Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-06-15
FIVE HUNDRED EXCURSIONISTS
LOSE LIVES ON BURNING SHIP

him yelled frantically to us to stay
aboard until they beached the boat.
| But in a moment after the flames had
| burst from the engine room great num-
i bers began to jump overheard. Wo-
men, wild with fright snatching their
children to them leaped into the
whirlpools that carried them toward
the rocks on both shores.
II endeavored to break thru the mad
crush and get to my mother and broth
er, but was swept into a corner and
held there unable to move. AS the boat
kept on her way the breeze lrove the
| flames toward the after part of the ship
| jumped overheard were huddled to-
gether. 1t seemed but few seconds
before the flames had shot down upon
the children who were struggling about
the ice cream tables and set their cloth
ling ablaze. They all rushed to the
/
after part of the ship. In the stampede
that carried those who We're near the
rail overheard against their will at one
time it seemed to me as ii the women
land children were pouring over the sid
| es like waterfall. AS we drew near
| the shore the captain blew his whistle
| in. one tremendous blast. Soon boats
of all descriptions We're making for US
from every side of the river.
.I was rescued by launch Just as
the boat settled close to the shore.
When she grounded the flames had
spread over the entire upper and lower
deck. There were only few spots on
| the boat untouched by the flames and
In these were piled up men and wo-
men who had tainted, and falling PIN
ned others to the deck. The men from
the tugs who could get near the steam
| boat shouted for those on board to
jump and then small boats picked them
| up by the score"
From all that can be gathered no
alarm was sounded when the fire was
| discovered, but the crew tried to ex-
tinguish the flames without alarming
the passengers. Those in the after por-
ton of the boat did not know 1t was on
fire until the flames had swept back on
them. There was nothing to do but
Jump overheard or be burned to death.
Persons on the shore say there were
scores huddled in apparently safe posi-
tion on the hurricane deck with the
brcaze blowing the flames and smoke
away from them, when suddenly the
deck fell in. After the cloud of smoke
had blown away the observers looked
back to where the crowd had been
standing.
Many children were picked up by
small boats and were lashed to the
camp stools and other light boat fur
to make the little ones safe. These
precautions proved inadequate in the
terrific current and in the whirlpools.
Very few children We're picked up that
had on life preseyers. Children can
not get at the life preservers on the
excursion boats in this harbor. They
are lashed to the ceilings over the
decks and can only be reached by a
tall person. Paul Lebenow one of the
passengers who was on board says a
ferry boat passed near the burning
steamer, but offered no assistance.
Two policemen who had been as
signed to accompany the excursion
jumped from the burning steamer and
reached the shore In safety, one of
them was slightly burned.
1t is impossible to more than esti-
mate the loss of life but it is believed
anywhere from 800 to 500 persons per-
ished or were drowned. AS fast as the
bodies are recovered they are taken
to convenient places and carefully
numbered for later Identification. The
pastor of st. Marks church, Rev.
George G.. f. Haas, was saved, but his
wife, Gertrude. and daughter, Anna,
are dead. Haas says ne understands
the fire started from fat boiling over n
the kitchen in the fore part of the
vessel.
At l o'clock this afternoon several
of the hospitals We're compelled to turn
away the injured, their accommoda-
tons being already crowded. Most of
the rescued are badly burned. and
many will die. The following bodies
have been identified:
Mrs. Mary Balmer, 35.
Infants of Mrs. Balmer.
Mrs. Agnes Dippert. 81.
Mrs. Selma Grimm, "a.
The coroner's physician has notified
the morgue keeper that LOG bodies are
at the morgue on Massasoit. The su
perintendent of the Harlem morgun
has asked the charities department for
200 boxes in which to put bodies.
Ambulance Surgeon Krauskopf sad
persons. The doctors near him were
as busily engaged as he. He said that
one of the paddle wheels of the Slo-
cum was choked with the burned bod
les of those who had perished Edward
Weaver and Edward Van Wart, pilots
of the boat, were arrested, along with
the captain.
Ar 1.45 twenty-six unidentified bod