Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1904-06-17
Pleasure Steamer From New
York Becomes a
Furnace.
SIX HUNDRED LIVES ARE LOST
The Tragedy Almost Unparalleled in
Horrible Details-Frantic Passen-
gers Are Burned to Death or Sink
in Swirling Whirlpools.

Before leaving NOrtn brotneT 1871
and about that time Coroner Darling
ton said there were hundreds OF
corpses in the wrecked hull of the
steamer.
New York. June 16.-SiX hundred
persons, men, women and children, at
a conservative estimate, met death
Yesterday by the burning, bleaching
and sinking of the big three decker
excursion steamer General Slocum,
which took fire on the East river near
the entrance to Long Island SOUND
while on her way to sound resort
with more than thousand excursion
lists, the Sunday school pupils or st.
Marks German Lutheran chufch,
their relatives and friends.
At o'clock this morning. according
to statement issued by Coroner
O'Gorman, 4S3 bodies had been recov-
cred from the destroyed vessel burned
to death or drowned, and found on the
shores to which they had been washed,
or picked up in the river to which
they had jumped or fallen from the
burning vessel.
Tugs are arriving uoulIy Will pohiSo
from the North Brother island.
New York, June l5.-One of the
most appalling disasters in the his
tory of New York. tragic in its i'm
mensity, dramatic in its episodes. and
deeply pathetic in the tender age OF
most OF its victims, took place today
in the East river, at the entrance to
Long Island Sound. within short
distance of the New York shore and
within sight of thousands OF persons,
the majority of whom were powerless
to minimize the extent OF the catas-
trophe.
BY the burning to the waters edge
Of the General Slocum three decked
excursion steamer, the largest in these
waters, more than 500 persons, the ma
jority of whom were women and chill
dren were burned to death or drown
ed by jumping overheard or by being
thrown into the whirlpools by the
lurching of the vessel and the frantic
rush of the panic stricken passengers.
approximately five hundred bodies
have been recovered and are now be-
ing tagged at the morgue at Bellevue
hospital and Harlem. Divers were
still busy at a late hour taking bodies
from the hold of the vessel. which
they say is choked with the remains
of human beings, while the bodies or
scores who leaped or were thrown in
to, the river have not been recovered.
1t is the season of Sunday school
excursions in New York bay and the
Long Island sound. 1t is variously es-
timated that there were between 500
and 1000 persons on board the General
Slocum when she left the pier.
The scene on the decks of the
steamer as she proceeded up the East
river was one of merrymaking. custo-
mary on such occasions. At the ex-
IRENE eastern end OF Randalls island.
street. there is a stretch Of water
known as the Sunken Meadows. At
this point, just as crowds were watch
ing the gaily decorated steamer from
the shore, the General Slocum took
fire. and as the age Of the vessel-she
was built in lS91-had resulted in the
we'll seasoning OF the wood, with which
she was almost entirely built, she
wa. soon a mass OF flame.
The fire is said to have broken out
in lunch room on the forward deck
through the overturning OF a pot OF
grease. The wind was high and all
efforts to subdue the fire were futile.
At One Hundred and Thirty-fourth
street there are several lumber yards
and oil tanks, and as Captain William
Van Schaick, who was in command
started to turn his vessel toward the
shore there. he was warned that it
would set fire to the lumber and oil
and SO he changed his course for
North Brother island. one OF the twin
islands near the entrance to the
sound, some. half mile away, where
the partially burned boat was beached
She sank near this place at 1925
twenty-five minutes after the fire was
| first discovered.
In the meantime the passengers had
become panic stricken, and those who
were not caught up by the flames
| rushed to the rear of the vessel, and
hundreds jumped overheard into the
| swiftly running waters. 1t is alleged
| that the life preservers were too Sc
| curely fastened to their holdings to be
available. and stories are told of fran
| tic efforts made by strong men to cut
! them loose; but even il they could
have been torn down they were too
| high for the children to reach. 1t is
| also alleged that no attempt was made
| to get out the fire apparatus at the
first cry of fire" Captain Van
Schaick says that he Immediately rang
tue bells for getting out the apparatus.
According to several statements no at
tempt was made to lower boats or life
RATS.
The race to North Brother island
| was horribly dramatic. 1t was made
| while the flames, which had been fan
| ned into fury by the strong head
wind, were consuming hundreds OF
persons, old and young. The scene was
| one of frightful panic, with women
and children jumping overheard and
being dashed by the channel whirl-
oools against the vessels sides. Wo-
men and children were crowded to-
gether on the hurricane deck. which
soon burned away and fell, and it Is
believed that most of those on this
| ieck were burned.
| The after rail gave way and the
/ passengers who had crowded against
it were pushed into the river. Mothers
and children became separated and
franticaliy sought each other, while
in several cases fathers and mothers
gathering their children together jump
ed with them into the water. Little
children holding each other by the
hand jumped together and were after
wards found casped in each others,
arms. 1t is alleged that men fought
with women TO escape, resulting in the