The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-06-16
STORY IN DETAIL.
Account of the Disaster Narrowing
In the Extreme.

Account Of the Disaster Narrowing
In the Extreme.
New York. June I5-The three
decked excursion steamer General Slo-
cum of the Knickerbocker Steamboat
company, burned to the waters edge
in Hell Gate this morning, resulting in
the death through burning or drowning
Of at least 500 persons, mostly women
and children. -Four hundred and ninety
eight bodies have been recovered to-
day. and divers were at work taking
/ bodies from the hold of the steamer.
The remains of many persons who
leaped into the river have not yet been
found, and il Will be many hours before
the list of dead is anywhere near COM
plete.
The General Slocum, one Of the Iarg-
est excursion steamers in these waters,
left Third street, East river, at $3.50
o'clock this morning having on board
the Sunday school excursion of ST.
Marks German Lutheran church, To-
Gated in Sixth street Her destination
was Locust grove, one of the many
resorts on Long Island sound.
Pastor Was in Charge.
The excursion was in charge Of Rev.
George c. Haas, pastor CT the church.
The vessel was commanded by Captain
William Van Schaik, one of the best
known excursion boat captains i'm New
York harbOr. He has commanded the
General SlocUm for almost the entire
time since she was built In 1891, The
number of excursionists on board today
is variously estimated at from 1900 to
9, zoo, but according TO an official state
ment issued by the knlckerbOckeT
Steamboat company, owners of the
SIocum, that being One-third Of the
vessels licensed capacity.
The steamer, after leaving her dock
this morning, proceeded up the East
river, all three of her decks being
crowded with merrymakers- Bands
played, and the great side-wheeIeT was
/ decorated with aags from stem TO
stern.
The SIocum had reached a point near
! the Sunken Meadows of One Hundred
and Thirty-ffth street Manhattan,
which is at the extreme eastern end Of
Randall's island, when fire broke out
! IN a lunch room on the forward deck.
) The blaze was caused by the Oyerturn-
/ ing of a pot of grease. The Roadway
Of the vessel and a high wind almost
I instantly famed the insignificant flame
/ into fury. Efforts were at once direct
( ed To subduing the fire, but they were
I futile. The blaze sp}ead aft with al
most lightning rapidity. Captain Van
/ Schaik. in the pilot house, had been
/ informed of the outbreak of the IRE,
/ and realizing the danger to the hun
/ dreds of excursiOuists. decided to send
/ his vessel TO shore at One Hundred and
| Thirty-fOurth street. At this point
/ there are number Of lumber yards
/ and several huge oil tanks, and the cap
/ tain was warned that to attempt to
{ Ia ~
property and perhaps further tmpertl
/ the scores Of people who had already
/ been frightened into a state of almost
uncomfortable excitement
Steamer Headed For Shore.
Changing the big steamers course
/ slightly, he headed her Tor North
/ Brother island. half d mile away.
BY this time the flames were rushing
| by leaps and bounds from the forward
| part of the ship aft.
The great open decks. built for exCur-
/ sionists, with little obstruction from
DO VITO stern. offered clear sweep for
the IRE. As the slocum dashed for
1 ward the flames caught stauchiou and
| cabin woodwork, eating and tearing
/ their way across the vessel.
The excursionists, but a few mo-
/ ments i'm the full enjoyment OF an ideal
summers day on Long Island SOUND,
| were driven 10 the after part of the
steamer to escape the heat, flames and
smoke that were constantly ncreas-
Wild Panic Ensued.
{ Policemen ana deck hands aboard the
boat struggled hard to quiet the panic
but their efforts were iu vain. The
wild disorder increased as frantic
mothers sought 10 find their children
who had been at play about the decks
The steamers whistle was blowing
for assistance and tugs and other near
by craft answered to the call. Before
any of the boats could reach the burn
ing steamer, however, the frantic wo-
men and children began 10 jump over
board. The current was strong and
there are many whirlpoOls in the chan
mel. The boats that always abound IN
the vicinity picked many passengers
from the water, but these were only a
I small number of those that were seer
struggling in the swift current.
Escape Cut OF.
on the SIocum the first sweep of the
! flames cut off escape from the hurri-
1 cane deck, where a great many of thc
/ women and children were crowded TO-
gether. and soon burned away the lsh
wood of the uprights which came dow
! with q crash on those below. It Il
I thought that most of those on the nur
/ ricane deck were burned
AS the ire increased the struggle t,
gain a point of vantage at the sterr
! became frightfui Women and children
crowded against the aft rail until i
I gave way and hundreds were pushed
off into the river. After this there wa.
a steady stream of persons who jumped
or were thrown into the water
StreWu With Bodies.
In the wake OF the SIOcum as shl
hurried upstream was a line of littl
black specks marking the heads an'
bodies OF those VINO had sought 10 IS
cape the roaring furnace on the shil
By throwing themselves overheard.
Few Of those saved by the small
boats had on life preserVers. AT n
time during the progress of the FIRE wa
there an opportunity 70 either lowe
1.-The lifeboats or TO set the life preserv
era out from underneath the seats
This perhaps gives an idea ct the rap
idity with Which che flames swept tn
decks.
u was an experience narrowing an'