Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1904-06-24
TERRIBLE FATE OF EXCURSION PARTY
Crowded New York Steamboat Catches on Fire IN
East River--Loss of Life Nearly 1000.


doomed boat remained at their posts,
but they were powerless to avert the
catastrophe.
Shore Reached At Last.
The Slocum got within so feet OF
Island and there stopped III the Snal-
low water. 1t was just before she
: the northwest point of North Brother
beached that tie HURRICANE deck, the
supports of which had burned away,
fell with its load OF women and chill
dren, adding to the panic and horror
of those on the deck below:
Soon afterward parts of the second
and third decks also caved in: But
before this happened the tug Walter
Tracey had gone alongside the burn
ing steamer and been dashed to her:
Many of the passengers were taken on
by the crew of the Tracey, which re-,
NAMED alongside the steamer until
the tugs pilot house took fire.
The place 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 ap-
proach of the burning steamer were
ordered indoors. Physicians on the
I island fastened to the assistance OF
those who were being brought ashore
through the shallow water. Many
of those who leaped from the Slo-
cum were carried away by the. cur
tent, even after she was beached, and
were drowned.
Pastors Tale Of Horror.
One of the best narratives of the
disaster was that of Rev. George I.
+. Haas pastor of the church. His
wife. Gertrude, and his daughter,
Anna, are among the dead. He said:
The fire started in the kitchen, in
the forward part of the ship, when we
were off One Hundred and Thirty
fourth street. | understand that some
fat which boiled over started the blaze
and that the men in the kitchen ran
for their lives. At that time most
of the women and children were
TANNED in the rear part of the boat,
where the band was playing. Why
the captain did rot point the boat
for the sunken meadows nearby | do
not understand.
"He kept on. and the fresh wind
from the Sound drove the fire back
through the different decks with
lightning rapidity. In three minutes
from the time the fire started all the
decks were ablaze.
Il was in the rear of the boat with
my wife and daughter. Women were
shrieking ond clasping their children
in their arms. Some mothers had as
many as three or four children with
them. Death from fire was to be es-
capped only to die in the water.
when the fire shot up to the top
deck and drove the crowd back the
panic was terrible to witness. The
crush from the forward part of the
boat swept along those in the rear.
The women and children chung to the
ratings and stanchions, but could
not keep their holds.
Over The Rail Like Flies"
81 believe that the first who fell into
the water were pushed over. Women
and children went over the ratings
like flies.
with my wife and daughter l was
swept over the rail The fire then
looked as if it would get US the next
instant. | got my wife and daughter
out on the rail and then we went over
board | was in such all excited state
that | don't remember whether we
were pushed over or jumped. When
| struck the water | sank, and when
] rose there were scores about me
fighting to keep ahoat.
"One by one saw them sink
around me. | looked around for my
wife and daughter, but could not see
their faces anywhere. They probably
sank as soon as they struck the water
With great effort managed to keep
ahoat, but my strength was about
gone when man on tug picked me
up"
The following Geographic message
from President Roosevelt has been
received by Pastor Haas:
Accept my profound sympathy for
yourself, your church and your con-
gregation."
Quickest Fire He Ever Saw.
Captain Van Schaik said
81 did the best | could according
to my experience. We had had fires
on the General Slocum before, and
had always been able to handle them.
| had no idea that the fire would get
away from us this time.
"A fireman came up to me in the
pilot-house and said there were flames
on the lower deck ! started to go
toward One Hundred and Thirty
fourth street. | was warned off by
the captain of a tugboat, who shouted
to- me that the boat would set fire
TO the lumber yards and oil tanks.
Besides knew that the shore there
was lined with rocks, and that the
boat would founder with all hands
if | ran ashore there.
"The only place where could beach
her safely was at North Brother Is
land, and | started there. A fresh
breez was blowing
81 looked back and saw that the
port side of the boat was all ablaze.
1t was the quickest fire | ever saw.
The fire was in the woodwork under
the forward boilers on the port side,
as l made it out in the excitement.
"Wind Was Too Strong"
81 held for North Brothers Island,
expecting to beach the Slocum side
ways. l had sent some of the crew
below to fight the fire, and thought
they could hold it, but the wind was
too strong. Then they began to Jump
overheard. The rail of one of the
decks gave way and lot of people
fell into the water.
To Ayenge Finland.