The Seattle Star Newspaper, June 15, 1904, Page 1

ONE CENT TONIGHT AND THURSDAY—FAIR; SHOWERS TONIGHT NEAR COAST; LIGHT TO F WEST WINDS. sense NIGWNT EDITION HUNDREDS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN - MET DEATH ON A BURNIN unday School Picnickers Had Just Begun Their Merrymaking When Cry of } Fire Was Raised Then Followed Ter- rible Scene of Carnage and Death @y Scripps News Assn) NEW YORK, JUNE 15.— BETWEEN 300 AND 500 PERSONS MET DEATH IN FLAMES ABOARD THE BIG EXCURSION STEAMER GENERAL SLOCUM, OR IN THE WHIRLING WATERS OF EAST RIVER NEAR NORTH BROTHERS THIS MORNING. THEY WERE MOSTLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN ATTEND ISLAND ING THE ANNUAL SUNDAY SCHOOL PICNIC OF THE 87. MARK’S GERMAN LUTHERAN CHURCH. ABOUT 2000 OF THE PICNICKERS BOARDED THE BIG STEAMER WHEN SHE LEFT THE FOOT OF THIRD STREET SHORTLY AFTER 9 O'CLOCK THIS MORNING. SHE PROCEED. EO UPSTREAM UNTIL OFF THE FOOT OF 155TH STREET, WHEN FIRE WAS DISCOVERED IN THE FORWARD PART OF THE VESSEL. THE FLAMES SPREAD WITH SUCH GREAT RAPIDITY THAT CAPT. VAN SCHACK HAD NO CHANCE TO TURN ABOUT. HE HEADED UP FOR NORTH BROTHERS BEACH THE VESSEL ON EITHER SIDE BECAUS' ROCKS. WHEN OFF 125TH STREET THE BLAZE BURST ABOVE DECK AND IN AN INCREDITABLY SHORT SPACE OF TIME THE THREE DECKS WERE ALL A MASS OF FLAMES. STREAM AT FULL SPEED, MAKING ISLANDS, HAVING NO CHANCE TO OF THE THE DISCOVERY OF THE FIRE RECIPITATED A WILD PANIC AMONG THE PICNICERS. FRENZIED WOMEN AND CHILDREN RUSHED ABOUT, AND AB FLAMES GAINED HEADWAY THEY BEGAN JUMPING OVER THE SIDES OF THE BOAT OUT INTO THE SWIRLING WATERS OF THE RIVER. BEFORE SHE HAD REACHED THE NORTH BROTHERS ISLAND, WHERE SHE WAS BEACHED, THE UPPER DECK FELL, CARRYING DOWN INTO THE SEETHING MASS OF “FLAMES THE FEW THAT HAD NOT ESCAPED FROM IT, AND CRUSHING AND MAIMING THOSE BENEATH IT. WHEN AT LAST THE VESSEL HAD BEEN BEACHED iT WAS STILL SOME DISTANCE TO LAND, AND THE FIRE WAS MORE INTENSE THAN EVER. A PERFECT STREAM OF PEOPLE WENT OVER THE BOAT'S SIDES INTO THE WATER. GOME WERE RESCUED IN SMALL BOATS, BUT MANY, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN, WERE CAUGHT IN THE CUR- RENT, WHICH 1S SWIFT AT THIS PLACE, AND WERE SUCK- ED DOWN IN THE WHIRLPOOLS TO DEATH BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE WATER BEFORE AID COULD REACH THEM: FROM THE TIME THE FLAM BROKE OUT ON DECK WHEN THE BOAT WAS IN MIDSTREAM UNTIL AFTER THE VESSEL WAS BURNED TO THE WATER'S EDGE AT NORTH BROTHERS ISLAND, THE TERRIBLE SPECTACLE WAS WIT NESSED BY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ALONG THE SHORE. THE PICNIC WAS IN CHARGE OF THE SOCIAL COMMIT- TEE OF THE CHURCH, HEADED BY MISS MAY ABEND SCHEIN; THE PASTOR OF THE CHURCH, REV. GEORGE C, HAAS; CARL ANGER, WILLIAM SCHLAEFER, GERTRUDE AND EMMA HAAS AND W. B. TETAMORE. THE PICNICKERS WERE BOUND FOR LOCUST GROVE, LONG ISLAND SOUND MANY OF THE CHILOREN WERE DOWN AT THE DOCK AS EARLY AS 7 O'CLOCK THE MORNING WAITING TO START THE DAY OF GOT ABOARD AND THE IN ON MERRY-MAKING. BY 9 O'CLOCK ALL HAD BOAT CAST OFF THE DOCK AND STARTED OFF FOR THE PICNIC GROUNDS THE VESSEL HAD PASSED OUT OF HELL GATE WHEN THE MERRY PEALS OF LAUGHTER AND THE SHOUTS OF JOY WERE STILLED BY THE CRY OF FIRE. DISCOVERED FLAME6 HAD BEEN IM LIFE