enter name and hit return
GENERAL SLOCUM DISASTER
Brooklyn Daily Eagle - June 15, 1904
1904 GENERAL SLOCUM DEAD & MISSING By Address
1904 GENERAL SLOCUM DEAD By Surname
1904 GENERAL SLOCUM MISSING By Surname
Stories Told By Survivors,
Excursion Was That of St. Mark¹s German Lutheran Church, Manhattan.
Hundreds Killed in First Fifteen Minutes
There was no possibility of order anywhere. Women, children and men became
panic stricken. The tragedy did not take more than half an hour in its
enactment and the first fifteen minutes were death dealing.
Seen from the shore the spectacle was one to be remembered for a life time.
A man who was standing on the float at the foot of East One Hundred and
Thirty-eighth street, almost opposite North Brother Island, pictured it
graphically to a reporter for the Eagle half an hour after the occurrence.
He said the said that the General Slocum came up in a cloud of smoke and
fire, its whistles screaming and answering warnings from a number of tugs,
launches and rowboats, which were hastening to the big steamboat¹s aid.
Terrible Panic Among Women and Children
"I never saw such a sight in my life and hope I shall never witness such
a thing again," said this narrator to the reporter. "The stern seemed to be
black with people, and men and women were frantically running along the
deck. The fire had seemed to have taken entire possession of the lower part
of the boat, and the spectators on the shore could see the stanchions
burning away and breaking, one by one.
"The mass of humanity on the upper deck seemed to be in a constant
action. Some were climbing over the railings in an effort to reach the
water. As the Slocum reached the foot of East One Hundred and Thirty-eighth
street, her bow appeared to swing over as if the pilot was pointing to North
Brother Island. The boat could have beached and many more lives could have
been saved if the pilot had run ashore somewhere on the Manhattan side.
Hundreds Drop Into the River and Scores are Drowned
"We could not tell, of course, what was happening on the vessel, but the
shrieks of the dying and panic stricken reached us in an awful chorus. As
the boat swung around, showing her starboard side to those on the Manhattan
shore, I noticed that a line of hawser running from the stern to the paddle
box was fringed with women, boys and girls. They were hanging there like
clothes on a Monday wash, below the lower deck line of the steamer. They
had climbed over in an effort to escape from the flames, and clouds of smoke
were sweeping over their heads.
"One by one, it seemed to me, they dropped into the water. As the
Slocum proceeded, a blazing mass, I lost sight of her around the bend, at
the head of North Brother Island, but I am sure that scores of people were
drowned between One Hundred and Thirty-fourth street and the point at which
she was beached. You can see now floating on the surface of the water
dozens of life preservers that were thrown to those who went overboard. I
saw one woman make a flying leap from the upper deck. She was picked up by
the crew of the tug Theo."
Brooklyn Woman Saved, but Lost Her Relatives
Later information proved that this person who was rescued by the Theo
was Miss Lucy HINCKEN of 169 South Second street, Eastern District. She was
pulled out of the water by William MAJOR of the Theo, and was taken directly
to the hospital at North Brother Island, suffering from immersion, and half
crazy over the loss of her mother, Lucy, and her brother Charles, both of
whom also lived in the Eastern District. Lucy regained sufficient composure
later to tell her story to an Eagle reporter. It was as follows:
"I was in the boat with my mother and brother. We had been invited by
some friends to go on the excursion. We were all together when the boat
took fire. The first intimation we had of it was by the shouting of the
people, the smoke that came from the front of the boat and the panic.
"My mother was not very well and I took her up on the very top deck,
where I put her in a corner near the back of the boat, where I thought she
would be save. I had lost sight of my brother Charlie in the meanwhile, and
I ran back to see if I could find him and to discover, if I could, a way to
get off the boat.
Woman Tried to Save Three Little Children
"The captain seemed to be running her to the land then. When I got down
to the deck below I saw three little babies lying on the floor. They had
been trampled on by the people. I don¹t know how I did it, but I gathered
the little babies and carried them to where my mother was. Then I went back
to find Charley. I caught sight of him once, but then I lost him again, and
the crowd drove me up to where the fire was burning.
"I must have lost my head. I do not know what I did, but I think I
started for my mother, but couldn¹t find her. She was gone, and so were the
three babies. Maybe I went to the wrong part of the boat, but I could not
find them. It was awful. People were running all over and did not seem to
know what to do.
"Charlie was gone, mother was gone, and there was nothing for me, so I
thought I would jump overboard. I could not swim. I didn¹t want to swim.
All I wanted was to die. But I was taken off and put in a boat and carried
here. I think Charlie and my mother are both dead."
The Vessel Run Ashore on North Brother Island
The General Slocum was run aground on the upper end of North Brother
Island and hundreds of people who had remained on the bow of the boat in
spite of the fire, jumped overboard, and even some small children were able
to wade ashore. Those who had remained in the stern of the boat were not so
fortunate. Scores were drowned and many others died from burns or were
unable to leave the wreck and perished in the burning vessel.
Many of the fatalities were due to the collapse of the upper work of the
boat. When the stanchions gave way, the framework of the decks above slid
down, and hundreds of people were plunged into the water, headlong some of
them. A number of boats were in the near vicinity, including the Franklin
Edson, one of the city¹s vessels, the tug Theo, the Wade, the Elsa, the
Wheeler and the Walter Tracy.
Two of the tugs of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company
hurried to the scene from docks nearby and scores of passengers were saved
by the heroic efforts of the crews of these tugs. At least fifty persons
were taken out of the water by the men on the Edson and they were hurried to
North Brother Island.
For hours afterward, the water in the neighborhood of the wreck was
filled with rowboats, launches and tugs, picking up bodies and rendering
assistance to those who needed it. Every ambulance in Manhattan was called
into service, and over a hundred physicians and as many nurses were sent
over to the island, where the injured were taken for treatment. The medical
and hospital staff on the institutions on North Brother Island were also on
hand to help.
Pathetic Scenes on North Brother Island
The lawn around North Brother Island was filled with survivors who were
unable to be taken elsewhere. They lay in rows in the open sunshine, with a
breeze ministering cool refreshment to them, while doctors and nurses, with
lint and oil and soothing appliances, with stimulants and surgical bandages,
ministered to their many wants. It was a scene to be long remembered, as
hundreds of survivors uninjured, seeking the missing passed from row to row
identifying here and there, a mother, a brother, or a child.
Some of the scenes were pathetic in the extreme. Those who were not so
badly hurt as to require hospital care had their injuries dressed and were
passed in little groups of ten and twenty to boats that took them back to
the mainland. The elevated trains on Manhattan on the east side were
crowded with bandaged survivors, their clothes soaked with water and most of
them still in the same condition of panic that struck them when the boat
caught fire.
Coroner¹s Physician WESTON notified the morgue keeper this afternoon
that one hundred and six bodies were on the way to the morgue on Massasoit.
The superintendent of the Harlem morgue has asked the Charities Department
for two hundred boxes in which to put the bodies of those who perished in
the disaster.
Dead Bodies by the Dozen Everywhere
There were dead bodies by the dozens on North Brother Island, dead
bodies by the dozens brought over on the boats, dead bodies in groups of
three and four carried from the dock at the foot of One Hundred and
Thirty-fifth and One Hundred and Thirty-eighth streets to the police station
on Alexander avenue. The main sitting room in the rear of the station was
converted into a morgue.
At noon sixteen of the remains of drowned women, clad in all the finery
affected by the East Side for a day¹s outing, were lying on the floor in two
ghastly rows. In one corner of the sitting room lay the corpses of six
little children. All had been drowned. There was an unending stream of
sorrowing relatives seeking remains of their lost ones. One of them was
Joseph VOLLMER, a parent, who had lost his entire family.
VOLLMER¹s wife was lying there and when he saw her he screamed in agony
and almost fainted. All of his children were gone, he said. One of them
was Joseph VOLLMER, who had earned only last week a hero¹s fame by saving
thirty persons in a burning apartment house on the East Side.
The boy had been in charge of an elevator and he ran the lift up and
down the building at the risk of his own life until he had saved every
person there. To-day he, with this mother and brothers and sisters was on
the excursion and he with the rest was among the missing. The only visible
remnant of the family was the body of the mother of this little hero.
Bearing Away the Bodies of the Victims
While the frantic crowd was searching through the police station other
bodies were arriving in what seemed to be an endless procession. Five
patrol wagons had been pressed into service and each carried its own ghastly
freight. Even doctor¹s wagons were used to hurry the bodies to some place
where identification would be possible, and more than one little corpse in a
blanket was brought to the station.
Heroic Work of a Priest
There were some pathetic scenes at North Brother Island when the
dripping bodies were brought ashore there. Some of the victims were dying,
some faintly breathing and some unconscious. The Rev. Father DONOHUE of St.
James Church was over on North Brother Island and administered the last
rites of his church to forty-five persons. Of those who received the final
rites, and most of them were Lutherans, all but two died, while the priest
was ministering to them.
There were many scenes of pathos when families were reunited, when sons
sought their mothers in vain, when sisters and daughters found that they
were alone in the world. It was all that the police, the doctors and other
spectators, forced into natural tenderness, could do to calm those who were
bereaved.
Police Estimate of Number of Dead
It is almost impossible to give the slightest idea at this time of the
number of fatalities, for many persons hurried away as soon as they were
able. But the number missing reported up to 2 o¹clock this afternoon was at
least 250, the figure upon which the police base their estimate of the death
list. This is conservatively below the mark, for there is little question
of the fact that many more persons perished.
Criticism of Captain and Pilot
There was much criticism over the action of the captain of the vessel,
William H. SCHAICK, and the pilot, E.L. VAN WART, in failing to beach the
boat on the Manhattan side.
Had he done so, it is believed that many of those who lost their lives
would have been saved, for, as it was, the vessel was beached at a point
where there was minimum chance for assistance and very little opportunity
for escape of those who were in the stern of the boat.
The captain and pilot, both of whom were saved, were arrested early in
the afternoon. It is understood that Captain VAN SCHAICK said he would have
beached the vessel earlier had it not been that he had been warned by some
one of the attendant tugs that if he would have been in danger of a more
serious calamity by running into either oil works or a lumber yard.
