Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-06-15

to remove coats or clothes, but jump
ed overheard and saved q great many
who would otherwise have been
| drowned.
Many Fatally Burned.
Many of those picked UP alive IN
| the river will die in the hospitals. Most
of them We're frightfully burned, hav-
ing delayed leaping from the boat until
their clothing was on fire. Some died
in improvised ambulances. Thirty man
on board, who could not swim, went
Many of these heroes lost their lives
because, burned as they were. they
could make no headway against the
overpowering swirltide.
| Rocks Prevent Landing
Frightful scenes of panic followed
the breaking out of the fire. The flames
had complete control before any move
| could be made to check them. 1t was
| impossible to run the steamer ashore,
side. The captain headed her for North
Brother Island, where she was beached
and burned to the waters edge. Moth
ing could lie done i'll the way OF launch
ing boats. AS the flames advanced the
passengers began to jump overheard by
hundreds. The latest report is that at
-.
Many were rescued by tugs and other
vessels. Several hundred bodies have
been washed ashore or picked up by
boats. Almost every other woman who
was rescued was calling for her child.
Witnessed by Thousands.
The disaster was witnessed by thou
sands of people on both shores of the
river, and as rapidly IS possible hun
dreds of small boats and launches were
set off to render assistance. With the
boat burning under their feet the cap
tain and engineer remained at their
posts until the boat was beached.
An eye witness said the greatest loss
of life was due to the collapsing of the
heavy upper deck, which fell soon after
the fire started. crushing; hundreds Of
persons orr the lower deck. II was then
the greatest panic ensued. living
streams OF persons going over the rail
into the water. large part of the
crowd on the steamer were children,
and there was little hope for them after
jumping overheard. The current in
East river is very strong. and scores of
little ones were sucked in by the whirl
at Hell Gate. One man. who went out
in rowb,oat, said he saw at least fifty
children perish in the whirlpools before
he could reach them.
Eye Witness Talks.
John Odell,, % years old, one of the
survivors OF the disaster. gave the fol-
lowing account of his terrible exper-
ience, HIS mother and little brother
being drowned before his eyes:
when we left the higher decks were
packed to the limit of their capacity.
AS we neared He'll Gate the children
were called down to the lower deck,
where ice cream and soda water We're
served. With my mother and little
brother, Paul, we went to the engine
room to watch the machinery. Sud-
denly and without the least warning
there was a burst of flames from the
furnace room that rushed up thru the
engine room aid flashed out about US.
The flames spread with rapidity, the
explosion setting fire to the clothing of
women and children who were grouped
about the engine room watching the
machinery. There was the most terri
BILE panic us the burning women and
children rushed out among those sur
rounding the ice cream and soda water
tables, screaming with pain.
I'm the terrific scramble my mother
and little brother were swept from me
and carried toward the side. where
children and women with their clothes
burning had begun to jump into the
water. The flames spread in bursts
that soon had the entire deck envel-
oped. The crew were helpless to rem
der any assistance or make efforts to
check the advance of the fire. We
were just passing out thru He'll Gate
when the fire started The captain
headed the boat toward North Brother
island and the pilots who were with