Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-06-22
HUNDREDS OF
LIVES LOST
Excursion Steamer Catches Fire In
New York Harbor and Terrible
-. Loss of Life Results.
MANY HEART RENoINe SCENES
Mothers Leap With Their Babes Into
the Sea and Hundreds Fall In
to Destroying Flames.


New York. June 15.-Five hundred
mostly children. perished to.
day by the burning of the excursion
steamer General Slocum near He'll
Gate in the East river.
The General Slocum, with the an
nual Sunday school excursion of St.
Marks German Lutheran church OF
this city on board, was proceeding up
the river to one OF the many resorts
OF Long Island sound When near
One Hundred and Twenty Fifth street
persons on shore saw smoke and
flames spring from the upper part OF
the crowded steamer. A panic ensu-
ed on the boat almost instantly. The
crowds on the forward deck began -,
spring overheard or to crowd to the
after part of the boat. The screams
of the terrified passengers could be
heard on shore and hundreds of small
boats Immediately put off to the res
cue. Owing to the rocks on each side
Of the channel at this point, 1t had
been impossible to beach the vessel.
The captain stuck to his post at the
wheel and headed the vessel straight
up the river to North Brothers is
land, where she was put aground in
the shallow water. Several hundred
feet OF the open water still laid be-
tween the burning steamer and the
shore and many persons perished
either in the water or on the burning
vessel after she had been beached.
Largest Excursion Boat
1t was estimated that the steamer
carried more than 1000 persons. She
was the largest excursion steamer In
these waters and could carly $500
passengers.
There are forty bodies on the North
Brothers island, eighteen on the fire
boat Gopher Mills and eleven on Rick
ers island. The board of health has
sent 100 doctors and 500 policemen
to the scene.
The excursion was in charge of the
social committee of the church, head
ed by Miss May Abendschein. In the
minister's party. his son said, were
the pastor, Rev. George C. Haas, Miss
Abendschein, Assistant Superintend-
ent Carl Anger, William Schlaefer,
the pastors daughter. Gertrude, his
sister, Miss Emma Haas and w. b.
Tetamore.
At the Office of the United States
Steamboat inspection bureau it was
said the General Slocum was inspect
ed May 9Th and was reported to be
in thoroughly good condition, ready
for the excursion season. Aboard the
steamer was life-saving apparatus.
The General Slocum's licensed cap
tain is Captain w. H. Van Schaack.
one of the oldest excursion captains
in New York harbor waters.
The Captains Statement
Capt. VIM. H. Van Setback, of the
Slocum, who is at the Alexander ave-
nue. police station, said:
THE Slocum left the foot of East
Twenty-Third street as half past nine
o'clock this morning. There had been
collected from those on board 9S2
The boat passed slowly up
the river through He'll Gate and
over toward Sunken Meadows, where
the Cawana was burned in 1887. When
close to the Meadows an alarm Of
fire was given. At that time was
in the pilot house. jumped down
to the deck and gave immediate or
ders for fighting the fire. The fire
drill was sounded and the crew of
the boat, numbering % men, worked
like "nailors" to get water on to that
part of the boat that was burning"
Continuing. the captain said: The
fire was under the forward boilers on
the port side. as l made 1t out In the
My men were exerting
their efforts toward keeping the pas
sengers from jumping. The fire was
gaining every instant and the cries
Of people burning to death could be
heard above every other discordant
sound.
Il got the boat under way for North
Brother island, which was the safest
place to attempt to land. The boat
was driven on under full speed and
pulled up sideways to the shore of the
island. Many had jumped prior to
this. Many were jumping every In
slant. My pilots. Edward Van Wart
and Edward NJ. Weaver, were doing
everything to get safely toward shore
and Engineer B. F. Conklin stuck In
the hold. Mate Edward Flanagan
had charge of the fire brigade, but
when the fire spread over all We had
to get off the boat. My hat was burn
ing when | jumped and | was pulled
out of the water and hauled upon
shore under a tree before | remcm-
bered what had happened"
New York. June 1S.-Unceasing
search for over three days and nights
has resulted tonight in the discovery
of 5Sl bodies of the victims OF the
awful disaster that befell the excur-
sion steamer General Slocum We'd
nesday. Although this appalling num-
ber does not represent the full ex-
tent OF the calamity. hopes are ex-
pressed that comparatively few bod.
les remain to be discovered.
There is a possibility that when the
charred hulk is brought TO the sur
face a considerable number Of corpses
may be within the tangled mass OF
wreckage. which has defed all the
divers attempts at complete explor.
alton. Doubtless. too, many bodies
have been swept away by the whir!'
ing currents of He'll Gate and carried
out In the broad water OF Long Island
sound or out past Sandy Hook to the
open sea.
The number still recorded tonight