PRESERVERS STORED IN THE FOR- SEATTLE 2attle 1904 FIFTH EXTRA The ~> ‘ON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE w» WASHIN omy C i THE ONLY PAPER IN SEA : | THAT DARES TO PRINT THE NEWS . couse -. + -wnmenenent VOL. 6 NO. 99 a5 CENTS PER MONTH ——— a *y G STEAMER | | s . WARD PART OF THE VESSEL. AS TO HOW IT STARTED NO ONE HAS YET BEEN FOUND WHO KNOWS. THE BURNING PRESERVERS WER TORN FROM THEIR En- | THIS ADDED GREAT. RESTING PLACES AND THROWN OVERBOARD IN AN DEAVOR TO SMOTHER THE FLAMES. LY TO THE LOSS OF LIFE, AS WARDS THAT THE BODIES RECOVERED FROM THE WATER HAO NO LIFE-SAVING APPARATUS ON. IT WAS NOTICED AFTER- THE OFFICER THE PANIC-STRICKEN TRIED TO QUIET PICNICKERS, BUT WITH THE GLAZE EVER GROWING HOT TER THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE WHEN THE FEARFUL PLIGHT OF THE STEAMER TOOK HE was THE TURNEO IN THE REALIZED CAPT. VAN SCHACK HIMSELF WHEEL, AND SIGNALING FOR FULL STEAM, BROTHERS ISLAND IT WAS TOO LATE TO THE BOAT TOWARDS NORTH HOPE OF BEACHING HER BEFORE SAVE THE PASSENGERS. THE STEAMER, HOWEVER SEEMED TO GO AT A SNAIL'S | PACE COMPARED WITH THE SPEED WITH WHICH THE FIRE SPREAD OVER THE BOAT. IN THE MEANTIME THE SCENES ABOARD WERE FRIGHT FUL. MEN, WOMEN AND CHILOREN WERE RUNNING) AND TEARS, SEEKING A HAVEN OF SAFETY. | MOTHERS GATHERED THEIR CHILOREN IN THEIR ARMS | AND LEAPED INTO THE WATER OTHERS SEEMED TOO DAZED TO MOVE AND THE FLAMES LICKED ue aBouT) THEM AND BURNED THEM TO DEATH, THE PASSENGERS HAD BEEN DRIVEN TO THE RAIL BY THE TIME THE BOAT REACHED BEGAN JUMPING OVERBOARD. BY THE HEAT AND FELL FAINTING DECKS. BY THE TIME THE SLOCUM HAD REACHED THE REEF AT | THE NORTHERN END OF NORTH BROTHERS ON WHICH SHE WAS GROUNDED, HER HURRICANE DECK HAO THERE WAS HARDLY AN INCH OF TIM- BER ON HER THAT WAS NOT BURNING ABOUT WILD WITH FEAR, SHRIEKING IN 135TH STREET, AND THEY WERE OVERCOME THE BURNING MANY ON ISLAND. COLLAPSED AND SHE HIT THE REEF WITH A THUD, AND ALL THOSE WHO WERE ABLE WHO HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY JUMPED OVER BOARD, LEAPED INTO THE WATER AND DID THEIR BEST TO REACH SHORE. ALLY STRONG CURRENT WHICH NARROW PASGAGE FORMS WHIRLPOOLS FROM WHICH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE MAN BEING TO ESCAPE WITHOUT AID FIRE CHIEF CROCKER AT 1 THOUSANDS THAT THE INJURED INCLUDED ABOUT EVERY HAD BEEN SAVED. THE FLAMES ARE STILL THE HULL AND THE BODIES OF THREE CH! BE SEEN HANGING OVER THE RAIL. IT 16 FE THERE ARE MANY CORPSES IN THE HULL EYE WITNESSES SAY THAT AS THE BOAT NEARED THE SHORE SHE WAS SURROUNDED ON ALL SIDES BY THE FLOATING BODIES OF PASSENGERS WHO HAD JUMPED. ON NORTH BROTHERS ISLAND IS LOCATED THE HOSPITAL FOR CONTAGIOUS DISEASES AND OTHER CITY INSTITU TIONS. CITY EMPLOYES AND OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND DID WHAT THEY COULD WITH SMALL BOATS, GRAPPLING HOOKS AND RAFTS, PULLING ASHORE SCORES OF PEOPLE MANY OF THEM BLACKENED AND BURNED BY THE FIRE THE CITY TELEPHONED FOR AID, BUT IT WAS MORE THAN AN HOUR BEFORE IT ARRIVED. THE STEAMER MASSASOIT AND A FEW TUGBOATS IN THE VICINITY SAVED A NUMBER OF LIVES OF THOSE WHO JUMPED OVERBOARD. LATER THE MASSASOIT WAS PRESSED INTO SERVICE BY THE POLICE AND TOOK FROM THE ISLAND A NUMBER OF DEAD AND INJURED AND OTHERS SAVED ANDO HURRIED THEM