The Red Cloud chief., 1904-06-24
EXCEEDS SEVEN HUNDRED
Number Of Deaths on the siooumb Fas
Greater Than Estimated.

Number OF Deaths on the SiocumD rhf
Greater Than Estimated.
After questioning all the witnesses
including Captain Can Setback and
FIVE of the crew of the burned steamer
Slocum. who appeared before him In
the Alexander avenue station. Coroner
Joseph r. Berry. Of New York, made
the following statement:
From the evidence which has been
produced before me I am OF the opin-
ion that the fire started in the storage
room on the starboard side Of the boat
forward. There was stored In the DON
oils. paints. old rope, camp stools,
lumber ond other dunning of q high
ly infammable nature. This material
was such as any ship Is compelled to
carry. and SO far as its presence is
concerned I do not know that the
ships owners are guilty Of neglect.
THE first warning Of danger came
with a volume OF black smoke which
came through the forward stairways.
The fire alarm was undoubtedly
promptly sounded. William NJ. Trem-
bley, a deck hand, has told me that
when the crew responded to fire quar-
ters and manned the hose there was no
water. 1t appears that the efforts Of
the crew we're futile on account of the
panic which ensued. The fire spread
so quickly that the supports Of the up
per deck burned away and collapsed.
Before the crew and owners can DO
cleared OF responsibility ii must be es-
tablished that the fire started from
spontaneous combustion in the inflam-
mable material in the storage ROOM.
Edward Flanagan, mate OF tho
wrecked Slocum, told the police II was
impossible to calm the excursionists
after the first appearance of tho
flames.
ut was unfortunate that there were
not more men aboard and that all OF
the excursionists did not understand
the English language. Women and
children pushed to the sides Of the
vessel and before any n could re-
strain them they were leaping over
u ny GUS. - VIII it loNllh
that the majority lost were drowned
by jumping overheard when. had they
kept their presence of mind. they
would now be among the saved. Many
Of the poor people were so frantic that
they actually ran into the flames and
were consumed. I saw several in
stances Of this kind. but I was power
less in the panic stricked throng."
The race Of the burning steamer
from the moment the fire was discov-
cred until her bows crashed into the
shelving beach of North Brother island.
lasted little more than ten minutes.
yet that time suficed for deeds OF
heroism which make the one bright
chapter in the heartrending story.
Brave men. devoted mothers and
even maidens and youths OF tender
years each contributed their part to
the roll OF heroic acts.
There were rescues in the face of
almost certain death, and useless but
exalted self-sacrlfcc. The credit for
the greatest saving of life is due to the
hardy tug boat men and other follow
ers of the river, who braved flames
and held the noses Of their boats
against the fire-wrapped steamer I'M
til driven off by the awful heat. chok-
ing and scorched.
The estimates OF the number OF
dead given by officials vary exceed
ingly; DR.. Darlington, the president
OF the board OF health. who remained
at North Brother island for a great
portion of the night, gave as his esti-
mate a total OF ZOO, with possibilities
Of 1850. Inspector Brooks. who had
been at the scene a few minutes after
the accident, placed the number at
|, 900.
When the dread tale Of the General
Slocum disaster Is fully t~Old-when
the last body has been taken from the
burned hulk and the swift waters OF
Hellgate give up their dead. the catas-
trophe will take its place as the most
appalling that has ever occurred In the
waters of the sounds.
Definite figures can not yet be given.
that more than five hundred persons
persisted is a horrible certainty, but
how much in excess of that number
the total will run will only be known
when the missing column Is fin
ished.