Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-16
Children Torn From Him.

Children Torn From Him.
They were torn away from me by the
impact of the water. 1 managed to grasp
one of the blades of the paddle-wheels and
climbed up In the paddle-box. The water
ber cath me was q perfect hell. Men and
women were clawing at my legs as l
climbed, and my trousers were torn away
in my efforts to escape from them.
Il was subsequently rescued by row
boat. and put on shore at the point where
the police found me-.
Fred Hoffman. aged twenty-five, fire.
man, was brought ashore. His face was
scratched and his clothing torn. He seem
ed unnerved and was hysterical AT first
all that could be got from him was tha9
he had lost his mother and sister-in-law,
his brothers two children, and a young
woman with him. He was led from the
crowd by reporter and on to side street,
where he told this story
Separated in the Crowd.
IT was on the upper deck with the fam
lily, and little Edna, my brothers three
year-old child, was In my arms. Beside
me were my mother. Mrs. Sophia Hoff-
man; my brothers wife. Celia; her boy
Raymond, aged four, and Jane Workman,
nv friend aged twenty. 1 don't remember
much about the fire. 1t seemed to come
from below. l grabbed the boy and called
upon the women to follow me. l tried TO
keep clear of the crowd, but could not.
First the women were separated from me,
| then the crowd swept me and the little ones
| toward the stern of the boat
TT was an awful crush, the women
| fought and | could do nothing but protect
| the two children with my body, and NOV
| ed with the crowd At times the crowd
would separate, and l could get clear. Tug
| boats were all around us, but they were
| busy trying to put out the fire, and l saw
| TO attempt to take off the people.
Boat Was Doomed.
THE boat was gone; that was plain.
| The fire was eating her up. The tugs could
| rot save her They would have done better
| had they tried to save the passengers. In
| irving to reach the women folks of my fam
fly, got lost in the crowd, and went over
| board with it. I remember nothing but
| heing trampled upon. When 1 came to the
| surface a life preserver was within my
| reach and | chung to that. My strength was
| gone and IT seemed as If could not hold
| on a bit longer, when some one pulleo me
ont of the water and took me ashore.
| norman said that this was his second
| close shave in one week, that only rev
| DAYS ago he was pulled out OF pulldlns
| on fire in Houston street more ceao 'Lan
| alive He wandered around among the
| crowd asking for the other members oA
| his family.
How One Woman Escaped.
Miss Marie Kreuger of 451 West End
| avenue, told Of her experience at the 1ai
lem Hospital. She said
"I was sitting on the upper deck when
tbere was cry of fire Men came among
rs and told us to be quiet The women
| and children were panic-stricken 1 slid
| down a pole to the water, and held on by
a rope on the side of the boat. Inc names
| began to shoot out of the port notes. ana
| had to let go. A little boy was near me
| hanging to a life preserver. a coal barge
| was near and deckhand threw us rope
We were pulled aboard the coal barge.
| saw my cousin and sister, but they disap-
| peared." =,
| August Schneider, musician, went to the
| Alexander avenue station with his baby
| Augusta He was looking for his wife and
two other children. The only lnformauor
that Schneider could impart was that he
| was with his family on the main deck near
the stern; that he saw the steamer preaR
| In two in the middle" and the next he re-
| membered was finding himself with his
| baby on the deck of a tug. Whether he
| was in the water or not the man did no.
know. His clothing was dry.
| Paul Lebenow, who said that he lived al
% East 125th street, was another OF the
| rescued.
Children Clinging to Wheel.
1.-THE fire started in the boiler ROOM" he
said. land when the crew was notified they
became utterly demoralized. The captain
Of the steamer blew distress whistles, and
about this time the ferryboat Bronx, run
ming from 13Sth street and College Point
was nearing the General Slocum. but pass
cd without offering any assistance. jump
ed into the water and swan to North
Brother Island"
Three children, Otto Bernhard of 14t
East 4th street: Christiana Deisman Of III
East 4th street, and Rosa Delucia of g.
East 7th street. were found clinging to the
paddle wheel Of the boat. They were reviv
ed by doctors from the Lincoln Hospital
Rosa Delucia told the following story t.
one of the surgeons:
IT was standing with a lot Of other chill
dren on the top deck. Of the boat, when
heard loud noise. 1t sounded to me like
an explosion. The deck seemed to go up II
the air. and the ship was soon In flames al
over, ! was pushed of the boat into thu