Musicians Displayed Great Heroism
The captain said that the smoke and heat had driven himself and the
pilot from the pilot house, after the wheel was set to beach her. He
declared also that the crew of the boat had acted with great presence of
mind and bravery.
He could not tell how many of the crew had been saved, nor was it
possible at the hour of writing to say who were the survivors of the crew.
The fate of the band could not be determined, although it is understood that
a fair proportion of the musicians were saved.
One of the survivors, dripping wet and very much excited, took pains to
tell an Eagle reporter that the musicians had displayed marked heroism at
the time of the panic. They played up to the last moment, then, abandoning
their instruments, they hurried to the upper deck and began handing out to
the frightened women and children the life preservers which they tore from
the racks.
This they did even when their own lives were in peril.
The man who told this story to a reporter was one of the members of the
Sunday school and saved himself by swimming to one of the smaller boats.
Thirteen-Year-Old Boy¹s Effort to Save His Grandmother
A number of the young men on the vessel performed acts of heroism in
saving women and children. Many of the lads brought up on the East Side
proved to be expert swimmers, and when they found themselves in the water
they looked around for persons to take ashore with them. By the efforts of
the little heroes a number were saved.
Albert FRIES of 46 East Fifteenth street, who is 13 years old, was one
of those who jumped overboard. His grandmother was with him. He tried to
save her, but his clothing proved too heavy for the burden,
Some Families All Gone
Pathetic Scenes at Homes in This Borough From Which Victims Had Gone.
Husbands Almost Frenzied
Nobody Seems to Have Dreamed That There Was Danger in a Sunday School
Excursion
Although the terrible event of yesterday did not devastate the homes of
Brooklyn as it did those of the East Side of Manhattan, the loss of life in
this borough will undoubtedly reach the number of more than a score. In
Queens Borough nine more are dead. In this morning¹s list of dead and
missing there appeared thirty Brooklyn names. Only one or two of these have
been found among the living and it is hoping against hope to believe that
those who escaped with their lives will communicate with their bereaved
families any later than to-day.
In at least two instances in Brooklyn entire families have been wiped
out. Grief crazed fathers are to-day searching the tiers of dead in the
morgues and hospitals of Manhattan, with the pitiful hope of finding wives
and children, and according them Christian burial.
When an entire community is plunged in the depths of sorrow, individual
griefs seem small and unimportant. But such griefs give an insight into the
unutterable horror and pathos of it all. At such a time the only comfort
that exists is the broadening sympathy of affliction shared. The story of
the OELLRICH family, who lived, father, mother and five children, at 519
Willoughby avenue, Brooklyn is but one of many, but facts which in other
cases are obscure are here clear and appealing.
Fate of OELLRICH'S Family
William OELLRICH is a grocer at Willoughby and Marcy avenues. His home
is in the flat above the store. Yesterday morning, OELLRICH¹s family,
consisted of himself, his wife Annie, and five children, Henry, 11 years
old; Freddie, 8; Minnie, 7; Lizzie, 5; and the baby, Helen, only just past
her second birthday.
Mrs. OELLRICH had a sister, Mrs. SACHMANN, who lived in Rivington
street, Manhattan, who was a member of the St. Mark¹s parish. Last week
Mrs. SACHMANN invited her sister¹s family to go on the Sunday school
excursion. OELLRICH intended to go with his family, but early in the week
was drawn for jury duty. When this happened Mrs. OELLRICH wanted to abandon
the outing, but OELLRICH urged her to take the children and go.
Yesterday morning Mrs. OELLRICH rose early and dressed the children in
their best. It was only a little after 8 o¹clock when the mother and five
children trooped into the grocery store to kiss the father good-by. At 9
o¹clock OELLRICH went to court to serve on the jury. He left the store in
charge of his cousin, Henry JAEGER.
JAEGER was out in the afternoon, and while in the neighborhood of the
Broadway ferries saw the Eagle extra telling all that was then known of the
tragedy. He hastened back to the store and found that OELLRICH had just
returned from court.
"This is a fine day for the excursion," said OELLRICH, as his cousin
entered the store. JAEGER saw at once that OELLRICH had heard nothing of
the tragedy.
"Have they got home yet?" he asked very soberly. OELLRICH saw from his
cousin¹s manner that something was wrong, and asked immediately what it was.
"The Slocum met with an accident," said JAEGER.
Without a word OELLRICH put on his coat and started for Manhattan. It
was 1 o¹clock last night when he returned to his flat. JAEGER when he met
him hardly knew him.
"All Lost but Henry"
"They¹re lost, every one but Henry," he said, and went into the flat.
After going up and down among the dead and dying for ten hours OELLRICH
had at last found his oldest son lying in a hospital suffering from burns
about the head. The boy¹s injuries were pronounced slight and the father
was permitted to take him to the home of the SACHMANNS in Rivington street.
Long but vainly the father questioned the 12 year old boy for tidings of
his mother his brothers and his sisters. Little Henry said that he was
playing with some boys of his own age on the upper deck and had left his
mother and the other children in the cabin down stairs. When the alarm of
the fire reached him the boy had tried to get back to his mother but the
stream of people rushing up the stairway had prevented him and he had been
forced back upon the deck.
"Everybody That Can Swim, Jump; It¹s Your Last Chance."
Then, Henry said, the smoke poured up around him so thick he could not
see. A man in a blue uniform rushed by him shouting: "Everybody that can
swim, jump! It¹s your last chance!" With that, Henry said, the man himself
jumped over the side, and, scarely knowing what he did, the boy followed.
He said he was picked up by a rowboat and taken ashore. From the time the
alarm was given he did not see his mother, brother and sisters.
VELBUCH* stayed in his flat all night. He did not go to bed. At the
first streak of dawn this morning he went back to Manhattan and renewed his
search. Up to noon nothing had been heard from him.
Mrs. Margaret SACHMAN, of Rivington street, Manhattan, the sister of
Mrs. VELBUCH, who went on the excursion with her four children, was rescued,
with two of the children, Annie and Charlie. The other two, Margaret and
Herman, are still missing.
Mrs. SACHMANN said that she was with Mrs. VELBUCH when the alarm was given,
but was immediately separated from her.
name * changed here' typo ?
All the DIECKHOFF Family Dead.
Another Brooklyn family which was wiped out was that of Frederick
DIECKHOFF, of 121 Fourth avenue. DIECKHOFF is a driver for the Consumers
Pie Baking Company. He tried to get a day off to go on the excursion, but
as the compnay was short handed, he did not go. He heard of the tragedy at
4 o¹clock yesterday and went at once to Manhattan. His family consisted of
Mrs. Kate DIECKHOFF, his wife; Annie, 18 years old; Kate 15 years old; Mary,
12 years old; and William, 4 years.
DIECKHOFF found the bodies of his daughter Annie and his son William and
identified them last night. The others have not yet been found.
Wife and Two Children Given Up for Dead.
William BOEGER, a happy man, left his home at 910 Putnam avenue
yesterday morning with his wife and two children to start them off the
excursion. He returned alone last evening, heartbroken, with the news that
the body of his girl Florence, 3 years old, had been recovered from the
wreck. Then the distracted man went away to seek the bodies of his missing
wife and little son Wilbur, 4 years old. All night long and up until a late
hour to-day he looked in vain.
There were no more lovable or pretty children in the neighborhood than
little Wilbur and Florence. They were general favorites. Florence, known
as "Dollie," because she resembled a big wax doll, had big black eyes and
black curls, which reached to her shoulders. Wilbur had blue eyes, filled
with expression, and true golden hair.
The family formerly lived in Manhattan, and it is there that Mrs.
BOEGER¹s mother, Mrs. Caroline HANNEMAN, lives. It was upon the invitation
of Mrs. HANNEMAN that Mrs. BOEGER and her two children went on the
excursion. Mrs. HANNEMAN, frightfully burned and injured in other ways, is
in the hospital on North Brother Island. She has yet to learn of the fate
of her daughter and grandchildren.
Mr. BOEGER is employed as a bookkeeper in Manhattan by a Monroe street
firm. He accompanied his wife and children on his way to work as far as
Grand street, where he kissed each one in turn and wished them a happy day.
At noon, while at his desk, he learned of the catastrophe and immediately
departed for the scene of the wreck. He arrived there soon after the body
of his little girl had been taken from the water. Later he located his
mother-in-law among the injured and from her learned some of the details of
the horrible affair.
Mother-in-Law Told the Tragic Story.
Their little party had been on the lower deck. Wilbur wanted to go above
and the grandmother, with the child ascended. Then came the flames.
Somebody grabbed the boy. She tried to reach her loved ones below. When
convinced that mother and child had made their escape Mrs. HANNEMAN leaped.
She landed in three feet of water and was pulled out by rescuers. The body
of little "Dollie" was found not far away. Mr. BOEGER has yet to learn what
fate befell his wife and little Wilbur.
To-day kindhearted neighbors are caring for the BOEGER home. There has
been a steady stream of sympathetic people calling there, hopeful that the
newspaper reports are untrue. No word of encouragement can be given to any
of the number, for the anxious husband and father has not returned as he
promised, if either of the missing were found. The body of Dollie still
lies in a Sixth street undertaking establishment because her father has said
that he does not wish to bring one home without the others.
The news of the fate of little Wilbur and Dollie has cast a gloom over
the men in the Ralph avenue police station. Wilbur introduced himself and
sister there some months ago. He was playing in the street in front of his
home when some older boys annoyed him by throwing stones. Suddenly Wilbur
took hold of Dollie¹s hand and started toward Ralph avenue, said:
"Come on, Dollie, we will go and see Captain Miles O¹REILLY about this."
And the two little ones trudged around to the station house hand in
hand. Wilbur question every man in uniform to learn if he was Captain Miles
O¹REILLY, until finally the pair were ushered into the captain¹s office.
Then Wilbur said:
"Captain Miles O¹REILLY, there are some very bad boys around on our street,
and I wish you would arrest them."
Captain O¹RELLY smiled, drew the children to his side and said they
should not be further annoyed. That is one reason why there is many a
heartache near the BOEGER home to-day.