TO THE NEW YORK SIDE OF THE RIVER. ON HER FIRST TRIP THE STEAMER CARRIED 30 DEAD AND | wa RESCUED. ON SHORE WERE SQUADS OF POLICE AM B BULANCES AND SURGEONS WHO ADMINISTERED TO THE Var hack said, in telling, from shore the n eatast that after of r of fire thout further ing, b be ning pevera warn ng out the ing the Ain't en Van Wort) pilot, Van Wort fire appara and a wheel in started the matte the 75 time t the NEEDS OF THE INJURED le fontly © em a t ON ONE STREET CAR ALONE WERE FIVE INFANT Bovies | 1% Yi — . IN DESCRIBING IN A VIVID MANNER THE TERRIBLE CA. | h') huin’ te sh Sa TASTROPHE, CAPT. VAN SCHAICK SAID THE BOAT WAS OFF ie ware all & 135TH STREET JUST AT A POINT KNOWN AS SUNKEN |) 0" 0) “rh | rag oe ay Regge MEADOWS AND 200 FEET FROM SHORE, WHEN HE HEARD | 0” 4 img port pa th po THE CRY OF “FIRE.” I a The flame THE FIRE IN THE HOLD OF THE STEAMER [6 STILL BURN . vy . t £0 we ING THIS AFTERNOON, IT WILL BE SEVERAL HOURS BE ‘ when Aft cae to ae a th FORE IT CAN BE EXTINGUIGHED AND THE pooles or yy ' . bs ' 7 t ie W en THOSE BURNED TO DEATH AND KILLED BY THE FALLING eA , oe “led frantically b DECKS CAN BE RECOVERED me P 4 ’ THOSE WHO JUMPED FROM THE BURNING VESSEL Be h 4 r e 1 WHILE IT WAS HEADING FROM THE UPPER ENTRANCE OF w v 1 ca t unde HELL GATE TO NORTH BROTHERS ISLAND HAD LITTLE trampling not h as hy the m wa CHANCE TO ESCAPH UNLESS THEY WERE PICKED UP By | could h the e of the boat] peached before she SOME PASSING VESSEL. TH@ CHANNEL AT THAT POINT Jumped board Brothers island, 7 $6 FILLED WITH TREACHER OUS ROCKS AND THE UNUSU fifty feet’ small boats near her SCENE OF RIOT AND BLOODSHED IN COLORADO. § THE DEAD BODY OF A STRIK ER AFTER A SKIRMISH NEAR G ILLETTE. RUSHED THROUGH —| | THE | along, and those who jumped were Gener was inspected Mny OF DEADLY | drow: Sh a generally good FOR A HU We soon as we | had aboard ail the ould and The blazing | lif ng r required by, 30 THIS AFTERNOON SAID HE BELIEVED THE DEAD NUMBERED BETWEEN 400 AND CAPTAIN TELLS STORY“ 800; | turning to led on the ° sed crptain of the Gene BODY WHO thwest t Slocum is i W. H. Van RAGING IN By this time the 8 | schack LDREN CAN | were crowded with w ARED THAT en aming in heat becam t to th a »ypped shriek to the wate “ JAPS LAID SOME MINES me (By Scripps News Ass'n) paddle boxe mt a took my t the TOKIO. Admiral Togo pedo flotilla pro- Arthur on the night e1 ng mines in certain i nts, and returned safely, At weed 9 noon on the 14th, when the second se estroyer flotilla began bombard- ng the enemy on shore near Sham- Ping-Tal, to facilitate the reconnal- sance of the army, the enemy's crul- ser Novik, with 10 destropers, came t of Port Arthur, and sharp fire ng was exchang The Japanese {lla tried to entice the enemy by t at 8p. m, the ally retiring, t withdrew. No damage was ships. the Japanese 18 —Today exginning of the national ontion t meeting of the na- tteemen was held this n the passing of ] At the office the 1 tions on the death of Se steamboat wotion b Hanna and Quay and adjol the statement was made th til tomorrow morning, 4 June ts that a rt attention ay paid no flooding Times,| hull could actically | ‘The Sound shore f he 198th stre with wate saw | to rk | enemy AGO, the June an ony The f d No were no steamed th r he rt