The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-16

/ pidyeu ana tne great SfoeWneeier Wds
decorated with flags from stem t.
| stern.
| The slocum had reached a point neal
the sunken meadow or 1s5th Street
Manhattan, which Is at the extrem,
eastern end of Randalls Island, whel
| fire broke out In lunch room on LAX
| forward deck. The blaze was CAUSED
| by the overturning of a pot of grease
| The Roadway of the vessel and a 4.lgt
| wibd almost instantly famed the in.
| significant fame into a fury. Efforts
| were at once directed to subduing tbs
| fire, but they were futile.
Blaze Spreads Rapidly.
The blaze spread aft with almost
lightning rapidity. Captain Van
Schaik In the pilot house had been in
formed OF the outbreak Of the fire, and.
realizing the danger to the hundreds
of excursionists. decided to send his
vessel to shore at 134th Street. At
this point there are a number of 1um-
Der yards and several huge oil tanks
and the Captain was warned that to
attempt to land at this point would
endanger the property and perhaps
further imperil the lives of scores OF
persons who had already been fright
ened into state of inexpressible ex-
citement.
Changing the steamers course
slightly. he headed her for North
Brothers Island, half a mile away.
BY this time the flames were rushing
oy leaps and bounds from the forward
part of the ship aft.
The great open decks. built for ex-
cursionists, with little obstruction from
bow to stern. offered a clear sweep for
the fire.
AS the slocum dashed forward. the
flames caught stanchion and cabin
woodwork, eating and tearing their
way across the vessel.
The excursIonists, but few mo-
ments before in the full enjoyment of
an ideal summers day on Long ISL
and Sound, were driven to the after
part of the steamer to escape the heat,
flames and smoke that were constant
~ increasing. Policemen and deck
hands aboard the boat struggled hard
to quiet the panic, but their efforts
were in vain.
Leap Into the Waters.
The bedlam grew worse as frantic
mothers sought their children. who
had been at play about the decks. The
steamers whistle was blowing for as
sistance and tugs and other nearby
craft answered the call. Before any
OF the boats could reach the burning
steamer frantic women and children
began to jump overheard. The cur
rent was strong and there are many
whiri pools in the channel. The boats
picked up many persons from the wa
ter, but these were eniy small num-
Der OF those that were seen struggling
in the swift current.
On the Slocum the hrst sweep of the
flames cut of escape from the hurri-
cane deck where a great many of the
women and children were crowded to-
gether. ana soon burned away the
light wooden uprights which came
down with a crash on those below. 1t
is thought that most of those on the
hurricane deck were burned.
Panic Becomes Fearful.
AS the FIRE increased, the struggle
to gain a point Of vantage at the stern
became frightful. Women and children
crowded against the aft rail until 1t
gave way and hundreds were pushed
off into the river. After this there
was a steady stream of persons who
jumped or were thrown into the wa
ter.
In the wake of the Slocum as she
hurried upstream was a line of little
black spots marking the heads and
bodies of those who had sought to es-
Cdpp LHC IOdAiHS OH ln0 snip
by throwing themselves overheard.
Few of those saved by the small
boats had on life preservcrs.
At no time during the progress of
the fire was there any opportunity
either to lower the life boats or get
the life preserves out from UNDER
meath the seats. This perhaps gives an
idea of the rapidity with which the
flames swept the decks.
1t was an experience narrowing and
terrible and that any escaped alive
seems wonderful
OhIcers Remain Cool.
Through all the wild panic. during
all that inferno. with fire and smoke
surrounding them, the officers and men
Of the doomed boat remained at their
posts. but they were powerless to
avert the catastrophe. The Slocum got
within fifty feet of the northwest point
Of North Brothers Island. and there
stopped in the shallow water
1t was just before she beached that
the hurricane deck, the supports of
which had burned away, fell with it's
load OF women and children, adding to
the panic and horror of those below.
Very soon parts of the second and third
decks also caved in. But before this
happened, the tug Walter Tracy had
come alongside the burning steamer
and been dashed to 1t.
Many of the passengers were taken |
off by the crew of the Tracy, which
remained alongside the steamer until |
the tugs pilot house took fire. The
point where the SIocum beached was
Just off the Scarlet fever ward on |
North Brothers Island. The patients
who had been out on the porches and |
lawns watching the approach of the |
burning steamer were ordered indoors
and the physicians on the island has
tened to the assistance of those who |
were being brought ashore through the |
shallow water.
Bodies Washed Ashore.
Many of those who leaped from the |
SIocum were carried away by the Cur
rent, even after she was beached. and |
were drowned. The scene on Norm |
Brothers Island was described by the |
rescuers as pitiful one Body after
body was washed ashore or brought m |
by boats and added to the long row |
on the beach. Fifty-three persons died |
while the doctors were attending them.
AS the bodies of the living and the
lead were taken out of the water, those |
alive were taken to hospitals in Man
haitian. Ambulances from almost all
The hospitals in New York city ami
Every sort OF conveyance which could
be found were put into service
For hours bodies of the burned and
drowned drifted ashore on the island
Ind between One Hundred and Thirty
irst Street and One Hundred and Thir-
y-eighth Street In Manhattan.
Some came shore alive Many OF
hese died. Rows of bodies were
stretched along the beach