Three Families Victims
Of the many families on whom the calamity fell with appalling force that
of the KIRSCHERS at 185 Russell street is especially pitiable. Three
entire, families are practically wiped out of existence. The KIRSCHERS
occupied a three story flat in Russell street and the families consisted of
the grandparents, two married sons and the families of the latter. The two
married sons are in business together and did not accompany their relatives
on the ill-fated General Slocum yesterday.
Mrs. Elizabeth KIRSCHER and Mrs. John KIRSCHER, Jr. had made
arrangements to attend the excursion with their children and persuaded the
elder KIRSCHER and his wife, who was somewhat sickly to go out for the sake
of the ride. The children, Freddie, who is now lying in the hospital beside
his mother; George, who was first reported missing, but later said to be in
the hospital; Stacy, Elsie, and Harold, a baby 1 year old. Under just what
circumstances the elder KIRSCHERS and their daughter in law and two children
lost their lives will perhaps never be fully known. John KIRSCHER, Jr. and
his brother went to the scene of the disaster yesterday as soon as they
learned of the terrible calamity and had not returned to their home up to
noon to-day.
Neighbors who live nearby are in entire ignorance of the exact fate of
the family, excepting such information as they received from a relative of
the family over the telephone from Manhattan.
August SCHNEIDER, the musician who lives at 322 Stanhope street, and who
lost his wife and two children was nearly out of his mind this morning and
it was with difficulty that friends restrained him from doing harm to
himself when he talked of the scene on board the vessel yesterday. Which
the fire had made such headway that it was known serious danger might result
SCHNEIDER took his five month old child in his arms and with his disengaged
arm around his wife led her and the two elder children, Katie and Amelia, to
a place in the forward part of the boat. In pressing forward the crowd
crushed in so closely that his wife became separated from him and he made a
grab for her, catching her sleeve, but the sweep of the crowd, that had now
become a frenzied mob, separated them again and he was hurled against the
rail of the boat. He turned back again in a vain effort to find his wife
and children, but the fire made such headway that he could get but a few
feet from the rail when the scorching flames compelled him to leap for
safety into the raging waters with his child in his arms.
The tugboat Director, Captain John McAllister, of Quay and Franklin
streets was among those that assisted in the work rescue. Captain
McAllister ran his boat as near alongside as he dared and picked up
seventy-five persons floating in the water. He ran his boat close to the
forward part of the burning steamer and many from the Slocum jumped from the
deck of the latter to the tug. One woman whose name could not be
ascertained landed squarely on top of the pilot house unhurt.
Albert BUCHMILLER, a painter in Greenpoint avenue, whose home is at 79
Calyer street, is mourning the loss of his little family, including his wife
Anna, 40 years, and his two sons, Arthur, 10 years, and George, 11 years.
Mr. BUCHMILLER went nearly frantic when the news came yesterday that the
Slocum had burned, and he dropped his work and rushed to the scene, where he
remained all through the night looking for his missing ones.
On account of the disaster the Lutheran Church in Russell street, of
which the KIRCHERS were members, posted a notice in front of the church
grounds postponing all summer festivities until further notice.
Policeman PFIFER Loses Wife
Mrs. Charles E. PFIFER, wife of Policeman Charles E. PFIFER, attached to
the Vernon avenue station, was lost. Her body was identified this morning
at the morgue.
Mrs. PFIFER is the daughter of Frederick FREESE, a saloonkeeper in East
Houston street, Manhattan, and who is also a director of the Consumers
Brewing Company of this borough. Mr. and Mrs. FREESE with another daughter,
were on the excursion, and at the time of the outbreak were engaged in
looking in the engine room of the boat. Mrs. PFIFER had stepped away, and
while the FREESE family were saved, she was killed. The unfortunate woman
was to have celebrated the first anniversary of her wedding to-day.
Mother Alive, Her Two Children Gone
A scene similar to that repeated at many other houses of mourning was
enacted at the home of Charles BECK, 69 Marcy avenue, this forenoon, when
his wife, Louisa, reached there in the company with several relatives. Mrs.
BECK was formerly a member of St. Mark¹s Church, and had been in the habit
of attending the excursion every year. She in the company with her two
children, Grace Edna, 4 1/2 years old, and May Louise, 6 1/2 years old,
attended the ill-fated outing. She was almost too hysterical to tell a
connected story, but says that in the panic she was torn away, in the wild
rush, from her two children, and though she searched frantically for them,
never caught sight of their faces again.
During her search she was thrown down and trampled under foot and
finally found herself in the water. She does not know how she came to get
into the water, but believes she was forced over the edge of the burning
boat by the maddened mob. She was rescued and taken to the Lincoln
Hospital. She was located there by her frantic husband and when able to
leave this morning was assisted to her home by relatives. She managed to
compose herself until she reached the house, when she broke down and became
hysterical. Her shrieks were heart rendering and she called constantly for
her two children. A number of relatives were gathered in the stricken home
including Mrs. BECK¹s aged mother and father and their weeping added to the
pathetic scene.
The missing children are described as being very pretty with long golden
curls and dressed nearly alike.
Wife and Daughter Missing
A scene with the same pathetic circumstances occurred in the home of
August LUTJEN at 101 Clymer street. Here the elder LUTJEN, with his son,
August were confined to bed suffering from shocking burns about the body.
His wife, Kate, whose dead body was recovered, had not yet reached the
stricken home at noon, but was expected every moment. A daughter,
Marguerite, is missing, together with Mrs. Ella BOLTON, who lives in the
same house and accompanied the family on the excursion.
The elder LUTJEN had charge of the lunch counter on the excursion when
the cry of fire came and he dashed in search of the members of his family
together with his son.
He was unable to locate her, and his son, who was looking for his sister
Marguerite, caught sign of a girl wearing a blue waist, the same as that
worn by his sister in the swirling mob, and managed to fight his way near
enough to grasp the sleeve. He was then forced away, but retained his hold
on the material, which was torn away from the waist. The sleeve was still
in his grasp when picked up unconscious in the water. He had been burned by
the fierce flames, as was his father, who was also hurled into the eater by
the rush of the panic stricken crowd. Neither father nor son saw anything
of Mrs. LUTJEN or the daughter after that. Relatives identified the body of
Mrs. LUTJEN in the morgue, but have been unable to find a trace of the
missing girl.
The husband and daughter of Mrs. BOLTON, who lived in the same house and
accompanied the LUTJENS to the excursion were out searching for the missing
woman. It is understood that she went to the excursion contrary to the
wishes of her husband. This, however, could not be positively ascertained.
Daughter Rescued, Mother and Brother Lost
Another house of mourning was that of Mrs. Lucy HENKEN, at 169 South
Second street. Mrs. HENKEN was accompanied by her son, Charles, 19 years
old, and her daughter, Lucy, 15 years old. The latter was rescued after she
had been forced to leap overboard, by a young man who sustained her in the
water until both were rescued.
She does not know the name of her rescuer.
The body of the son Charles was identified in the Morgue, but Mrs.
HENKEN is missing. The rescued girl was credited in the early news of the
disaster yesterday with having saved the lives of two children, but this she
denies. She was searching for her mother and brother during the panic, when
she was forced to leap into the water by the young many. She was taken to
the Lincoln Hospital, but was able to return home last night. She was still
suffering from the shock this morning.
Great Grief of a Mother Upon Finding Her Babe¹s Body
Mrs. Lena REKANSKI, a hard working widow, living at 337 Fifth street,
tried to drown herself in the East River shortly after 3:30 this morning,
after discovering her idolized daughter, Wanda, aged 10 years, among the
bodies of the dead on the pier. Mrs. REKANSKI allowed her daughter to
attend the one affair of its kind during the entire year. The excursion of
her Sunday school was the one little thing Wanda dreamed about and told her
mother most of during the months just passed. In company with a girl
friend, Lena GOETZ, aged 12, who lives in the same house with Wanda, the
latter set out for the pier at the foot of Third street yesterday morning
after kissing her mother goodby.
It was with a heart sick with grief and eyes red from crying that Mrs.
REKANSKI was assisted out o the pier shortly after 3 o¹clock this morning.
She had given up hopeof again seeing her child alive and she looked
searchingly into the faces of the dead children. She was about to come
away, feeling that none of the long line belonged to her, when she saw a
hand. It was the hand of her baby. With a shriek that resounded through
the dock house, the woman turned and fell across the body, hugging and
kissing the dead figure of the child.
Still screaming, the woman was led away and walked with great pain until
she came to where the gang planks were laid on to the steam Fidelity. Then
she started as though to go aboard the boat and no one cared to stop her. A
hundred eyes followed her every move, however, when she was seen to stop
midway up the gang plank the men stood spellbound.
But only for a moment. At the instant she swerved, and would have
allowed herself to drop off the gangplank and into the river between the
boat and the pier, three strong deck hands grabbed her and lifted her off
her feet and carried her back onto the pier. Seeming to recall that her
effort to kill herself had proved unavailing, the woman again started to
scream, and became so hysterical she had to be taken into the offices of the
Charity Department on the pier.
When the woman¹s condition did not improve with treatment she was taken
into Bellvue Hospital under orders from Acting Superintendent RICKERTS and
there treated.
The father of the GOETZ girl is at the pier, having insisted on staying
through the night.
Dr. DARLINGTON stayed through the night until nearly 5 o¹clock, when he
gave instructions to three of the Health Department boats to patrol the East
River from the Battery to the spot where the "General Slocum" went down.
The boats will keep a look out for floating bodies.
At 5 o¹clock Acting Superintendent RICKARD of Bellvue Hospital, quitted
at the pier, after working all night in his shirt sleeves and hatless to aid
the bereaved relatives who visited the pier.
Brother Identifies Sister
Henry HARDINCAMP, who is about 24 years of age, identified his sister,
Mary, aged 11, early in the morning. Mary was to have celebrated her
birthday to-day. Herny came to the morgue looking for his father, John and
brothers Frank and Harold who, with his sister Mary, were among the missing.
Henry threw himself across his sister¹s coffin, and it required the combined
efforts of several men to tear Henry away from his sister¹s coffin.
