The San Francisco call., 1904-06-18
DISASTERS ON THE WATER.


diate official attention to hreproohng of theaters
L and places of public assembage. and to the con-
dition of exits thererom. The hundreds who died IN
that catastrophe were not sacrificed altogether in vain
Small may be the consolation to the thousands who
mourn them their fate saved thousands others by
stern regulations which it caused to be made all
over the world. whereby similar horror is made less
possible
The opening of the heated and of the con-
current excursion season in New York is the occasion
of the greatest disaster the that has
Cured in this country The children OF large parish on
Sunday school outing, crowding regular excursion
boat have been cruelty sacrificed false feeling OF
the safety OF the boat No doubt her hull
and machinery were order and the official inspectors
had done their duty. But matter how mt she was
for the which she sailed there IS never safety
on such boat crowded her limit with women and
children whose only thought is the pleasures OF the
holiday. =
Probably not one in all the hundreds that swarmed
on the Slocum thought of danger, planned how to
meet if it came Least of all dangers is it probable
that any thought of fire York and ali the Atlantic
Coast cities and the the Great Lakes have this
boat excursion habit There is charm in being the
that lures thousands enjoy it, and there are
in sa such cities regular excursion boats that
rarely with than the limit of passen-
gers allowed by law and this limit is often exceeded
with impunity These usually wooden boats, and
even if the hull is metal the upper works of wood
and very inammable, because of the of paint and
varnish
Official regulations are made secure safety but
these insufficient. The profits of the of
the boats depend upon accommo dating all that can
crowd aboard, a cheap rate, and there is such
universal lack OF caution and for consequences
among excursonsts that every boat is floating posi-
bity of disaster. No control hold in dis
cplne such crowd went its death the Slocum
Any slight thing that would cause panic would be
bring injury and death many under such
dtons.
For brief time excursion going folks who seek
escape from the blistering heat of waersde cities
the East will remember this awful and avoid
crowded boats. But the memory of it will pass
and other boats will be crowded and with risk
great 1t ought be easy in the of such
organizations the Sunday school that the
Slocum, regulate the number going on board as
crowd the boat and divide the children into
commands, each instructed to obey captain By select
ing cool-headed persons for command. who know all
about getting life preservers, RATS and boats the
fatalities might be minmized the face of such
sudden and unexpected peril struck the i-ated
pleasure boat and turned her into floating and fiery
charnel house. 1t may be we'll invoke form OF
public authority charged with the enforcement Of all
possible precautions. When Sunday schools and other
organizations with definite number charter boat
such public authority would take charge and all the
passengers could be instructed obey its commands
The whole subject will doubt be fully discussed
and in the OF precautions in theaters some
will issue from it that will enhance the safety
OF such crowds on such craft
Within the brief space OF minutes between 700
and perished in East River, the beginning of
what intended to be day of pleasure. In ali of
its aspects the calamity is sad and awful and appeals
human sympathy far and near shown by the con-
dolence of municipal officers in this country and Europe
and the official sympathy expressed by the President
of France and other rulers through President Roose-
welt.
After the fact it is easy how effective
might have been taken to life after the
fire started 1t in the bow of the boat. The off
GERS ran her beach, bow This made draft that
the blaze quickly her whole length, cutting of
all chance of escape from death by fire except death by
water When beached she was still in water at such
depth and far from shore that Bleaching her did
good The there is always full of craft of all
kinds. 1t would that if the officers had backed
her. blowing signals of Distress the FIRE would have
been forced astern and backing in nidstream other
boats could have approached and taken off many OF
the passengers who perished by running her ahead.
But there is little time for thinking in ten minutes
best that occurred them The lesson should be
needed wherever boats liable to be crowded. and
people who them, we'll as the officers who com
mand them. and all public authority that may be in
voked, should that will secure the
maximum of safety