New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-19
SOME GREAT DISASTERS.
Many Human LiUes Lost Amid
Scenes of Horror.

Only the historian whose dsfving among musty
records has made him familiar with the past. can
extract even a gieam OF sOlace from the recent
tragedy which cost the life Of more than nine
hundred OF the passengers of the General SlocuHl
From his records this historian still assure
OF the familiar fact that worse accidents have
Cured with greater loss of life And yet instances
Of larger fatality. in accidents due TO human
agency rather than 10 some CONFUSION OF nature,
are far 70 seek The earthquake that overturned
Lisbon killed thirty Thousand people, Mont PeIee
rolled Up equally large list vl.tims, while the
rush OF waters that engulfed Galveston brought
death 10 more than six thousand
But IN the list OF accidents which like the
burning OF the General Siocum are due 10 visible
agency the primary position in point Of destrIc-
ton belongs to the IRE which On December s,
1865 suddenly swept through the crowded Church OF
the Campania in Santiago Chill where hundreds
OF women and children were celebrating the last
day OF the The Month of MARY and destroyed
more than two thousand Of them. Cauglt in the
crowded church, without proper exits -he wor-
Shippers We're crenated. and the public Indignation
which attend the catastrophe was so violent that
the church was RACED 70 the ground
OF natural commissions Nev-YorE has forru-
nately. little to fear. but of the accidents which
belong particularly to a great city its record is
long and melancholy. On water there have been
AZ least two fatal accidents rtvalIing in
that OF last week. while on shore there have been
countless fatalities. stretching all the way from
accidents like that end collision in the New
York CentraTs Park-ave- tunnel to the great fire
on the Hoboken piers. when the North River was
filed with burning liners.
OF the accidents in the waters OF the greater
New-York, the first OF great Importance occurred
on July 60 1871 This day. a pleasant Sunday,
brought out the usual number OF excursouists
70 tho beaches. and the Staten Island Ferry line
was obliged to put the WestdeId for an extra
trip. Laden with passengers this boat had
moved we'll into the stream when she was sud-
Ger hV tR-rfT flo aZ-rT1S ETa- fl1~
house was hurled into the air great beams were
twisted and bent. and many OF her passengers who
wore amidships were blown into the air By the ex-
posion- Many fell into the water; others fell
back the wrecked portion OF the boat. from
which clouds OF steam poured forth. OF the pas
sengers some were drowned, more were burned and
scalded to death by the escaping steam Divers re-
covered thirty bodies from the harbOr and the total
death list was above eighty, while more than one
hundred and twenty were injured Investigation
revealed the cause of the accident to have oeen a
detective boiler. Following the catastrophe the
press Of the day filled with cIamors for the
more careful inspection of steamers the proper
regulation OF passenger crlft and other comments.
strangely like those to be heard at the present
moment The national government undertook an
investigation. while tho local authorities were
busy for days placing the responsibility end re-
covering the bodies.
But is the Seawanhaka holocaust which hap
pened June IS, 1850 that most strtkiugly recalls
cause it occurred at almost identicaIy the same
place IN the East River but also because in Incl
dent II is strangely similar. The Seawanhaka was
a pleasure steamer plying between Glen Cove and
the city. and on the day OF the accident she was
her way TO the former place. carrying a con-
siderable number OF we'll known merchants OF the
city.
Just as the Seawanhaka passed through Hell
Gate several Of her crew noticed flames coming
from her engine room one man ran on deck cry
ing Fire" Others endeavOred 10 prevent a panic
The captain. c. 2. Smith. from the pilot house.
repeatedly encouraged the excited crowd As soon
as he saw the extent Of the fire he turned the boat
for Wards Island. then changed his mind, fearing
to attempt grounding. and made for the Sunken
Meadows. so frequently mentioned in the accounts
OF the recent accident
Meantime the flames swept rapidly over the
! steamer; passengers one after another felt their
clothes catch fire and Ieaped overheard But cap
tain Smith burned but undaunted. held his place
al the wheel until the steamer grounded. and then
leaped overheard. Meanwhile women and children
were burned 70 death, exactly they were on the
General SIocurn. Fortunately IN this instance the
LIE preservers proved sound and there was time
to serve them out. From all sides passing craft
FASTENED 70 the assistance of the passengers. One
yacht that ran alongside capsized by the rush
OF people.
After tho accident RaudaTs Island presented
the same appearance as North Brother Island last
week-bodies washed ashore there, divers
brought up the bodies OF children in one instance
a mother and child. the mothers arms still about
her baby. At the mCrsues precisely the same
scene as occurred last week took place. As a re-
s1lr OF the good condition OF the life preservers
the speedy Bleaching of the steamer and the alb
sence OF a panic the loss of life far less than
on the General Slocum. Thirty-two bodies were
recovered and thirty were subsequently reported
missing making a total OF sixry-two less than a
tenth OF that caused by the recent disaster
Prior 10 the recent horror. the accident which
was attended with the greatest loss OF lie in this
vicinity was the burning Of the Brooklyn Theatre
which FOR many years was regarded as the worS
catastrophe IN the annals OF the city This hap
pened on the night OF December 3. 1876. when the
theatre was crowded. Suddenly the cry OF Fire.
was raised a panic resulted. women and children
were buried in the ruins. and fearful loss or hr'
ensued CurioUsy enough. the papers or the rol
lowing morning gave no suggestion OF the extent
of the disaster and even expressed the hope tha
no lives had been lost But the next day. when The
nremen began 10 clear away the debris, the extent
of the holocaust became apparent The Whole
body Of the theatre Allied with the dead anc
300 bodies were taken out. or these only III cou4e
be Identified; the remainder were buried under
circular mound in Greenwood Cemetery ana th'
citv OF Brooklyn raised monument TO theil
memory
Rut fearful as was the Brooklyn disaster, II
males before the recent holocaust which happened
at the Iroquois Theatre, in Chicago, last December
On the afternoon OF December 80 this theatre
newly opened and believed TO be one OF the finest
and most modern in the country. was crowded
with an audience numbering more than two thou
sand and largely consisting of children-a circUn
stance which closely resembles the situation OF
en- Conceal Slocun The details OF the tragedy are
familiar-a sudden burst OF flame. an effort on tht
mart OF the actors 70 check the panic the failure
Of the asbestos curtain to work. and them as The
flames were driven out by explosions, one wild
frantic rush for the narrow doOrs-an these met
80 ,rara b,1t recently recorded. When the panic