The sight that rendered many women spiritless was that of two women who
died clasping their infant babies in their arms. One of these women was
packed in ice in a box numbered 209. This woman, who was well dressed, was
very beautiful in life, and the child on her breast was a beautiful one.
There was a peaceful expression over the faces of mother and daughter which
caught at the hearts of the women who looked on the sight.
No. 332 was the body of a woman who also died with an infant baby hugged
close to her breast. The woman¹s eyes were wide open in death. The sight
of the two women and the two dead babies caused many women to faint and
strong men to grow pale.
Boy the Sole Survivor of One Family
Fred HARTUNG, aged 16, spent the night on the pier. So far as he can
tell, he is the sole survivor of his family, numbering besides the mother,
Mrs. Louisa HARTUNG, four daughters, Elsie, Clara, Milly and Francis. None
of them has been heard from among the dead thus far.
The HARTUNG boy said when the fire broke out he jumped to a tug and was
saved. He did not know where his sisters were. He heard afterward that his
mother had grabbed Milly and jumped with her, and they were probably
drowned.
Between 5 and 6 o¹clock this morning the crowd was very small about the
pier, only the officials moving about.
When the steamer Fidelity had been relieved of the four unidentified
bodies that she had brought from North Brother Island to the foot of East
Twenty-sixth street, about 10:30 o¹clock this morning, she left with seventy
boxes, in which she will bring back about that number of bodies still lying
at the island. The Fidelity is expected to return about 2 o¹clock.
Mrs. Catherine DIAMOND and her brother of 79 Madison street, went to the
pier this morning and identified the body of their mother, Mrs. Catherine
BIRMINGHAM. In her paroxysms of grief, Mrs. DIAMOND ran to jump from the
gangplank leading from the pier, when she was caught by W.D. HOWARD, a
Bellvue Hospital nurse. She was carried into the office of the
Superintendent of Outdoor Poor, where she remained in a dead faint for many
minutes. She was able to leave the scene with her brother.
Young Man¹s Mind Unbalanced Over Loss
Policemen were ordered by Captain GALLAGER to keep a close watch on
Charles SCHMIDLING, 19 years old, of 119 East Seventh street, this morning.
SCHMIDLING had been on the pier since 3 o¹clock in the morning looking for
the bodies of his mother and two sisters. He finally began to weaken under
strain and about 10 o¹clock was talking incoherently and gesticulating. He
was kept from going out on the pier, as were many who showed they were no
longer able to endure the strain.
Acting under orders from police headquarters, photographers are engaged
at the morgue this morning photographing the unidentified dead. The
photographers will be used for identification purposes when the bodies can
no longer be exposed to public view.
Queens Dead and Missing
Long Island City, L.I. June 16 Great sympathy is expressed by the Queens
Borough officials for William A. RICHTER, cashier in the Tax Office, Borough
Hall, who lost his wife, aged 47, and three children of the ill fated
steamer General Slocum yesterday. The names of the lost are: Lydia, aged 12
years; Frederick, 11 years, and Tinnie, 9 years. Mr. RICHTER¹s brother also
lost his wife, aged 50, a daughter, Amelia, 20; Ernest, 12, Anna, 8.
William A. RICHTER had spent the day at Rockaway Beach with a bowling club
and did not learn of his loss until he returned to the city in the
afternoon.
Policeman Otto VEIT, of College Point, lost his wife and child.
William KEISEL, employed in the office of the Building Bureau, Queens
Borough Hall, lost a neice.
The Brooklyn List (this list was compiled from two days lists - June 16th &
17th. [indicates second day information])
Dead.
The list of identified Brooklyn dead already numbers fourteen, with nine
from Queens, as follows:
[BERDOLT, Mrs. Gussie, 30 years, 1050 Prospect avenue]
BOEGER, Wilbur, 4 years, of 910 Putnam avenue.
BOEGER, Florence [A]., 4 years, of 910 Putnam avenue.
BOEGER, Mrs. William, 30 years, of 910 Putnam avenue. [Mrs. Susan L]
[BREDA, Minnie, 29 years, of 150 North Ninth street]
DIECKHOFF, Annie, 17 years, of 121 Fourth avenue.
DIECKHOFF, William, 8 years, of 4 Greene avenue.
DIECKHOFFF, _____, 20 years, of 121 Fourth avenue.
[DIECKHOFF, Marie, of 121 Fourth avenue]
[DIECKHOFF, Edward, of 121 Fourth avenue]
[DIECKHOFF, William H. of 121 Fourth avenue]
[EIMER, Kate, 45 years, of 84 Stockholm street]
[FLEGENHEIMER, Lena, of 608 Greene avenue]
GENDERT, William, of 538 Morgan avenue.
[GERDES, Mrs. Margaret, 66 years, of 430 Kosciusko street]
HEN[C]KEN, Charles, 17 [18] years, of 169, South Second street.
HE[R]NBERG, George, 7 years, of 79 Calyer street.
HERNBERG, Arthur, 9 years, of 79 Calyer street
[HOFFMAN, Mrs. Cecilia, 27 years, 336 New York avenue]
[KUNZ, Gussie, 20 years, 889 Broadway]
[KISCHER, Margaret, 185 Russell street]
[KISCHER, Katherine, of 185 Russell street]
[KLEIN, Nima, 13 years, of Miller avenue]
[KLINE, Nancy, of East New York]
LUTJEN, Katie [Catherine], 46 years, of 101 Clymer street
MERSELES, Matilda, 16 years, of 394 Sixth avenue
PFIFER, Mrs. Charles E., age 25, wife of policeman in Vernon avenue station,
Identified by husband.
[PFEIFFER, Lillian, of 937 Bedford avenue]
[REISS, Catherine, of 40 Shepard avenue]
[ROBERTS, Clara A., of 190 Guernsey street]
[ROSE, Addie, of 222 McDonough street]
SCHNUDE, Henry C., of 19 Guernsey street.
[SCHRENEMANN, John, Hewes street]
[TONIPORT, Francis, of 198 Guernsey street]
[TONIPORT, Charlotte, of 198 Guernsey street]
[WOLF, Magdalene, 65 years, of 1131 Fortieth street]
[WOBBE, Marion, Brooklyn]
Missing.
BOCK, May Louise, 6 1/2 years, of 69 Marcy avenue
BOCK, Grace Edna, 46 years, of 69 Marcy avenue
BOLTON, Mrs. Ella, 44 years, of 101 Clymer street
DIECKHOFF, four children, 121 Fourth avenue
HEN[C}KEN, Mrs. Lucy, 43 years, of 169 South Second street
KIRSCHER, John, 65 [69] years, of 185 Russell street
KIRSCHER, Margaret, 60 years, of 185 Russell street
KIRSCHER, Harold, 1 [2 1/2] year, of 185 Russell street
KIRSCHER, Elsie, 7 years, of 185 Russell street
SCHNEIDER, Dora, 32 years, of 322 Stanhope street
SCHNEIDER, Katie, 8 years, of 322 Stanhope street, daughter
SCHNEIDER, Amelia, 6 years, of 322 Stanhope street, daughter
BUCHMILLER, Anna, 40 years, of 79 Calyer street
BUCHMILLER, George, 11 years, of 79 Calyer street
BUCHMILLER, Arthur, 10 years, of 79 Calyer street
VOERNES, Joseph, 17 years, of 96 Manhattan avenue
WALMER, Eliza, 59 years, of 246 Woodbine street
LUYTEN, [LUTJEN] Marguerite, 18 years old, of 101 Clymer street
LUTZ, Hendrick, 41 years, of 161 Second street
LUTZ, Charles, 8 years, of 161 Second street
MERSELLES, Fillie, 16 years, of 394 Sixth avenue
OELLRICH, Mrs. Annie, of 519 Willoughby avenue
OELLRICH, Helen, 2 years, same address
OELLRICH, Henry, 12 years old, same address
OELLRICH, Fred, 6 years, same address
OELLRICH, Lizzie, 3 years, same address
OELLRICH, Minnie, 4 years, same address
VORNES, Josephine, 17 years, 96 Manhattan avenue [related to VOERNES above?]
WOLLMAR, Mrs. Eliza, 59 years, 246 Woodbine street
WOLLMAR, Louise, ___, 246 Woodbine street
Injured.
BOCK, Louisa, 32 years, 69 Marcy avenue, Lincoln Hospital
BREDEN, Ellen, 16 years, 383 Eleventh street, Lincoln Hospital
BADER, Eliza, 46 years, 174 New York ave, Lincoln Hospital
BLOHM, Margaret, 53 years, 18 and 20 Jackson street, Lincoln Hospital
HENCHEN, Lucy, 15 years, 162 South Second street, Lincoln Hospital
KIRCHER, Fred, 9 years old, 185 Russell street, Lincoln Hospital
KIRCHER, Stacy, 7 years, 185 Russell street, Lincoln Hospital
KESSEBAUM, Mrs. Nellie, 36 years, 196 Guernsey street, Harlem Hospital
KOPP, John, 15 years, 586 Grand street, Lincoln Hospital
LUTGENS, August, 17 years, 101 Clymer street
LUTJEN August, Sr., 44 years, same address, Lincoln Hospital
MULLER, Minnie, 6 years, 168 St. Mark¹s Place, Lincoln Hospital
MILLER, Herman, 9 years old, 100 St. Mark¹s avenue, Lincoln Hospital
MILLER, Louis, 11 years old, same address, Lincoln Hospital
POTAR, Joseph, 17 years, 17 Humboldt street, Lincoln Hospital
REBENLAU, Elfrida, 23 Elbert street, Lincoln Hospital
WISSER, Ernestina, 5 years old, 84 Stockholm street, Lincoln Hospital
WOLL, Joseph, 30 years, 283 Hamburg avenue
WOLF, Mary, __,
WALL, Julius, 28 years, 538 Maple street.
Identifying the Dead
First Woman Victim Picked Out Was Mrs. Mary BALLMER Her Three Children
Missing
[this may be the same person called VOLLMER in a previous article? I think
this because of the information given regarding her son being a hero of a fire]
Body No. 6 at the Alexander avenue police station later in the day was
identified as that of Mrs. Mary BALLMER, 35 years old, of 123 First avenue,
Manhattan. She was identified by her husband, Joseph BALLMER, a waiter.
