The evening world., 1904-06-15
CAP7AIN ARRESTED,
WITH HIS PILOTS
Van Schaick and the Other Officers
Taken to Police Station-All Declare
They Made Every Possible Effort to
Avoid Disaster.

Capt. Van Setback. Chief Pilot Edward Van wart. Of No s1 wes
rwenty-thid street. and Edward N. Weaver. second pilot. were appre
hended by Policeman T. Brdy. of the Alexander avenue station a they
were getting into a cab in One Hundred and Thirty eighth street two
blocks from the shore.
He took them to the staton-house. where they were held pending in
structons from Headquarters.
Capt. Van Setback has zen severely crticised. for not running his boat
ashore Immediately he discovered that there as a fire. He was then OF
One Hundred and Thirtyiourth street. but steamed out for North Brother
Island a quarter Of a mile away. In this quarter of a mile nearly a hun.
dred persons wero burned to death on the boat and about 800 jumped into
The water.
s,haick, who a severely burned. I'VE had had fires on the c|n. siocun
before and, had always been able to handle them l "a nc lea la u"
fire would get away from u.s.
"I was in the pilothouse when a fireman came UP an. told me that Their,
was a fire in the lower deck. I started to go toward One Hundred and Tir
yfourth street.
TSLAND THE ONLY PLACE.
ct as warned off by the captain of a tugboat, who shouted to me tina
the boat would set FIRE to the lumber yards and oil tanks. Besides, I knew
that the shore was lined with rocks and that the boat would founder will
all hands II ran ashore there.
THE only place where I could beach her safely a at North Brother
Island. and started To- there There as a iresh breeze blowing
81 looked back and aw that the port side of the boat was all ablaze
It a the quickest fire eve Ia held for North Brother Island. sx-
pecting to beach the slocum sideways.
Il had sen Mate Flanagan and some of the crew below to nsht the fire
and thought they could hold It, but the wind as too strong. Then they
began to Jump overheard. The rail of one Of the decks gave way and a la
of people fell into the water.
house and drove me out with my cap on fire. She went on the beach bow on
In ABOUT four feet OF water. All the people in the bow jumped out and
waded ashore, and followed them.
NO CHANCE FOR
1.-THE people aft jumped into deep water and were carried away, We
had n chance to use the hfe-boats. They were urned III before tn creW
could get to them.
There was nothing for ne o do but u to the nearest point where
coulu beach the boat. III had run her on the'rocks there would have been
greater loss of life. 1t is not true that the men OF the crew were panic
stricken. This is shown by the fact that a lot of them we're burned to death
hshting the fire and trying to "a the passengers l am sorry for the
awful accident, but n living man could have done more han did,
Capt Van schaicks story was confirmed by the two pilots.
The wreck of the Slocum sunk at 20, about a quarter OF a mile north
Of R;kers Island. At the moment she careened and her decks came into
view fully ne hundred charred bodies Of women and children we're seen
on the slanting decks. Several of the bodies slipped off into the yea as the
wreck mad. its fal plunge.
.n ,,o.,,li,,+ nrnuuh me If the haUSpr holes where she a CraWeL
for safety when death overlook her,
MATE F~LANAGAN'S STORY.
Edward Flanagan, mate of the wrecked slocum. told thu police 1t was
impossible to calm the excursiopiss after the first appearance of the flames
lie said:
1T wal unfortunate that there were not more men aboard and that all
n, he excusionists did not understand the English language. Women and
children rushed &c the sides If the vessel and before any one comd restrain
them they were ieaping overheard by the hu9Teds. 1t VIII oe oun 1na'
the majority lost wero drowned by jumping overheard. when had they
kent their presence If mind they would now re among tn saved MANY OF
the oor rooyle we're 81 frantic stricken that they actually a INTO, the
flames and were consumed. saw several instance OIL '"S MINI '' w"
poweriess IN the panic-tricken throng.
SAYS WAS MADE. u
rbor,es I, storms. who owns the lumber yard at One Hundred a'
Thirty fourth street and the East River, says that the os OF life o n TIT
Gen. slocum could have been averted had the captain steered o shor
when he first discovered tn fire.
81 saw the flames on the boat S she passed one Hundred n VERY
s,gbth street" said Mr.. Storms, and signaled for her to come ashore
At the same time turned in al alarm and almost immehatey there "r
engines al the foot of East One Hundred and Thirty-second street II tn
s1ocum had turned in then not a life would have been lost.
Later, when | saw how badly of the sAocum was and saw the peopl
running around o her decks and people jumping overheard. saw a biz
rteam yacht, a black craft with yellow tunnels, go right past Ter and MAKE
no effort to assist those IN board
BANK BOOKS o $50, 900 IN BUSTLE.
In searching the body of No. 6 Con North Brother Island Corone
oGorman found in her hustle bank books showing that she had IN deposi
$4,000. The books yer made out in the name of Mrs. Eva Klinger
A little girl about seven years old walked sobbingly along the line o
cad OF n pier III said th she "a lo lei mother M grandmother
BY a peculiar coincidence the bodies were found side by side and identified
by the little girl The mother vas Mrs. Annie e. Buechard and the grand
mother Mrs Louisa Schwartz.
A sight that brought tears to the eyes Of all beholders wa the body o
Mrs., Lillian Granhre, of No. 9ss Avenue A, Clasped to her breast was thu
body OF her nine months old baby. Both had been burned to death. thu
mother vainy endeaYOrng to protect lei chud