stripped from them
; were carried to the improviSed emer
!, gency hospital, crying for childrer
who had been torn from them in th,
mad rush when the boat took fire.
Meanwhile the Slocum burned tt
the waters edge. At II % o'clock
two hours and % minutes after tn,
! lire was first discovered, she sank. L
: is estimated that there were ther
. nearly 100 charred bodies on her decks
: Just after the steamer sank the watel
nearby was black with bodies. Th
, tug Fidelity succeeded in picking uI
: SS charred corpses in Hunts Cove of
. Rakers island and carried them int
the sound. None OF these bodies, i
is thought can ever be identified.
DOES NOT KNOW CAUSE.
, Charles f. Hill a diretor of tn
Knickerbocker Steamboat company
visited the Lebanon hospital lat
Wednesday to see Capt. Van Schaick
, the commander Of the Gen. SlOcum
, who had. been taken there earlier il
. the day under arrest After tall
! with him Mr.. Hill said that the cap
tain did not know the cause Of tn
fire.
The cause of the fire is not known,
said he. Il say that, because no In
vestigation has begun. The govern
l ment will undoubtedly begin an in
vestigation. The captain Is unde
arrest and it would be inadvlsable TO
him to make any statement at pres
ent, but he told me that he and In
; first and second pilots, Edward Val
Wart and f. M. Weaver, were in TIN
t pilot house until the Slocum wa
r beached. Then they jumped direct l.
from the pilot house into the water
The captain hurt bis leg and may re
quire an operation. The two pilot
we're practically uninjured and assist
ed in saving life. They were all in tn
wheel house until the last"
; Was the boat under steam all TIN