BALLMER says that his wife went on the excursion with their three
children, Joseph, aged 16, Minnie, aged 8, and their baby girl, aged 6. The
children are still missing. BALLMER being unable to find the bodies of any
of them among the children¹s.
Joseph BALLMER, the 16 year old boy, who is thought to have been lost,
was the hero of the fire on Broome street three or four days ago. He ran
his elevator up and down and carried a number of people to safety,
notwithstanding the building was afire.
The Unidentified Victims
Many Bodies of Women and Children Known for the Present Only By Number
At 11:15 o¹clock seventeen bodies eleven unidentified women and six
unidentified children had been taken to the Alexander avenue station. The
bodies are numbered as follows:
No. 1 unknown woman, 5 feet 4 inches, 250 pounds; dark brown hair, black
skirt, white waist, wedding ring, amber beads.
No. 2 unknown woman, 40 years, 130 pounds, dark complexion, brown hair, 5
feet, black skirt and waist, small black flower earrings with small diamond center.
No. 3 unknown woman, 60 years, 5 feet, 155 pounds, gray hair, reddish
brown striped skirt and waist, no jewels.
No. 4 unknown woman, 30, 5 feet 9 inches, 200 pounds, wedding ring, gold
and diamond earrings, white waist, white striped black skirt.
No. 5 unknown woman, 35 years, 140 pounds, 5 feet 7 inches, black skirt,
low shoes, wedding ring, small black earrings.
No. 6 unknown woman, 30 years, 5 feet 6 inches, 160 pounds, brown hair,
brown skirt, white waist, wedding ring, diamond earrings, gold and diamond brooch.
No. 7 unknown woman, 35 years, 5 feet 7 inches, 180 pounds, light brown
hair, white waist, black skirt, solitaire ring and wedding ring, diamond
screw earrings.
No. 8 Unknown woman, 25 years, 5 feet 8 inches, 150 pounds, dark brown
hair, white waist, black skirt, low shoes, pearl earrings, pearl and gold
brooch, wedding ring, diamond ring, lady¹s gold Elgin watch No. 834-120,
stopped at 10:19.
No. 9 Unknown woman, 50 years, 5 feet 8 inches, 180 pounds, dark brown
hair, light waist, black skirt, oxford shoes, gold and diamond earrings,
small plain gold ring on right hand.
No. 10 Unknown woman, 54 years, 5 feet 6 inches, 160 pounds, black and
gray hair, black calico dress and purple flowers, wedding ring, brooch
showing man¹s picture.
No. 11 Unknown woman, 50 years, 5 feet 3 inches, 170 pounds, dark brown
hair, black skirt, white dotted waist, black jacket, wedding ring.
Nos. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 Unidentified bodies of three infants and three
children less than five years old.
No. 18 Woman about 45 years old, 5 feet 4 inches, light hair, white waist,
pepper and salt skirt, button shoes.
No. 19 Woman, 50, 5 feet 5 inches, gray hair, black dress, earrings.
No. 20 Woman, 40, 5 feet 3 inches, black waist and light skirt, gold chain.
No. 21 Woman 35, brown hair, very stout black silk waist and black skirt, wedding ring.
No. 22 Woman, 45, check waist, gray skirt, black stockings and lace gaiter shoes.
No. 23 Woman, 60, black jacket and skirt, black stockings, lace shoes.
No. 24 Woman, 35, black satin waist, blue skirt, lace shoes.
No. 25 Woman, 40, check waist, black skirt, lace gaiters.
No. 26 Tall woman, black silk waist with beads, black skirt,
black stockings and lace shoes.
No. 27 Woman, 50, blue waist, brown jacket, green skirt, lace shoes.
No. 28 Girl about 15, blue and white striped waist and skirt,
black stockings, lace shoes.
No. 29 Woman, 40, 5 feet 6 inches, black jacket, chect waist, gray skirt.
No. 30 Woman, 35, 5 feet 3 inches, black waist and skirt, lace shoes.
No. 31 Woman, 40, short and stout, blue checked waist and lace shoes.
No. 32 Woman, 60, gray hair, black waist and skirt.
No. 33 Woman, 35, very stout, white waist and purple dress, elastic gaiters.
No. 34 Woman about 50, gray hair, black waist and skirt, blue stockings
and button gaiters.
Some Who Were On Board
Pastor HAAS Had a Party and There Were Many Sunday School Teachers
The excursion was the seventeenth annual excursion of St. Mark¹s school.
The Rev. George C. HAAS is the pastor of the church. The excursion was in
charge of the social committee of the church, headed by Miss Mary
ABENDASCHEIN, of 315 East Eighteenth street, Manhattan.
In the minister¹s party, his son said, were:
HAAS, George C. - the pastor
ABENDSCHEIN, Miss
ANGER, Carl assistant superintendent
SCHLAFER, William
HAAS, Gertrude age 13, the pastor¹s daughter
HAAS, Miss Emma the pastor¹s sister
TETAMORE, W.B., living on Bushwick ave, Brooklyn
The Sunday school teachers of the church, most of whom went on the
excursion, and their addresses, as far as it is possible to get them, are:
HAAS, Emma
UCHLIN, Jeannette
BURDEWICK, Minnie
ULRICH, Lizzie
GRINGEL, Kate, of Ninth street
COHRS, Freda
HOFFMAN, Minnie, of 38 Second avenue
ROSENSTEIN, Sophie
DULS, Julia, of 130 Avenue A
MUTH, Emma, of Lexington avenue
LUETJENS, Margaret, of 101 Clymer street, Brooklyn
GERMANN, Kate, of 221 East Eighteenth street
DELVENTHAL, Sophie
SCHLIDLINE, Emily, of 117 East Seventh street
PULLMAN, Elsie, of East Eighteenth street
VETTER, Emma, of 703 East Sixth street
FOLZKE, Elizabeth
ZIPSE, Sophie, of East Twenty-first street
HARTUNG, Frances, of East Twenty-first street
Others said to be aboard the boat are:
HALTHUSEN, John the janitor of 138 Second avenue
SCHMIDE, Henry, 196 Guernsey street
FITTIG, Peter, of Second avenue
SE(N?)KEN, George, of 863 Lexington avenue
GOLDSTRUN, Helen
DULS, Louise, of 130 Avenue A
DELVENTHAL, Henry
JORDAN, John and Kate of 37 Third avenue
SCHWARZ, Emil, of 141 East Third street
WOLFF, William
RICHTER, William and Lizzie, of Sixth street
LUETJENS, August, of 101 Clymer street
SCHIRMER, Bertha, of First avenue
PULLMAN, William H.
SCHLAFER, William H.
ABENDSCHEIN, Margaret, of 315 East Eighteenth street
WILLIAMS, Gussie, of 357 East Sixty-third street
HOLDER, Mary
MATTHEWS, Lizzie
HAAG, Arank(e?), of 158 First avenue
HORNE, Lena
SCHROEDER, Margaret
SCHOENMANN, John
OSMUS, Otto
VETTER, Freda, of 730 Sixth street
Crowds at Parsonage
Pastor¹s Son Had to Tell Everybody That News of Terrible Accident Was True
When the first news of the disaster became known there was a rush of
telephonic inquiries at the home of the pastor of the church, 34 Seventh
street, Manhattan. George HAAS, son of the pastor, was the only member of
the family at home and it fell to him to inform all those who inquired
either by telephone or in person that the reports were true and that the
excursion that has started out so happily only a short time before had met
with frightful disaster.
As the news became better known crowds flocked around the church and the
parsonage. Many of the number were relatives of those who had gone on the
excursion. They wailed bitterly in the grief of uncertainty as to the fate
of those they loved. Large numbers of them boarded the elevated trains and
hastened to One Hundred and Thirty-eighth street.
Business was practically at a standstill in the neighborhood and the
greatest woe was noticeable among the workingmen whose wives and families
had gone on the boat. Information was meager at the church, and it was
impossible for anyone to tell just how many or who had gone on the excursion.
The Mayor Acts Promptly
Orders All Available Police Surgeons, Patrol Wagons and Ambulances to Scene
of Disaster
Mayor MC CLELLAN was horror stricken when he heard of the disaster to
the steamboat General Slocum.
"It is simply appalling!" exclaimed the Mayor, in discussing the accident.
As soon as the Mayor had received word of what had happened on the
General Slocum he got into communication with Police Commissioner MC ADOO
and directed him to send all available surgeons, patrol wagons and
ambulances to the scene. He told Commissioner MC ADOO not to spare any
expense in aiding in the work rescue.
"It is only fair to the department, " said Mayor MC CLELLAN, "to say
that almost every suggestion I have to make had already been anticipated by
the heads of the department."
Mayor MC CLELLAN said he did not know what powers of supervision the
city authorities had over boats like the General Slocum, but he supposed
that all the powers of supervision are vested in the United States Government
17 June 1904
Girl¹s Miraculous Escape.
Ella BREDEN, of Brooklyn, Jumped from Hurricane Deck.
Friends of Miss Ellen BREDEN, who lives at 383 Eleventh street, Brooklyn,
are at a loss to account for her marvelous escape from serious injury or
death in the awful fire on the General Slocum.
Accompanied by a girl friend, Miss Matilda MERCELIS, of 370 Sixth avenue,
Brooklyn, and a young man named Gustave LUTZ, of Manhattan, she was on the
hurricane deck of the steamer when the alarm of fire was given. Almost
immediately, it seemed, the entire ship was ablaze and all was confusion
about them. Screams of fear and agony came from the lower decks, and scores
were leaping over the side, many to be drowned. Forcing their way through
the frantic mob, they managed to reach the rail, and espied a tugboat
approaching.
"Jump into the boat when it reaches the side," advised Miss BREDEN.
"No, don¹t do that Ellen," said Miss MERCELIS. "That jump means certain
death."
"Rather die that way than be burned to death here on the boat," replied Miss
BREDEN, firmly.
When the tug arrived, she cried, "Come on, jump! It¹s the only way."
