The evening world. Newspaper, June 15, 1904, Page 5

,MoGovara. Palmer, Gorman, Smith, Donlin, Mammick and Nes THIN ARRESTED ~ WITH HIS PILOTS ey ae Van Schaick and the Other Officers Taken to Police Station—All Declare They Made Every Possible Effort to Avoid Disaster. Capt. Van Schaick, Chief Pilot' Edward Van Wart, of No. 331 West’ Twenty-third street, and Edward N, Weaver, second pilot, were appre- | { hended by Policeman T. Rridy, of the Alexander avenue atation as they were getting into a cab in One Hundred and Thirty-eighth street two Dlocks from the shore. He .took them to the station-house, where they were held pending !In- structions from Headquarters. Capt. Van Schaick has been severely criticised for not running his boat ashore immediately he discovered that there was a fire. He was then off One Hundred and Thirty-fourth street, but steamed out for North Brother Island, a quarter of a mile away. In this quarter of a mile nearly a hun- fired persons wero burned to death on the boat and about 500 jumped into the water. “T did the best I could according to my experience,” sald Capt. Van Sshaick, who was severely burned. “We had had fires on the Cgn. Slocuat before and had always been able to handle them. I had ao idea that the fire would get away from us. “T was in the pilot-house when a fireman came up and told me that there cwas a fire in the lower deck. I started to go toward One Hundred and Thir- ty-fourth street. ISLAND THE ONLY PLACE. “T was warned off by the captain of a tugboat, who shouted to me that the boat would set fire to the lumber yards and oll tanks. Besides, I knew that the shore was lined with rocks and that the boat would founder with all hands if I ran ashore there. “The oniy place where I could beach her safely was at North Brother Island, and I started for there. There was a fresh breeze blowing “I looked back and saw that the port side of the boat was all ablaze. It was the quickest fire I ever saw. I held for North Brother Island, ex- pecting to beach the Slocum sideways. “T had senv Mate Flanagan and some of the crew below to fight the fire en ae ee ry “THE WORLD: WEDNESDAY Ser ees rey —— Sanaciaateiteniaen @ EVENING, Jt HOW THE GEN. SLOCUM LOOKED WITH HUNDREDS OF EXCURSIONISTS. lit The Gen. Slocum is one of the targest side-wheeled excursion steam- ers at the port of New York. She was built in 1891 at South Brooklyn, is 1,284 gross tonnage, 1,013 net, 263 feet long, 38 feet beam and 12.4 BETWEEN 4o AND 50 LIVES. The work of the Charities Department steamboat was heroic undcr the command of her captain and crew. Capt. Frederick Parkicson, of the Massasoit, telling an Evening World reporter of the work of himself and crew in rescuing the passengers of the Gen. Slocum said: “We had just put out from Riker’s Irland when I saw signalled my engineer, Hatch, to put on full speed and explained to him throngh the speaking tube connecting with the engine-room that there was important work for us ahead We nosed in under the guards of the burn- ing Slocum, which was now almost a mass of flame, and got so clove that our bow was scorched. WOMEN AND CHILDREN JUMPED. “From the deck of the Slocum women and children were jumping into tate when we shouted to them. They continued to jump until we saw fully fand thought they could hold ft, but the wind was too strong. Then they began to jump overboard. The rail of one of the decks gave way and a lot of people fell into the water. “Just before we reached North Brother Island the fire reached. the pilot- house and drove me out with my cap on fire, She went on the beach bow on fm apout four feet of water. Ail the people in the bow jumped out and waded ashore, and I followed them. NO CHANCE FOR LIFE-BOATS. “The people aft jumped into deep water and were carried away. We ‘had no chance to use the life-bouts. They were burned up before the crew eoukd get to them. “There was nothing for me to do but run to the nearest point where I oula beach the boat. If I had run her on the/rocks there would have been greater loss of life. It is not true that the men of the crew were panic- stricken. ‘his is shown by the fact that a lot of them were burned to death fighting