Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-06-23
Panic at Once Seized the Excur-
SiOnists and the Harvest
of Death Began.
Hundreds of Small Boats Went to
the Rescue Immediately.
Between Fire and Water It is Be-
lieved That Upward Of Five
Hundred Persisted.
Bodies recovered, = 483
Estimated dead, 600

New York, June 16.-Five hundred
persons, mostly children, persisted by
the burning of the excursion steamer
General Slocum near He'll Gate in the
East river.
The Slocum, with the annual Sunday
school excursion of st. Marks German
Lutheran church of this city on board,
was proceeding up the river to n of
the many resorts of Long Island sound.
When Eear One Hundred and Twenty
fifth street, persons on shore saw
Smoke and flames spring from the up
per part of the crowded steamer. A
panic ersued on the boat almost in
stantly. The crowds on the forward
deck began to spring overheard or to
,Gr0wd to the after part of the boat. The
screams of the terrified passengers
could be heard on shore, and hundreds
of small boats Immediately put off to
she rescue.
Impossible to Beach Her.
Owing to the rocks on either side of
the channel at this point, it was
impossible to beach the vessel. The
captain stuck to his pest at the wheel
and headed the vessel straight up the
river TOR North Brothers island, where
she was put aground in the shallow
water. Several hundred feet of open
wafer still lay between the burning
steamer and the shore, and many per-
sons persisted either in the water or on
tho burning vessel after she had been
heached. 1t was estimated that the
steamer carried more than 1000 per-
Sous. She was the largest excursion
steamer in these waters, and could car
ny $500 passengers.
The IIl-Fated Excursion.
The excursion was in charge of the
social committee of the church, head
ed by Miss Mary Abenschein. In the
minister's party, his TO- said, were the
pastor, Rev. George A. F. Haas, Miss
Abendschein, Assistant Superintendent
Carl Anger, VIM Schlafer, the pastors
daughter, Gertrude; his sister, Miss
Emma Haas and W. B. Tetamore.
At The Office of the United States
steamboat inspection bureau it was
said The General Slocum was inspected
on May 5 and was reported to be in a
thoroughly good condition and ready
for The excursion season. Aboard the
steamer was all the life-saving appara-
tus required by law of steamers of her
n capacity.
The SIOcum's Commander.
The General Slocum's licensed cap
tain is Capt. w. H. VanSchick, one
of the oldest excursionist captains in
New York harbor waters.
The Slocum sailed from the foot of
r Third street, East river, shortly after
nine o'clock. The exact point she had
reached when the flames were discov-
cred in the forward part of the boat
was off the "Sunken Meadows" at the
extreme east end of Randall's island.
SO quick was the spread of the flames
that the captain of the Slocum could
not turn, and was forced to make
head-on for North Brothers island I'M
der full steam. By the time the Slo-
cum reached One Hundred and Thirty
fifth street the excursionists, driven
to the rail, many of them, with theiI
clothing or fire, began to jump over.
board by twos and threes.
went Overheard BY the score.
When One Hundred and Thirty.