They tried to restrain her, but she tore herself away and leaped. She does
not know how she landed, for she lost consciousness, and recovered to find
herself on the way to the Lincoln Hospital in a grocer¹s wagon. When she
reached the hospital, the doctors found nothing more serious than a
lacerated ear, and discharged her. Two strangers, who would not give their
names, kindly brought her home.
LUTZ was picked up suffering from submersion, but Miss MERCELIS did not
escape. Her body was recovered at the morgue early this morning.
Are Hoping Against Hope.
OELRICH¹s Family in Grief Over Loss of Relatives.
Herman OELRICH, the brother of William OELRICH, the grocer, of Marcy and
Willoughby avenues, whose wife and five children were on the fated Slocum
when it burned, and who are still missing, went over this morning from his
place of business, at the corner of High and Gold streets, to aid his
brother in his search for his family. William OELRICH was formerly in the
grocery business at the corner of High and Pearl streets, but went to Marcy
and Willoughby avenues some years ago.
Herman OELRICH has two boys and it was intended to let them go Wednesday
with their cousins on the fated excursion, but Mrs. OELRICH says they could
not be gotten ready in time. She is now thankful this was the result.
There is deep grief in her family over her brother-in-law¹s apparent
bereavement, though she says they are hoping against hope.
Capt. VAN SCHAICK to Sister.
Commander of the Slocum Defends His Course From a Cot in Hospital.
When Captain William Henry VAN SCHAICK, of the General Slocum, was taken to
the Lebanon Hospital, his first action was to send for his sister, Mrs.
Lucine THOMPSON, who is a resident of Brooklyn. She visited him yesterday
at the hospital and found that his broken foot had been placed in plaster of
paris and that his spine had been badly wrenched from the concussion of
contact with the water in leaping from the boat.
To his sister the Captain made a statement which indicates that his action
in running the boat to North Brother Island was the result of careful
thought. Before doing so he debated with his pilots, and it is his sister¹s
belief, gathered from what he told her in the hospital, that if the Captain
had had a week in which to think the matter over, he would have acted just
as he did. This, she says, will be substantiated later on, when he is able
to make a full statement.
"Those persons who are finding fault with the fact that I did not point the
boat for the meadows, near the scene of the accident," the Captain is
reported as saying, "do not know the nature of the channel. The boat was
steered to North Brother Island for the purpose of beaching her side on, and
in such water as would permit the rescue of passengers. Beached on the
meadow lands, the shallow waters would have prevented rescuing boats from
approaching; and, beside, there was great danger of wrecking the boat on the
hidden rocks.
Captain VAN SCHAICK¹s sister declares that all his life he has been noted
for his extreme coolness under danger and excitement. When he was 15 years
old he was the hero of a runaway accident. With his sister, the future
Captain was driving a team of thoroughbred horses in Mellville, a suburb of
Troy, where he was born, when the animals became frightened and ran away.
Insisting that his sister sit quiet as possible, the youth directed the
frightened animals up along a rocky and dangerous road, and, with the added
caution for her to keep calm, after more than a mile had been traversed,
coolly turned the horses, at full speed, into a fence, thus bringing them to
a stop and saving his sister¹s and his own life.
Captain VAN SCHAICK is a son of the late Captain Jacob VAN SCHAICK, who was
the Hudson River¹s oldest steamboat captain and the owner of several
steamboats in his own right, and he had an experience in steamboating dating
from the time he left school, at 17 years of age, and embarked into the life
of the river. When he was 20 years old Captain VAN SCHAICK was in command
of one of the finest steamboats on the Hudson River. He is one of the few
steamboat captains who can find their way through the dangerous Rockaway
Inlet, and his knowledge of the currents of Hell Gate and the Long Island
Sound is complete.
In his long career as a steamboat man the Captain¹s sister says he never met
with a single accident, but he was constantly on the lookout for such
happenings, and she believes that he was thoroughly cool and self possessed
in all that he did at the time of the catastrophe. Captain VAN SCHAICK is
the owner of an extensive farm at Amsterdam, N.Y., and it has been his hope
to pass his days there when he shall have become too old for steamboat
service. Despite the possession of his home, the Captain lived on the
steamer at all times, even when it was docked in the winter, in South
Brooklyn, and he loved the General Slocum as few men love their firesides.
KIRSCHER Family of Brooklyn Almost Wiped Out.
John H. KIRSCHER and George KIRSCHER, brothers, of 185 Russell street, this
borough, were still on a quest for their lost loved ones. The Eagle has
told the story of the loss to this family. Two husbands and fathers did not
go on the ill-fated excursion, but their wives and children and their mother
and father, the latter 69 years old, were among the happy party that left
the dock at the foot of East Third street on Wednesday morning. The
grandparents were John and Catherine.
The body of the grandmother was found, but the grandfather is still among
the missing. John H. had his wife, Elizabeth and his children, George,
Elsie and Fred, on the boat. George escaped alive and not much hurt. Fred
was found a patient at the Lincoln Hospital and will recover. Elizabeth,
John H.¹s wife was also found in the Lincoln Hospital, but Elsie, who was 7
years old, is among the missing.
His wife says that at the time of the accident she put a life preserver, one
of the rotten things of granulated cork, around the child and threw her
overboard. The she jumped after her, but lost the little one and was barely
able to swim ashore, still in the belief that the child would be saved.
George KIRSCHEER had his wife Margaret, his son Stacy and his son Harold on
the boat. The body of his wife has been found, his son Stacy was saved and
little Harold is still among the missing. The fathers were at the morgue
this morning still on an anxious quest for some news from the missing.
Everybody at the morgue has been examined for them, but without result. The
remains of those who have been found have been taken to the home of the
family on Russell street, but it is not likely that they will be buried
until the brothers give up present hope of finding those who are still lost.
Frantic Father Tries to End His Life.
There are still heart rendering scenes at the morgue when relatives of the
dead make identifications. One man recognized, this morning the body of a
favorite daughter. He had been looking for her for two days, and the little
corpse was one of twenty three taken to the morgue from North Brother Island
early this morning. When he saw the child he became frantic. He took off
his gold watch and chain and a ring and threw them into the coffin beside
the child.
She was Elsie SPRECHTER, aged 9 years, of 144 Essex street. The father was
beside himself and throwing his valuables into the casket, he started for
the first opening in the dock, declaring that the had nothing more to live
for. Some of the officials on the dock, alert for just such happenings, got
hold of him and prevented him from doing himself harm. He was finally
soothed and was able, after awhile, to make arrangements for the removal of
the body to his home.
Bodies Go Astray After Having Been Identified.
While the police and the coroner¹s officials have done good work in the
handling and transfer of the remains, there have been mistakes. One was
discovered this morning. On Thursday morning, A.T. HILL, of 103 Meserole
street, identified the bodies of his sister, Mrs. William RICHTER, wife of
the cashier in the Queens Borough tax office, whose home was in Long Island
City. In the afternoon, the bodies of Catherine and Lillian RICHTER, aged 3
and 4 years, were also found on the dock at the foot of Twenty-sixth street,
and they were properly tagged and made ready for removal by the undertaker.
This morning, when the undertaker came to get the remains of the three they
could not be found.
It is believed that some other undertaker took them away by mistake, but
that such a plunder could have been made was a shock to the authorities.
The bodies were numbered from 173 to 175. Mr. HILL was overcome when he
found out that the remains had been taken away and he sat down on an empty
coffin and wept like a child. Then he started off to make an investigation
and the police will help him to straighten out the tangle. There were eight
dead in the RICHTER family and only three bodies have been identified. And
now they are lost too.
Pastor HAAS Is Informed of the Death of His Wife.
There was much interest in the neighborhood to day over the condition of the
Rev. George C.F. HAAS, the pastor of the church which took out its ill fated
Sunday school on the Slocum. He had been regarded as in a serious state
yesterday, but in the course of the afternoon and evening he improved so
much that the doctors determined that it would be safe to tell him of the
death of his wife.
He took the information more calmly than had been expected and said that he
was not surprised at the news. It was only a confirmation of a fear that
had been in his mind. He sent a message of condolence to his parishioners
who had also suffered bereavement. Today it was said that he was much
better, although still very ill and suffering severely from shock.
There is much indignation in the neighborhood of the church over the fact
that property taken from the bodies of the dead is missing in more than one
instance. The victims wee in many instances persons of frugal habit and
many of them not only had money but valuable jewelry. The valuables were in
several cases removed from the remains as they were brought ashore at North
Brother Island and were placed in envelopes and tagged with the number of
the body.
But in many cases the tags had disappeared from the remains when they had
reached the morgue, or afterward, and it is believed that in more than one
case the tags were removed by dishonest persons, who, after the bodies were
identified, presented the tag for the valuables. And it is said in more
cases than one the thief managed to get away with the property. Then,
again, some of the tags were lost and the coroners have in their possession
many hundreds of dollars worth of jewelry and much money that may not be claimed.
Lost His Wife and Baby.
Martin J. WOLBERN, of Brooklyn Doubly Bereaved in Wednesday¹s Disaster to Slocum.
Martin J. WOLBERN, an ice dealer living on Keap street, was another sufferer
from Wednesday¹s steamboat disaster. Martin¹s wife, Hilda, a young German
woman, took her 1 year old baby, Henry, and started out with the excursion.
She was one of a party of sixteen women, the rest of whom lived in
Manhattan. All of them were members of the church. WOLBERN was on his
route delivering ice to his customers when he learned of the fire by hearing
a boy calling out "Eagle extra!"
WOLBERN immediately put his horse and wagon in a nearby stable and went to
Manhattan. He has been searching there since, but has yet not heard of his
wife or son. They were not found among the recovered bodies, nor among the
living. It is feard that they with the others were in the cabin at the time
of the fire and were unable to escape from the burning ship. Mrs WOLBERN,
according to the description given of her this morning by her sister-in-law,
was of dark complexion, short and of German features. She had on a wedding
ring and wore a tan shirt waist with a blue and white collar.
Saw Her Daughter Drown.
Mrs. Louisa BOCK Made Heroic Efforts to Save Child, but All In Vain.