the fire and trying to save the passengers, 1 am sorry for the awful accident, but no living man could have done ufore than I did.” Capt. Van Schaick’s story was confirmed by the two pilots. The wreck of the Slocum sunk at 12.25, about a quarter of a mile north | of Riker’s Island. At the moment she careened and her decks came into view fully one hundred charred bodies of women and children were seen on the slanting decks. Several of the bodies slipped off into the sea as the wreck made its flial plunge. In the forward part of the vessel the burned body of a little girl was seen protruding through ome of the bawser holes, where she had crawled for safety when death overtook her MATE FLANAGAN’S STORY. Edward Flanagan, mate of the wrecked Slocum, told the police it was impossible to calm the excursjonists after the first appearance of the flames. He said: “It was unfortunate that there were not more men aboard and that all of the excursionists did net understand the English language. Women and children rushed to the sides of the vessel and before any one could restrain them they were ivaping overboard by the hugdreds. It will be found that lost wer: drowned by jumping overboard, when had they | ence of mind they would now be among the saved. Many of frantic stricken that they actually ran into the 1 saw several justances of this kind, but I was the mafority kept their the poor people Ww flames and were consumed, powerless in the panic-stricken throng.” SAYS MISTAKE WAS MADE. Charles L. Storms, who owns the lumber yard at One Hundred and Thirty-fourth street and the East River, says that the loss of life on the Gen, Slocum could have been averted had the captain steered for shore when he first discovered the fire. “T saw the flames on the boat as she passed One Hundred and Twerty- eighth street,” sald Mr. Storms, “and I signalled for her to come ashore. At the came fime I turned in an alarm and almost immediately there wore engines at the foot of East Que Hundred and Thirty-second street. If the Slocum had turned in then not a life would have been lost. “Later, when I saw how badly off the Slocum was and saw the people running around on her decks and people jumping overboard, 1 saw a big fteam yacht, a black craft with yellow funnels, go right past her and make no effort to assist those on board.” i BANK BOOKS FOR $30,000 IN BUSTLE. In searching the body of No. 6 6on North Brother Island Coroner O'Gorman found in her bustle bank books showing that she had on deposit $30,000. The books were made out in the name of Mrs. Eva Klinger. A little gifl about seven years old walked sobbingly along the line of dead on the pier. She said that she had lost her mother and grandmother. By a peculiar coincidence the bodies were found side by side and {dentified by the little girl. The mother was Mrs. Annie EB, Buechard and the grand- mother Mrs, Louisa Schwartz, A sight that brought tears to the oyes of all beholders was the body of Mrs. Lillian Granfire, of No. 998 Avenue A. Clasped to her breast was the body of her nine months’ old baby. Both had been burned to death, the niother vainly endeavoring to protect her child, ——+++—_ POLICE, DOCTORS AND NURSES AT THE SCENE The ‘oliowine police stations sent reserves and patrol wagons to the scene of the disaster: The West One Hundredth, West One Hundred and ‘Twenty-fifth and/West One Hundred and Fifty-second streets, and High- bridge, Bathgate Avenue and Kingsbridge stations. The hospitals sending doctors, nurses and ambulances were: The Lin- © $0 two hundred struggling in the water. Then my deck hands got busy. They threw off needless garments and plunged in to the rescue. “They grabbed the drowning and passed them up to me and my en- gineer, who stood on the deck of the Massasoit ready to relieve the deck hands of their burdens In this way we managed to save forty or fifty lives. We kept on working at this job until] there was nothing more for us to do. “In the mean time scores had drowned under our very eyes “The names of the deck hands and other of my crew who did such fine work are Carl Rapport, Mate James J. Buane and James J. Lyon. I am sorry that I hadn't a crew of fifty at that