Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-06-16
PERTH AMBoY EVENING NEwsATHURsDAY JUNE 10, 1901.

KnickerbOcker Steamboat company the
number of passengers was ST3. that
being one-third of the vessels licensed
capacity.
The steamer proceeded up the East
river, each of her decks being crowded
with merrymakers. with bands playing
and flags flying. The Slocum had
reached Il point at the Sunken Mead
ows off One Hundred and T|hirty-fifth
street, which is at the extreme eastern
end Of RandalI's Island, when fire
broke out in Il lunch room on the for
ward deck, caused by the o%verturning
of Il pot of grease. \ high wind famed
the blaze into instant fury.
! Efforts to subdue the fire were futile.
and word was sent ut once to the. cap
tain, who started to land the steamer
at One Hundred and Thirty-fourth
street.
He was warned. however, that the
boat would set fire to lumber yards
and oil tanks there and changed the
Slocum's course. heading her for North
Brother Island, half Il mile away. The
flames had now broken out all along
either side of the steamer and were
famed by a strong head wind. The
passengers, seized with panic. rushed
| to the rear of the vessel TO escape the
heat and the smoke that were constant
ly increasing. Policemen ana deck
hands aboard the boat struggled hard
to quiet the panic, but their efforts
,-.,, -,,,.,:1i,u rho r+il1 I;.npln,. II,
| creased as frantic mothers sought to
find their children, who had been ut
play about the decks.
The steamers whistle was blowing
for assistance, and tugs and other
nearby craft answered to the call. BE.
fore any of the boats could reach the
burning steamer, however, the frantic
women and children began TO jump
oV erbOard. The current was strong,
and there are many Whirlpools IN the
channel. The boats that were follow
ing the Slocum picked up many from
the water, but these were only Il small
number of those that were seen strug-
Cling in the swift current.
On the Slocum the first sweep of the
flames cut off escape from the hurri-
cane deck, where Il great many of tho
women and children were crowded to-
gcther, and soon burned away the
light woodwork which supported the
deck. 1t is thought that most of those
who were on this deck were burned.
AS the fire increased the struggle to
gain Il point Of vantage at the stern
became frightful. Women and children
crowded against the after rail until it
gave way, and hundreds were pushed
off into the river. After this there was
II steady stream of those who jumped
or were thrown into the water. The
tugs and small craft following after
kept close within the wake of the Slo-
cum and rescued all of those who came
within reach of their crews. Few OF
those who were saved had on life pre-
servers. At no time during the prog
ross of the fire was there any oppor-
tunity to either lower the lifcboats or
get the life p~reservers out from under
meath the seats. Through all the wild
panic the officers and men of the blaz-
INK bOll Stul tu IL lltlI IOSlS'
Women went literally insane at once.
Some had allowed their little charges
TO be separated from them, and in that
frantic mob there was no chance for
reunion. Men. maddencd by fear,
irampled down women and children to
get to the sides and leap overheard.
To most of the tcrrorized multitude it
was but Il choice of death that offered.
To stay on board meant the awful
certainty of being burned alive. To
take to the water meant for all but a
few the certainty of death by drown
ing.
At the point where the steamboat
was beached is a high stone wall which
made it impossible for those who were
in the water to climb out on land.
They swan, such as could, round and
round in a vain effort to gain a foot
| hold somewhere.
The engineer of the locomotive of
the gas company at Lawrence point
says that when he saw that the Slo-
cum was afire he blew his locomotive
| whistle, signaling to the captain of
the burning vessel to put in ut that
! point.
The Slocum's captain, however, eli
Their did not hear the whistle or for
some reason decided that it was better
to beach the vessel on North Brother
island.
Had the Slocum been beached at
Lawrence point a thousand willing
hands would have been ready to as
| sist in the work of rescue, as there
were hundreds of men at work along
the shore at the time.
1t was reported that George Conklin,
chief engineer of the General Slocum,
had been burned to death at his post.
The Slocum got within fifty feet of
the northwest point of North Brother
island and there stopped in the shall
low water. Just before Bleaching, the
hurricane deck, the supports of which
had burned away, fell with its load OF
women and children, adding to the
manic and horror of those on the deck