Mrs. Louisa BOCK, who with her husband, Charles, lives at 69 Marcy avenue,
is still suffering from the shock of the loss of her two pretty children,
May Louise, 6 1/2 years old, and Grace Edna, 4 1/2 years old. Mrs. BOCK had
the heart-rendering experience of witnessing the death of her daughter, May
Louise by drowning before her eyes without being able to render the
slightest aid. The grief of the woman is pathetic, when the fact is
recalled to her.
During one of her calm periods this morning, Mrs. BOCK told a graphic story
of her experience with the child who was drowned. She said she had been an
attendant at St. Mark¹s Sunday School, and was married in the church. She
was in the habit of going, annually, on the outing, and was in company with
Mrs. Anna BURKHARDT, a former playmate, who lived at 141 East Third street,
Manhattan. The latter lost her life in the catastrophe.
In the company with the dead woman, Mrs. BOCK says, she had secured a seat
on the upper deck, while her two children played nearby. When the alarm
came, followed by the panic, she seized her daughter, May, while Mrs.
BURKHARDT volunteered to take charge of Grace. In the rush of the maddened
people, the two women were swept apart, and when Mrs. BOCK looked for Mrs.
BURKHARDT and her little daughter, they were not to be seen.
As the wall of flame advanced toward her, Mrs. BOCK says, she hesitated, at
first, but determined to face it, and unmindful of the scorching heat which
seared the flesh on her face and hands, made her way to the side of the
boat. Her quick glance caught site of one of the long fenders suspended by
a rope and hanging in the water. She managed to slide down this pole, with
her child in her arm, until she reached the water.
She managed to clutch something to sustain herself, and evidently remained
until exhausted, and must have released her hold upon her daughter, as she
remembers nothing until she opened her eyes while being hauled from the
water, and found herself being drawn aboard a steam launch. As she opened
her eyes, her glance fell upon the face of her little daughter, a few feet
away. The child had her arms extended murmuring the word "mother," when she
slowly sank beneath the surface of the water.
The men in the launch tried to reach the child as she was sinking, and Mrs.
BOCK remembers nothing more until she came to a the Lincoln Hospital.
Beside suffering from her submersion, Mrs. BOCK was also severely burned.
She was able to reach her home yesterday morning. As no trace of the child
Grace, has been found, it is presumed that she was also drowned with Mrs.
BURKHARDT.
New Identifications.
Body of Mrs. TETAMORE of Brooklyn Found at Morgue.
The following identifications of Slocum victims were made at the Morgue
after 6 o¹clock this morning:
TETAMORE, Mrs. Sophie C., 30 years, of 1714 Bushwick avenue, Brooklyn, by
Dr. SEMKEN, George H., 858 Lexington avenue.
FETIG, Peter, 45 years, of 120 Second avenue (wife, child and niece still
missing)
HOFFMAN, Edna, 2 years, of 116 Lake street, Jersey City.
LAHN, Clara, 20 years, of 1000 Union avenue, the Bronx.
METTLER , Albert, 12 years, of 338 Fifth street, by uncle.
HERZENBERGER, Mrs. Henrietta, 45 years, of 22 St. Mark¹s place [had been
recorded as missing under name of ŒKATZENBERGER¹) By husband, August.
ERMER, George, 11 years, of 84 Stockholm street, Brooklyn.
SCHEELE, Anna, 15 years, of 14 St. Mark¹s place.
FISCHER, Emma, of 108 First avenue. This was one of the supposedly
unrecognizable dead.
Deep Hole in the River May Yield Many Bodies.
Eight Taken From It This Morning, One, a Young Woman¹s Wrapped in an
American Flag.
Divers Have Seen Many Others.
City to Raise Wreck of the Slocum. Grewsome Work at North Brother Island
Goes On.
Divers at North Brother Island resumed the work of searching for bodies of
the Slocum dead as the first faint streaks of dawn illuminated the horizon
this morning. Within an hour eight more bodies were recovered. One of
these was recovered by the police boat and was that of a woman whose body
was wrapped or entangled in a large silk American flag. Seven bodies were
brought to the surface by Diver GILLIGAN of the Merritt Wrecking Company¹s
tug Hustler.
GILLIGAN states that at a point near North Brother Island, near where the
bodies were laid on the lawn last Wednesday, he has discovered a deep hole
in the bed of the river. It was from this hole that the seven bodies
recovered this morning were taken. He estimates that between thirty and
fifty bodies are still in this hole. At 8 o¹clock the tide became so swift
that he had to cease operations and it will be about five hours before he
will be able to resume work.
After a lapse of three days since the disaster, the most carefully collected
data shows that 568 bodies have so far been recovered. The following table
is compiled from the official records at the morgue and elsewhere at 6
o¹clock this morning:
Bodies recovered to date'Š'Š.'Š'...568
Identified at 8 a.m'Š'Š'Š.'Š'Š.527
Bodies so burned as to be unrecognizable'...30
Awaiting identification at the morgue'Š..'3
At North Brother Island'Š'Š'Š'Š....8
Total'Š'Š'Š'Š'Š'Š'Š.'.568
Missing, original list approximately'Š'.400
Found dead or at home prior to Friday'.'100
Found dead or at home Friday'Š'Š'Š54
Total now missing, approximately'Š'Š329
Injured in Lincoln Hospital'Š'Š'Š'.20
Injured in Lebanon Hospital'Š'Š'Š...27
Injured in Harlem Hospital'Š'Š'Š'...2
Injured in Flower Hospital'Š'Š'Š'Š2
Injured in German Hospital'Š'Š'Š'...2
Total in hospitals, all of whom will recover'53
Funeral of Boy Hero.
The HENCKEN family at 169 South Second street will conduct funeral services
over the remains of Charles HENCKEN, the 18 year old son, who lost his life
after saving Anna FREESE of Houston street, Manhattan. The mourning family
delayed the funeral in hopes that the body of his mother, Mrs. Lucy HENCKEN,
might be recovered. The family, including the daughter, Lucy, 15 years old,
who was saved through the efforts of August LUTJEN, Jr., were together on
the upper deck when the panic came and were separated during the mad rush.
Nothing was seen of Mrs. HENCKEN and it is not certain whether her body is
in the river or pinned in the wreckage of the steamer. Members of the
family have closely examined the unidentified dead but have been unable to
find any trace of the missing woman.
Charles BOCK, of 69 Marcy avenue, has spent house searching among the
unrecognized dead for the bodies of his two children, May Louise, 6 1/2
years old, and Grace Edna, 4 1/2 years old, who accompanied their mother
Mrs. Louise BOCK, on the ill-fated excursion. Mrs. BOCK had the shocking
experience of seeing her daughter May Louise drown before her eyes, after
undergoing a fierce struggle to save her. The frantic parents have been
unable to find the slightest trace of either child. The torture which Mrs.
BOCK is undergoing it is feared, will unsettle her mind, if some trace of
the children is not found soon.
Many friends attended the funeral of Mrs. Margaret GERDES, 60 years old,
which was conducted this afternoon from her late home at 430 Kosciuscko
street. Mrs. GERDES, who was formerly a member of St. Mark¹s Church was in
the habit of attending the excursion and lost her life in the disaster by
drowning.
Arrangements have been completed to conduct the funeral services over the
remains of Gussie KUNZ, 20 years old, to-morrow afternoon at her late home,
889 Broadway. It is expected that the services will be largely attended.
The body of the young woman was recovered from among the dead at the morgue
and removed to her late home yesterday by her grief stricken family.
For the Unknown Dead.
Coffins Provided for the Unidentified Victims.
Coffins for the bodies of the unidentified dead which are to be buried this
afternoon, arrived at the Manhattan morgue at 11 o¹clock. Those for adults
are covered with heavy black cloth with three silver-plated handles on
either side. On the coffin lids are two silver plated plates, one bearing
the number by which the body was known at the morgue, and a smaller plate
bearing the numbers, one, two, three, etc, by which numbers the bodies will
be known in the Charities Department. These latter numbers will also make
it easier for the exact location of the bodies in the plot to be determined.
Burial of Unidentified.
Lutheran Pastors Arrange for Union Funeral Services.
About one hundred and fifty pastors, representatives of many denominations,
mostly the members of the New York Synod of the Lutheran Church, at a
meeting held at St. Mark¹s Church yesterday decided to take charge of the
burial of the unidentified dead as well as to make arrangements for the care
of children who have been deprived of their parents. The unidentified dead
will be buried at the Lutheran Cemetery at Middle Village, where funeral
services will be held by the Rev. D.W. PETERSON. A general memorial funeral
service will be arranged, when all bodies have been buried. To-morrow
memorial services will be held in all Lutheran churches of the New York
district. Orphan children will be received at the Wartburg Orphan Asylum.
The committee in charge of the above arrangements consists of the Rev. Dr.
T.W. LOCH of the Lutheran Church on Schermerhorn street, Brooklyn, chairman;
Ernst W. KAUFFMAN, treasurer, the Rev. Dr. John I. HEISCHMAN, Brooklyn; the
Rev. G.E.T. KRAELING, Brooklyn.
Mayor¹s Fund Now $15,000
Subscriptions Still Pour In for Relief of Slocum Disaster Victims.
Subscriptions to the fund for the relief of the survivors of the disaster to
the steamboat General Slocum continue to pour in at the offices of Mayor MC
CLELLAN, Herman RIDDER, the chairman, and Jacob H. SCHIFF, the treasurer of
the Mayor¹s relief committee. Most of the subscriptions received to-day were
of amounts varying from $1 to $500, showing how the awful disaster to the
General Slocum has appealed to the citizens of the city. The sum now
exceeds $15,000 is was announced at the Mayor¹s office this morning.
Burial of a Slocum Victim.
The body of Mrs. Lillian M. PFEIFER, the 18 year old bride of Charles
PFEIFER, a policeman attached to the Fifty-eight Precinct, which has been
recovered from the wreck of the General Slocum, is to be buried Monday
afternoon, at 2 o¹clock, from her late residence, 937 Bedford avenue. The
couple had been married one year. The services over her remains will be
conducted by the Rev. J.J. HEISHCMANN, pastor of St. Peter¹s Brooklyn Church
on Bedford avenue near DeKalb. The interment will be in Brooklyn Cemetery.
Only One Body of Lost OELLRICHes Recovered.
