The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-06-22
NEARLY 1000 PERISH
Excursion Boat CARRYING New York SUNDAY
School Catches Fire and a Panic Follows
with Great Loss OF Life.


and oil tanks. and as Capt. w. II. Van
Schaik, in command OF the Gen.
Slocum started to turn his vessel TO.
ward the shore there. he was warned
that 1t would set fire to the lumber.
and oil. and so he changed his course
Tor North Brother island. one OF Twin
Islands near the entrance to the sound.
some half mile away. where the boat
partially burned. was beached. She
sank near this place at 1926 O'Clock
this afternoon, two hours and 20 min.
utes after the fire was first discover.
ed
In the meantime the passengers had
become ranic-strickeu. 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.
Several tugboats went to the rescue
and aided in saving the lives of many
and secured bodies of the unfoitu-
mates.
Rescue work of courageous ma
lure was done by Henry Rock, cap
tain of the tugboat Franklin Edison.
wnlch is used to transfer patients TO
North Brother island. and by Charles
Johnson, the mate. The tugboat was
lying at the foot OF East One Hundred
and Thirty-sixth street when Capt.
Rock saw the blazing steamer pass
by.
Quickly throwing off the lines which
held the Edison to the pier, the cap.
tam rang for full speed and started
for The Slocum. Running close along.
side the blazing vessel, the crew or
the Edison succeeded in rescuing so
women and children, all more or less
burned, and also recovered the bodies
of nine women and one child.
Capt. Allie Van Etten of the tug.
boat d. S. Arnott and his crew work
cd hard in saving life and rescuing
bodies while the Slocum was burn
ing.
The men who jumped overheard
from the rcscuing boats had fearful
experiences. Each one was seized by
several women and children, and but
for the help Of their comrades would
have been drowned The heat was so
terrific that none Of the boats could
run up alongside the Slocum.
Edward McCarrell, fireman of the
tugboat Wade, was one of the first to
go overheard. He grabbed a girl about
10 years old apd passed her along to
a man with boat hook, who pulled
her up on deck. Then he seized two
little children and passed them to the
same man. While he was trying to
save an old woman FIVE or six others
OF the unfcrtunates grabbed him. One
OF the women had him by the throat
and McCa.rell was carried down. He
managed to free himself ana came to
the surface. He showed the nearest
woman toward the man with the boat
hook and then managed to get on
deck himself. lie was completely eX.
hausted by the eXertion.
Mr.. Barnaby, president Of the Knlck.
erbocker Steamship Company, owners
OF the Slocum, says the fire started in
bunch of beach grass which the
! eNcursionists had taken aboard. He
declares the panic.stricken passengers
impeded the efforts of the crew to
launch the boats.
Some of the survivors declared that
the life prcseryers were rotten and
proved utterly useless when the pas,
sensers tried to use them.
The police have placed the captain
of the General Slccum and two other
| officers Of the steamboat under arrest
Three distinct Investigations into the
disaster are already in their prelmin-
ary stages. They have been under
! taken by the Federal authorities,
through Ss etary Ccrtelyou; by the
toroner and by the district attorney.