New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-02
CROWD RIOTS
ON CONEY BOAT
Al CRY OF FIRE
Scream Turns Grand Re
public Passengers Into
PaniCStriCken Mob.

A timid woman's cry that the boat
was ahre sent panic running like wild
fire among the passengers Of the Iron
Steamboat Company's steamer, the
Grand Republic, sister ship of the i'll
fated General Slocum, yesterday after
noon. In moment after she screamed
a seething riot was in full swing on
the deck.
Women shrieked as they were
knocked down by the mob that surged
about the lifeboats Men fought each
other madly for life preservers. One
man went insane through sheer fright.
Wien the steamer reached the Coney
Island pier, a white faced, terrified
crowd stormed down her gangways to
land from a vessel that was as safe
and free from actual danger as
church.
Dr. Alexander Brown, of the Physical
Education Department Of Teachers
College, told last night of the wild
uproar that ragged among the passen-
gers on the boat. The vessel was al
most opposite Coney Island when the
cries of foolish woman, suddenly
turned the orderly crowd into mob.
An alteration on one of the lower
decks began the trouble. The woman,
who was clinging to her escorts arm,
mistook the cry of fight" for fire
and her face went white. "Oh. God!
The boats afre," she screamed pierre
ingly.
Through the minds of the passengers
flashed the memory Of the Eastland
disaster. In a second they stampeded
like cattle. There was a crash of
overturning camp chairs and hun
dred women lifted up their voices IN
shieks as the crowd rushed toward
the rail. Men fought with fist and
boot 10 reach the lifeboats. Women
were knocked down, children trampled
under foot Life belts were torn from
their shelves and buckled on with
trembling fingers.
Members Of the crew had 70 use
force to keep the fear-crazed passen-
gers from hinging themselves over the
rail into the sea. Dozens OF women
tainted. An officer with drawn revolver
kept frantic men from launching the
lifeboats.
DR.. Brown said he saw lying on the
cabin floor a dozen or more women and
Young girls who had been overcome IN
the press or who had lost conscious
ness from fright
Il - OT he
tain, the panic continued, and the boat
was put about and docked at the Coney
Island pier. Shuddering women and
men with their clothes torn from the
struggle poured down the gangway to
the land. A few with cooler heads re-
mained aboard.
The Grand Republic left Rockaway
at 6 o'clock. II was o'clock when the
panic took place. The boat had been
iammed TO its full capacity OF 1900
when il left. At least half of these de-
serted her at Coney Island.
No one was seriously injured. al
though many were bruised and
scratched. When the boat reac ed
Yonkers. the end Of her trip, litter
Of overturned chairs, broken lunch bas-
kets. hats and wearing apparel be-
strewed her deck.
Edward Carman. captain OF the
steamboat, explained the cause Of the
panic by saying that the cries OF
Eight" arose from some men on the
lower deck, all of whom were the worse
for liquor. When he saw that there
was going to be trouble he summoned
the crew and ordered them TO DO all
that they could 10 maintain order.
Finding that the people were becom-
ing uncomfortable through fright, he
then told the pilot 10 head for the
Continued on page 8, column -