Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-06-16

ed on the boat almost instantly. The
crowds on the forward deck began to
spring overheard OF to crowd to the
afterpart of the boat
The screams of the terrified passeng
ers could be heard on shore and hun
dreds of small boats Immediately put
off to the rescue The captain struck
to his post at the wheel and headed
the vessel straight up the river for
North Brother island, where she was
nut aground in the shllow 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 she had been
beached. 1t is estimated that the
steamer carried more than 1000 per
sons. She was the largest excursion
steamer in these waters and could
carry 1000 passengers.
The excursion was in charge Of the
social committee of the church, head
ed by Miss Mary Abendschein In the
minister's party, his son said, were
the pastor, Miss Abendschein, assistant
superintendent Carl Anger, William
Schlafer. the pastors daughter, Gort-
rude, his sister, Miss Emma Haas, and
". B. Tetamore.
At the office of the United States
steamboat inspection bureau it was
said the General Slocum was inspected
on May ,, and was reported to be in
thoroughly good condition and ready
for the excursion season. Aboard tn e
steamer was all the life saving ap-
paratus required by law Of steamers
of her capacity.
The General Slocum licensed Cap
/ tain is Captain W. II. Van Shaick,
one of the oldest excursion captains IN
New York harbor waters.
The Slocum sailed from the foot %
| Third street East river shortly after 9
O'Clock. The exact point she had
reached when the flames were discov-
cred in the foreward part OF the hoat,
was off the "Sunkcn Meadows" at
| the extreme east end of Randall's Is
| land. So quickly 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 under full steam.
BY the time the Slocum reached One
Hundred and Thirty fifth street, the
eXCursiOnists, driven to the rail, many
of them with their clothing on fire,
began to jump overheard by twos and
threes. When One Hundred and Thir.
ty-eighth street had been reached, The
heat from the fire had become so in.
tense that men, women and children
plunged overheard by the score.
There was a terrific crash when the
boat was beached at the reef at the
northern end of North Brother Island
where she rapidly burned to the wat
er's edge.
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 of One
Hundred and Thirty-eighth street this
deck collapsed. Many persons wer,
thrown into the water, but hundreds
were precipitated into the lower deck
which was itself mass of women anC
children.
The police reserves of a half dozen
stations were hurried out and NOR.
than fifty patrol wagons were sent foI
ambulances purposes.
North Brother island, where tn,
Slocum was beached, is occupied by
municipal charity hospitals and con
siderable number Of physicians anC
nurses were Immediately available.
Many of those picked up alive in the
river will die in the hospitals Mos
of them were frightfully burned hay
ing delayed leaping from the boat un
til their clothing was on fire
Some died in the Improvi,ed am
balances in which they were hurried
from the shore.
Every man on board who could swim
went overheard loaded down witt
children. Many of these heroes los
their lives, because burdencd as they
were they could make no hcadway
against the overpowcring tide as il
rushes from the East River into the
sound.