moment, for we should have been able to save hundreds.” —_———+ ++ 88 BODIES BURNED Before the steamboat sunk Henry Muff, of Steinway, L. I, and seven policomen of the oveinway police station boarded the launch wloria ant t out to join in the work of recovering bodies. The seven poiicemen of the Seventy-fourth precinct. Beforestartin g out the launch took in tow a number of small boats and proceeded direct to the burning vessel. Braving the flames the potice- men went aboard and got ighven charrd bodis. None can ever be iaénti- fied so badly were they burned. Scores of other bodies were seen about the deck and in the conapsed ‘hold of the steamboat. They were so terribly burned that they fell apart when the. policemen endeavored to raise them. When the boat begau to sink the ;,.olicomen were compelled to leave her, taking with them all the bodies the launch could hold. to shore the Gloria passed the tug Fidelity, which had aboard cighty-cight bodies that had floated from the Gen. Slocum after she had turned over on her side and sunk. irese bodies had been picked up by a number of small boats and jaunches. none can ever ve identified, 4s they are little more than shrivelled cinders; many have had the heads, arms an! lege burned off. The policemen who wen: aloard the Gen. Slocum before she sunk say that the crumbling hull of the boat was packed with burned bodies, the great majority of them thore of children and young and middle-aged women. RAN STEAMER ON HELL GATE ROCKS Chester Chapin’s Captain Had to Take Chances to Prevent a Collision and Probable Loss of Life. © Short for ro days and find out For Sure When the bic Sound steamboat wnes-lif coffee is really causing ter W. Chapin, of the Norwich lie, arrived In Norwich to-day from New oo trouble, York, she was taken In hand by ship- ‘ou say “nonsen re’s builders, who will repair her forward: | pea se, there bulkhead, which was crushed in when Old Bill Jones drank coffee the bout was run on the rocks at Hell fo, ” Gate, to prevent a collision and. prob-, ESOL YEATES ably great loss of iife. | Neyer mind him, remem- In running on the rocks the Chapin, , i under conusand ‘of Capt. George. i: ber you're not Bill Jones Kowland, saved not only” herseit and aaa her passengers, but tie Plymouth, of the Mall River line; a ferry-boat, also | You’re londed with passengers, and a tug and! two floats, According to Capt. Rowland's report,| he was working up through Hell Gate) at 5.50. o'clock last evening when hej} d elf hi doin by t : and moats nnd tite” ferry-bowe sete and went to be well and if Pe t romt and t Pal RAVer steamboat. In. the re ‘er you'll cut om the drug coffee The floats ern in tow of tugboat Nalfor ro days and use well boiled with the floats, Bo Capt. Rowland turned the Chapin toward the rocks. 0 oF the New She bumped hard sixteen times and To have stopped meant that 1 | Chapin would be run down by the Fall Riyer boat and to have continued her course would have meant certain de- struction to the ferry-boat and the, tut eoln, the New York, the Presbyterian, the Flower, the Hudson Street. the Gouverneur, the J, Hood Wrjght, the Roosevelt end St. Vincent's | ‘The Roosevelt Hospital sent wo ambulances, twelve doctors ana ten nurses, ‘The St. Vineent sent four doctors and eight nurses, ‘The police surgeons hurried to the spot. were: Dra. Jennings, Browei, Rd oi Sid Hartford Ratiroad Company, then ine at, Cana e Ward's iting i its place our word for it Again she was free, and Cat amomens got will reap a great reward, took her to the north bea: There’s a Reason Island. ‘Phere was excitement among the pas- Get the iittle book, “The Road to n each pkg. .