Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-06-24
WE'RE MOSTLY CHILDREN
Members Of the Sunday School
of St. Marks German Lu-
theran Church.
SOME BURN, MORE DROWN
Like a Flash Flames From the Engine
Room Enveloped the Vessel From
Stem to Stern--Awfui
Sights.

New York, June 15.-Five hundred
persons, mostly children. persisted to-
day by the burning of the excursion
steamer General Slocum near Hell
Gate in the East river.
The Slocum. with the annual Sunday
school excursion OF st. Marks German
Lutheran church Of his city on board.
was proceeding up the river to of
the many resorts on Long Island sound,
When she was neal One Hundred and
Twenty-fifth street, persons on shore
saw smoke and flames spring FROM
the upper part OF the crowded steamer.
"A panic ensued on the boat and all
most instantly the crowds on the for
/ ward deck began to spring overheard
or crowd to the after part of the boat,
The screams of terrified passengers
could be heard on shore n hundreds
OF small boats Immediately put of to
the rescue.
COULD NOT BE BEAcHED.
.Owink to the rocks on either side OF
the channel at this point II had been
impossible to beach the vessel. The
captain stuck TO his post at the wheel
and headed the vessel straight up the
river for North Brother island where
she was put aground in shallow water.
Several hundred feet OF open water
still lay between the burning steamer
and the shore and many persons per-
ished either In the water or on the
burning vessel after h had been
beached.
1t Is estimated that the steamer car
rted more than 1000 persons. She was
the largest excursion O In these
waters and could carry 1900 passen-
gers.
There are forty bodies on North
Brother island, eighteen On the fire
heat Gnphar Mi1i1 and eleven on Rigprfg
island. The board of health has sent
100 doctors, and 500 policemen are on
the scene.
The excursion was In charge of the
social committee of the church, headed
by Miss Mary Abendschein. In the
minister's party were the pastor, Miss
Abendschein, Assistant superintendent
Carl Anger, VIM. Sehlafer, the pastors
daughter Gertrude, his sister, Miss
Emma Haas, and w. b. Tetamore.
PASSENGERS BEGIN TO JUMP.
BY the time the Slocum had reached
One Hundred and Thirty-fifth street
the excurslonists were driven to the
rail, and many OF them. with their
clothing on fire. began to jump over
board by twos and threes.
When One Hundred n Thirty
eighth street was reached the heat had
become so intense that men, women
and children plunged overheard by the
score. There was a terrific crash when
the boat was beached.
1t is said the fire started in the lunch
counter in the forward part of the
boat. When the alarm spread among
the passengers the hurricane deck was
crowded, and when off One Hundred
and Thirty-eighth street this deck coli
lapsed. Many persons were thrown in
to the water, but hundreds We're pre-
cipitated into the lower deck, which
tNaS ffSplf IA mass of women and chill
dren.
A tug of the New York Central rail-
road saved nearly a score through the
heroism OF some unknown man. This
man stood on the paddle wheel box
Of the Slocum and passed women and
children to the tug until he was driven
! u hack by the flames than i.anae4d
into the tug himself.
MANY HEROIC REScUEs.
Neither police nor firemen, when they
arrived, waited TO remove their coats
or clothes but jumped overheard and
saved a great many who would other
wise la drowned.
Many Of those picked up alive In the
river Will die In the hospitals. Most
of them are frightfully burned, hay
ing delayed leaping from the boat until
their clothing was on fire. Some died
in h improvised ambulances.
Every man on board Who could swim
went overheard loaded down with chill
dren, n many Of these heroes lost
their lives because, burdened as they
We're, they could make no Roadway
against the overpowering swirl Of the
tide.
A SURVIVORS, EXPERIENCE.
Jno. Edell, 20 years old, one of the
survivors of the disaster, gave the fol-
lowing account of his terrible exper-
ience. His mother n little brother
were drowned before his eyes.
When we left the pier the decks were
packed to the limits of their capacity.
AS We neared Hell Gate the children
were called down TO the lower deck
where ice cream n soda water were
served With my mother and little
brother Paul, l went to the engine room
to watch the machinery.
suddenly and without the least
warning there a burst of fame
from the furna room, that rushed
up through the engine room and flashed
out about us. The flames spread with
the rapfdity of an explosion. setting
fire TO the clothing of the women and
children who were grouped about the
engine room watching the machinery.
There was q terrible panic as the
burning women n children rushed
out among those surrounding the ice
cream and soda water tables, screaming
with pain.
I'm he terrible scramble my mother
and little brother We're 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 a the entire deck enveloped.
The crew was helpless to render any
assistance or make efforts to check the
advance of the fire. We were lust
passing out through He'll Gate when
the fire started.
THE DEvOuRiNG FLAMES.
'"The captain headed the boat toward
North Brother IslAhd. ard the pilots
who were with him yelled frantically
to M TO stay aboard until they beach9d
b boat. But IN : moment after ~