The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-06-21
STORIES or THE
SL0cUm DISASTER
Dramatic Incidents Of the ES-
cursion Boat Horror.
BOY IN PRAYER ON PADDLE BOX

His Head burned on as lie NneIt In
suppIication Heroic Rescues by
Young Boys ana a PIucIsy waitress.
Tragic stories Related BY the SUR
vivors.
When the steamboat General slocum
with her merry party Of Sunday school
excursionists dashed for the shore 81
North Brother island wrapped III fame
and smoke, her decks crowded with
maddened. struggling women aud chill
dren, there was enacted series OF
dramatic and unusual incidents quite
apart from the tragic horror Of the
panic on board.
When the flames were at their height
one boy climbed to the top * the dag
pole in the bow and hung on until the
boat was beached. Then the smoke
wrapped him in its folds, and he lost
consciousness and tumbled into the
furnace beneath just as rescue was
near. says the New York Journal
Another boy. IN the last moments Of
the run, climbed TO the top OF the pad
die box and knelt In prayer. Those
around him had a momentary vision
Of the little figure with hands clasped
and eyes upturned. then the flames
swept over him. When the boat was
beached the first arrivals found the
little form still kneeling on the paddle
box, but the head was gone. The long
fiaxen curls had caught III the first
gust Of fire, and the boys head was
burned to a crisp without disturbing
the posture of the body
One OF the women victims was found
to have in her clothing cash, securities
and bank books representing a fortune
OF $4,000.
-Four hundred and fifty Blackwelrs
island prisoners who are being kept I'M
der guard during the summer at Ri
kers island, near North Brother island,
were detailed to assist IN searching for
the bodies. All Of these men are ''trus-
ties, and although many have long
terms to serve none attempted to es-
cape. Overwhelmed by the horror Of
the disaster they lost sight OF their own
condition and worked with a will in
bringing bodies ashore. AS fast as
these bodies were secured they were
sent over to North Brother island
One Of the TRUSTEES "a gray haired
man returned to headquarters only a
few minutes after he had been sent
out and, saiuting guard said
i have just found a body sir" He
was trembling from head to foot, and
his eyes were filed with tears.
"HaYe you turned it over to the prop
er authoritiesg asked the guard
eyes, Sir" was the reply, and at the
same time the man broke into a sob.
"What troubles you?" questioned the
guard.
"Well. sir" sobbed the man. the
body was that Of girl little fifteen-
year-old girl she bad haxen hair, and
her eyes they were wide OPENER
eyes. Sir they were blue, and
Wen, /" interrupted the guard, did
you know her?''
"No, sir" answered the old man.
And here he broke down and cried ike
a baby. Il didn't know her. sir; but.
# you please. ia like to be excused
from searching for any more bodies,
/ don't want TO see nothing like that
again. Years and years ago / had a
daughter, and she had haxen hair and
blue eyes and was just like this poor
little girl that found She died when
she was Just fifteen. I'd like to 60
back to my cell. I amt strong enough
to do no more work today. I guess my
old age must be telling on me- amt
strong enough to do no work that a
mans supposed to do.
Tenderly the guard told the old feI-
low to go to his cell.