The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1904-06-23

men fought with women to escape. 70.
sulting in the trampling under foot Of
scores Of children.
The General Slocum had reached
Sunny Meadows. at the extreme east
of Ran dall's island, when the firs
were discovered. BY the time the
steamer reached One Hundred and
Thirty.fifth street the excursionists
were driven to the rail. many Of them
with clothing on fire, and they began
to Jump overheard by twos and threes.
When One Hundred and Thirty.eighth
street was reached the hurricane deck
collapsed. Many persons were
thrown into the water, but hundreds
were precipitated into the lower deck.
which itself was q mass OF women and
children.
Many OF the bodies recovered were
horribly burned. 1t will be hours be.
fore the fire In the hold Of the vessel
IL out. and the bodies removed there
from.
A tug Of the New York Central
saved nearly a score through the
heroism of an unknown man. This
man stood on the paddle wheel box Of
the Slocum and passed women and
children to the tug until he was driv.
en- back by flames lie then jumped
into the tug himself.
Neither policemen nor firemen.
when this occurred waited to remove
their coats. but jumped overheard
and saved great many who would
otherwise have been drowned.
Both firemen and wreckers say tho
greatest loss Of life, extending into
the hundreds, occurred in the hold.
North Brother island, where the
Slocum was beached, is occupied by
municipal charity hospitals. and con.
siderable number of physicians and
nurses were Immediately summoned.
Bodies Drifted Ashore
For hours the bodies of the burned
and the drowned drifted ashore on the
island, and between One Hundred and
Thirty.first street and One Hundred
and Thirty-eighth street in Manhattan.
Some came ashore still alive. Many
of these died, but others will recover.
The scene was pitiable in the ex.
treme. as the living and dead were
brought In. Rows Of bodies were
stretch d along the beach. Hysterical
women and frantic men went along
looking at one after another. searching
for children and friends. Women with
disfigured faces. their clothing par.
TALLY stripped from them. were car.
ried to the improvised emergency hos.
pital, crying for children who had
been torn from them in the mad rush
when the boat took fire.
Meanwhile the Slocum burned to
the waters edge. At 1925 o'clock.
two hours and twenty-five minutes
after the fire was discovered, she sank.
It is estimated that there were nearly
100 charred bodies on her decks. Just
after the steamer sank the water near
by was black with bodies. The tug
Fidelity succeeded in picking up
eighty.eight charred corpses in Hunts
cave. of Ricker's island and carried
:: I'm into the sound. None of these
bodies. It is thought, can ever be iden.
titled.
1t is alleged that no attempt was
made to get out the fire apparatus at
the first cry Of fire. though Captain
Van Shank says that he Immediately
rang the bells for getting out the ap.
paratus. According to several state.
ments, no attempt was made to lower
boats or life RATS
North Brother Island. where the
vessel was beached, contains a scarlet
fever ward. The patients who wit.
messed the disaster were ordered in.
doors, and the doctors fastened to the
rescue Of those who had been washed
ashore. but some scores of persons