Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-15

was slightly burned.
Captains Statement.
Capt. William H. Van schaick. captain OF
the Slocum, who is at the Alexander ave-
nue. police station, said:
1.-The Slocum left the foot of East I'D
street at half past o'clock this morning.
There had been collected from those on
board $50 tickets. The boat passed slowly
up the river, through Hell Gate and over
toward Sunken Meadows, where the Ca
wanna was burned in '78. When close to
the meadows an alarm of fire was given.
All that time was in the pilot house.
Jumped down to the deck, and gave 1mme-
date orders for fighting the fire. The nre
drill was sounded, and the crew OF the
boat, numbering twenty-three men, WORKED
like nailers to get water onto the part VI
the boat which was burning.
Continuing Captain Van Schaick SAID:
1.-The fire was under the forward boilers
on the port side, as made 1t out In the
excitement My men were exertfng their
efforts toward keeping the passengers iroi'
humping. The fire was gaining every IN
slant, and the cries of people burning u
death could be heard above every other ois-
cordant sound. / got the boat under way
directly for North Brother Island, which
was the safest place to attempt to laho.
Boat Driven Under Full Speed.
.sThe boat was driven under full speeo
and pulled up sideways to the shore OF the
island. Many had jumped prior TO TINS
Many were jumping every instant. MY
pilots, Edward Van Wart and EDWARD NJ
Weaver were doing everything to get saie-
Iy toward shore and Engineers b. f. Conk-
lin stuck in the hold
Mate Edward Flanagan had charge VI
the fire brigade, but when the nre spreao
over ALL we had to get off the boat. WY
hat was burning when l jumped ana was
pulled out of the water and hauieo upon
shore under a tree before l remembered
what had happened
No Identification Possible.
No Identification was possible as the nrst
bodies were recovered, as they were plckeo
IN at so many different places, many De-
ing found along the shores and on the
islands in the East river. Ihey were
brought together in the most convenient
places. all being carefully numbered anu
everything possible for later identincaeioii
being done.
The tugs and other boats which rescued
many from the burning steamer and from
. the water landed them at the nearest
points and returned to the scene OF the ois-
aster in the hope of rescuing others. ihis
made 1t almost impossible to ascertain VINO
had been rescued and added to the fears OF
those seeking to learn the fate OF 1rlehoS
or relatives.
Seventeen bodies, eleven unidentified wo-
men and six unidentified children; all ulioer
five years of age, were taken 10 the AHA
ander avenue station within less than an
hour after the fire had first broken out.
The docks at 132d and 13Sth streets are
said to be piled high with the bodies OF the
Lost Wife and Six Children.
One man who was saved and taken off at
13sth street, crazed with grief, walled that
he had lost his wife and six small children
When a policeman tried to learn his name
he rushed away, seemingly insane.
1t is reported that ten bodies are at OAK
Point.
When the news of the disaster became
known there was a rush of telephone ana
personal inquiries at the home of the pastor
of the church. George Haas, son OF the
pastor, was the only member of the family
at home, and it fell to him to inform all
those who inquired that the reports were
true. AS the news spread in the parish
parsonage, and the scene was pitiful one.
Large numbers of them boarded the ele-
waited trains and FASTENED to 13sth street.
Business practically was at a standstill in
the neighborhOod.
Two Policemen on Board.
The two policemen on the boat were VIM.
Van Tassel and George Kilt, both of the
harbor squad, who had been detailed to the
excursion.
Van Tassel was on the main deck, while
Kilt was on duty on the upper deck for
ward. Van TasseI was one of the first to
reach the main land from North Brother
Island He said that he heard what he be-
leved to be an explosion; everybody
screamed and some assisted women
to put on life preservers, while others APP
peared to be excited and were unable to do
anything.
Il got on one side of the boat he said,
land tried to quiet people, in which l sue
ceeded to an extent. A few minutes later
the upper deck gave way and 1 was car
ried down with others into the water. L
managed to swim to a dock on North
Brother Island
Tried to Quiet Passengers.
Patrolman Kilt had a similar experience.
He said he tried to quiet the passengers on
his deck but could not, and when the
decks gave way he fell into the water with
them, swimming to the dock, where he and
Van Tassel pulled a number of persons
from the water.
Rev. George c. F. Haas. the pastor of the
church. was saved, but his wife Gertrude
and his daughter Anna are among the dead.
Rev Mr. Haas told this story of the disas-
ter:
The fire started in the kitchen, in the
forward part, when we were off 18th
street / understand that some fat that
boiled over started the blaze.
AT that time most of the women and
| children were damned in the rear end OF
the boat, where the band was playing.
Captain Kept Right On.
why the captain did not point the boat
for the meadows l do not understand He
kept on and the fresh wind from the sound
drove the fire back through the decks.
''In three m nutes from the time the fire
started all the decks were ablaZe.
such scenes as followed 1 don't think
were ever witnessed before. 1 was in the
y,