—-~- v ngers on board. bit Capt. Rowland sured them that there was no dan- The boat Was pushed free of the J and turned about, ond, Wellville’ without great difficulty, CREW OF MASSASOIT SAVED! signals of distress from the Slocum, which I then observed to be afire. | the water in a panic-stricken condition. These poor people would not hesi-/ ALMOST TO CINDERS. were Dallert, Sullivan, Mulligan, Matthews, Bigelow, Darrow and Thomas, In patting baca | «f the entire number of eighty-eight burned bodies} Fejecieleietebeteiel: jetofelelotelefeleleleleinint-teleietelotetebetetebeietebeteleteteteietetebeletatebetetetetntntetete hekthe beer rr bicticieliritticfeleieielein hi-ieleleieieieielelnieiviviefeivieleieiee rie iefeetvieleleisieieicieiei-inieinieieininininieieteie rt feet deep. She carries a crew of twentythree men. This is excl: 2ive of walters and others employed by the parties who have the bar and restaurant privileges on board. She was bound this morning for Lo- cust Grove on the Sound. PRIESTS GAVE AID TO THOSE WASHED ASHORE. For hours this afternoon bodies of burned and drowned dead drifted ashore between One Hundred and Thirty-first and One Hundred and Thirty- eighth streets, The greater number tloated {n between One Hundred and | Tairty-sixth and One Hundred and Thirty-eighthstreots. Some were still choking and gasping and breathed their last on shore, while every effor: was being made to bring back flickering life. Priests clutching crosses or holding them before eyes growing dim with death hurried up and down the shore administering the final sacrament. ment. Catholic and Provestant There was no question of religion. were given extreme unction. There was not time for questions. No sooner would one die than the tide would bring in another whose life was meas- ured by seconds. The wailing of women and the groans of men mingled with the mumbled prayers of the priests. A head would be raised here, another tenderly lowered there. for \fae last time. Death and the priests ran a race, with first one and then the other winning. With Father R. BR. Cushion in this work were Fathers George T. Donlan and R. Mantell, street and Alexander avenue; Father Thomas Farrelly, of St. Luke's, One of St. Jeron.e’s Church, One Hundred and Thirty-eighth Hundred and Thirty-eighth street, and Father Ottenheim, of the Immaculate Conception, Beach avenue. hi VLADIVOSTOK FLEET FIGHTING JAP SHIPS ek el Three Russian Warships that Were Bottled Wp in Siberian Harbor Es- cape and Give Battle in Effort to Join Port Arthur Fleet. : FIVE THOUSAND RUSSIANS LOST IN MANCHURIA. Five thousand Russians are reported by a London news agency, which received its information from St. Petersburg, to have been lost om June 8 in Manchuria. The despatches feturn the losses as follows: > —For:y-four officers and 920 men killed and 13 officers and 220 men wounded, Army—Thirty-six officers and 980 men killed and 103 officers and |] 2.030 men wounded. | Taken prisoners—Twenty officers and 700 men. _—_—————— (Copyright, 194, by the Press Publishing Company, New York World.) (Special Cable Despatch to The Evening World.) LONDON, June 15.—A great naval battle is in progress in the | Straits of Corea between some portion of the Japanese fleet and the three ' Russian cruisers which were locked up in the harbor of Vladivostok all winter and spring. The three cruisers have escaped the vigilance of the Japanese fleet { about Vladivostok and have attempted to form a junction with the Port | Arthur fleet. ‘ | It may be that this has been done, as a portion of the Port Arthur fleet came ‘rom the harbor yesterday, and the Novic engaged the enemy. i The report of a naval engagement comes from Tokio. It is admitted | that the three cruisers have escaped. A merchantman has reported that i he was fired upon and chased yesterday, and heavy firing was heard to the northwest of the Nagato. i This morning there was heavy cannonading in the straits, and it is fe ported that a battle is raging near Tsushima Island. | There has been a squadron constantly on guard in the straits to guard }against the possibility of the junction of the Port Arthur and the Viadir | vostok fleets, and it is a portion or the whole of this squadron that is now engaged. . FA cable from Chefoo states that the Japanese have succeeded in placing fiftyahvo siege guns on the heights to the nort! oof Port Arthur. ; |RUSSIAN CRUISER DRAWS . FIRE OF JAP DESTROVERS: | WASHINGTON, June 15.—The Japanese legation to-day received @ | cablegram from the Foreign Office at Tokio stating that the itusstan \ Novik emerged from Port Arthur yesterday and engaged a number anese torpedo boat destroyers. 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