The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-06-16
OVER FIVE HUNDRED
LIVES LOST
Members of a P.cniC Party,
MostI, Young Children Per-
ish in a Burning Ship
COWARDlCE OF The POLICE
Life Preservers Out of Reach of
the Children An Eyewit-
nesse's Acco.nt
COWARDlCE OF The POLICl

New York, June 16.-Five hundred
pc. sons, almost all children pershed
yesterday by the burning of the ex-
cursion steamer. General Slocum, near
Hell Gate in the East river.
The sliocum. with the annual Sun
day School excursion Of st. Marks
German Lutheran of this city on board
was proceeding up the river to one OF
the many resorts of Long Island
sound. When near 125th street. per-
sons on shore saw smoke and flames
spring from the upper part of the
crowded steamer. A panic ensued on
the boat almost Instantly. The crowds
on the forward deck began TO spring
overheard or to crowd to the after
part of the boat.
The scr. cams of the terrified pas
sengers could be heard on shore ana
hundreds of small boats Immediately
put off to the rescue. Owing TO the
rocks on either side of the channel at
this point. it had been impossible tc
beach the vessel. The captain stuck
to his post at the wheel and headed
vessel straight up the liver to Nolth
Brothers Island. where Sic was put
ag4ound in the shallow water. Seve. al
nundi ed feet of open water still laid
between the burning steamer and the
shore and many persons perished
either in the water or on the burning
the vessel straight up steam TO North
1t was estimated Chat the steamer
ca ried more tnan zoo persons. She
was the largest excursion steamer in
these waters and could carry $500 pas
senge.s.
Ihere are fo.ty bodies on North
Brothe.s Island, eighteen on the lire
boat Gopher Mills and eleven on Rick
e. Island.
The Board of Health has sent 20o
doctors and 500 policemen are on the
scene.
The excursion was in charge of the
social committee of the church. headed
by Miss May A. Bendeschein. In the
minister's party his son said, were the
DdSlOTt IACNs ttVA SC - AAeA~N2s %~iS'
Bendeschein, Assistant Superintendent
Carl Anger, William Soalaeter, 5le
pastors daughter Cert ude, his sister,
MISS Emma Haas and w. b. Teta-
more.
At the office of the United States
Steamboat Inspection Bureau it was
said that the General Slocum was
inspected May 5th and was reported to
be in a thoroughly good condition and
eady for the excursion season.
saving apparatus required by law OF
steamers of her capacity.
The General Sloeum's licensed cap
tain is Captain w. NJ. Vanschaick.
one of the oldest excursion captains
| in New York harbor waters.
The disaster was witnessed by thou
sands of people from both of the river
shores and as rapidly as possible hun
/ dreds of small boats and launches set
off to render assistance.
I With the boat burning under his
/ feet, the captain stayed in the pilot
| house and the engineer remained at
his post below deck until the boat
was beached at the lower end of North
4 Brothers Island off Port Morris.
Even then. the passengers wale not
/ in safe position. for they were some
distance from sho and the boat was
a furanee. Hundreds of small boats
I ah nd mic N
those who jumped overheard as ZAP
| idly as possible. 1t is e~timated that
between 400 and 500 persons sprang
| into the water.
An eye witness said that the loss
I of life was due TO the colapsing of
| the heavy upper deck. II fell with a
| crush soon after the fire started,
crushing hundreds of persons VINO had
gathered on the lower deck. 1t was
| then that the greatest panic ensued
amid the living stream of persons go
/ ing over the rail into the water. AS
/ far as eyewitnesses can determine,
the flames originated in the forward
/ part of the boat
| Persons who saw the accident from
/ the shore say that almost instantly
/ persons who occupied places ON the
| forward deck began to jump over
\ board. Policemen In the Bronx and
Harlem cav the blazing boat steam up
! the river ana Immediately began to
i turn in alarms for ambulanees and
! fire. boats.
a large part Of the crowd in the