Of the five members of the OELLRICH family who lost their lives in the
disaster only one body, that of Helen, 2 years old, has been recovered. The
body of the little one had not been brought home this morning and at the
house, 519 Willoughby avenue, it was stated that they expected to hold the
funeral services over the remains to-morrow. Mr. OELLRICH was away to
continue his search for the bodies of his wife, Hattie, his boy, Frederick,
7 years old, and his two daughters, Minnie and Lizzie, aged respectively 6
and 5 years old.
The funeral of Matilda MERSELES¹ the 15 year old daughter of Peter and
Jennie MERSELES, of 394 Sixth avenue, another of the victims, will take
place this afternoon at 3 o¹clock. Services will be held in the home and
then the body will be taken to Greenwood Cemetery and placed in a receiving
vault. It has not been decided where the place of interment will be. Many
of the girl¹s friends will attend the funeral. Matilda was popular in the
neighborhood of her residence judging from the number of floral tokens
received at the house this morning. The parents of the girl have received
numerous letters of sympathy, many coming from people they never met.
Three DIECKHOFF Children to Be Buried.
One of the saddest funerals that will take place to-morrow will be that of
the three DIECKHOFF children from their late home, 121 Fourth avenue.
DIECKHOFF lost his wife, and four children. His wife and a boy are still
missing. Two girls, Annie and Marie, and a boy, Edward, have been
recovered. The almost frantic husband went to the morgue in Manhattan this
morning to see if the bodies of his wife and boy have been taken from the
water. People who knew DIECKHOFF are marveling at the manner in which her
is bearing up under his terrible bereavement. They say it would not be
surprising if he loses his reason, as they don¹t believe he yet realizes
what has befallen him. A stream of persons were going in and out of the
house to-day to see the children, who were familiar to many of them on
Fourth avenue. The oldest girl, Annie, was 17 years old.
Marguerite LUTJEN Still Missing.
Many sympathizers have visited the home of August LUTJEN at 101 Clymer
street, whose wife, Mrs. Catherine LUTJEN, was one of the victims of the
disaster. Every one who called offered assistance and received the thanks
of the afflicted man. He, in company with his son, August, who like his
father, was painfully burned in endeavoring to save the dead woman and her
daughter, Marguerite, 18 years old, who is missing, are able to be about and
make frequent trips to the Manhattan morgue in hopes of recovering the body
of the missing girl. They returned from a futile trip this forenoon nearly
broken hearted. They were unable to identify the missing girl among the
unclaimed dead and fear that her body is still at the bottom of the river or
still in the burned wreck. The funeral services over the remains of Mrs.
LUTJEN has been set for to-morrow afternoon. It was held off, as long as
possible in hopes that the body of the daughter might be recovered in time
to have the funerals together.
Police Detail at BLOHM Home.
Police Captain BECKER, of the Hamburg avenue station found it necessary
early in the day to detail a corps of patrolmen to the BLOHM home to
preserve order.
Arrangements for the burial of the dead were made in all parts of the city
to-day. The BLOHM home was one of those which was devastated by pestilence.
The dead in his home are: Annie, his wife, 28 years old; Mrs. Annie Smith,
his sister, and Margaret and Dora BLOHM, his two younger sisters. The body
of little Beatrice, BLOHM¹s 2 year old daughter, has not yet been recovered.
The family were members of St. Mark¹s parish. The funeral services will be
held at the home to-morrow. The bodies will be interred in the Lutheran Cemetery.
There will be funeral services held to-morrow afternoon at the home of John
and George KIRCHER, at 185 Russell street. The dead in the KIRCHER home are
Mrs. Katherine KIRCHER and Margaret KIRCHER, the wife of George. Three are
still missing Elsie, 7 years, Harold 2 1/2 years old, and John KIRCHER,
the father of John and George, and husband of Katherine.
On Monday afternoon the funerals of the SCHNUDE and TORNIPORT families will
take place from the undertaker¹s establishment of Jacob SCHAEFER, at 1023
Third avenue, Brooklyn. The dead are Henry SCHNUDE, Anna SCHNUDE and Grace
SCHNUDE, Frances and Charlotte TORNIPORT. They lived at 196 Guernsey
street. The bodies of Mildred SCHNUDE, 2 years old, and Mrs. Freda
TORNIPORT, 29 years old, are still missing. The dead will be buried in
Greenwood Cemetery.
Funeral services for Florence BOEGER, will be held at the parents¹ home, 910
Putnam avenue to-night. The interment will take place to-morrow. The BOEGER
home is still in charge of kindly neighbors, the heart broken father being
absent in Manhattan searching for his dead. His wife, Mrs. Susan BOEGER,
and his son, Wilbur, 4 years old, lost their lives, but their bodies have
not been recovered. Mr. BOEGER has spent most of his time searching for the
bodies. He left home early this morning to continue his sorrowful search
between North Brother Island and the Morgue, in Manhattan.
The funeral services of Gussie KING, the 19 year old victim, will take place
tomorrow from her late home, 889 Broadway, to-morrow.
Clemency For a Slocum Hero.
Magistrate CONNORTON Tempered Justice with Mercy in the Case of E. BANNIGAN.
(Special to the Eagle)
Long Island City, L.I. June 18 Edward BANNIGAN, of the Health Department
of the Bronx, was one of those who aided in the rescue of women and children
from the burning steamboat Slocum. BANNIGAN appeared before Magistrate
CONNORTON, yesterday afternoon, on a charge of assaulting Special Policeman
James STANTON, at North Beach, on Sunday night. Alderman DOUGHERTY, of the
Bronx, was in court, and told how BANNIGAN had risked his life saving those
from the Slocum. Magistrate CONNORTON at once reduced the charge to
disorderly conduct, and when he found that the evidence convicted BANNIGAN,
the court suspended sentence. Spectators in the courtroom applauded the judge.
18 June 1904
The resources of the undertakers in the district in which St. Mark¹s Church
is situated and in contiguous districts in Manhattan were taxed to the
utmost yesterday in the funerals of the steamboat General Slocum victims.
There was scarcely a street in that part of the city that did not show all
day some sign of the funerals in progress or arrangements being made for
them.
At 85 Third street, at 9 o¹clock, with at least 1,500 persons blocking the
street and a dozen policemen to preserve order, occurred the funeral of
Gertrude, Annie, and Henrietta PRAWDZICKI, 2 1/2, 15, and 13 years old,
respectively. They were accompanied on the excursion by their mother, who
was rescued. Another child, a baby 1 year old was lost and its body has not
been found. The mother was seriously burned about her head, which was
swathed in bandages at the funeral. A fifth child, Edward, 8 years old, was
among those rescued. The services were conducted in German by the Rev. Mr.
ZICKER, of the Elizabeth Street Lutheran Church. The family belongs to the
ill fated St. Mark¹s Parish. The anguish of the parents was so evident and
took such an hysterical form at the funeral that doubts were expressed as to
the wisdom of permitting them to accompany the hearses to Middle Village,
L.I., Lutheran Cemetery. Friends, however, rode with the parents and
watched them closely.
Another funeral that attracted attention was that of the wife (32 years old)
and son, Edward (eight years old) of Bernard MILLER, Tammany district
leader, at his home, 95 Second avenue. Three of the Tammany leader¹s
children who were on the General Slocum were rescued. A delegation of
district Tammany men accompanied the bodies for a part of the distance
toward the Lutheran Cemetery at Middle Village. Under the direction of
Julius HARBURGER, the Tammany leader, representatives of the district
Tammany organization attended many of the funerals and did what they could
to help those who had lost relatives in the disaster.
The double funeral of Mrs. Martha MOELLER, 35 years old, and her son, Henry,
13 years old, was held at 9 o¹clock at 20 St. Mark¹s place. Another son,
Edward, 5 years old, is missing. As was the case at the other funerals, the
street in the vicinity of the house was packed with a crowd of perhaps 1,000
persons. A police detail of six patrolmen in command of a sergeant was
present. The police are on duty at all the prominent funerals. The service
at the MOELLER home were conducted by the Rev. Mr. SAMFT, in German. Burial
was in the Middle Village Cemetery.
A Triple Funeral From Grace Church, on Broadway.
A black hearse, a white hears and a black hearse trimmed in white, standing
in front of Grace Church on Broadway, made the hurrying business man and
shoppers pause and think again of the awful disaster that occurred last
Wednesday. It was a triple funeral of Mrs. Minnie STOSS, her daughter Edna
and her nephew, Teopil KAWEZNYSKI. The usual Episcopal service for the dead
was read by Dr. HUNTINGTON, a vested choir sang the anthem, "Lord, Thou Hast
Been Our Refuge," and "I Heard a Voice From Heaven," and the benediction was
followed by Stainer¹s Grand Amen. The tops of the three caskets were
completely hidden by flowers, and another open carriage carried the floral
offerings of friends.
Trebly afflicted in the loss of his mother and his only child, and in the
precarious condition of his wife, Frederick KLENEN, of 1391 Washington
avenue, the Bronx, was the principal mourner, yesterday, at funeral services
for Mrs. Neta KLENEN, 56 years old, and Ethel KLENEN, 1 year, at the Merritt
undertaking parlors. Nineteenth street and Eighth avenue, Manhattan. Mrs.
Frederick KLENEN, who was saved from the river, badly burned, is a patient
at Lebanon Hospital, her condition being so serious that she has not yet
been informed of the death of her baby daughter and its grandmother. The
funeral was attended by a large number of friends and relatives of the
family, and among the mourners were a number of survivors of the disaster.
The Rev. Henry STOUP, pastor of St. John¹s Lutheran Church, on East One
Hundred and Nineteenth street, Manhattan, conducted the simple services at
the chapel, and the burial service at the Lutheran cemetery. There were
many flowers, in clusters and set pieces. Four small boys acted as pall
bearers for the child and the bodies were borne away in a white and a black
hearse.
One of the largest funerals was that of John L. BRUNING and his wife, Anna
E. from their late home at 216 East Twelfth street, Manhattan. About the
house there was none of that maudlin curiosity which pervaded the streets
farther down-town and the police were not necessary. The big, roomy house
was crowded from early morning with an ever increasing throng of friends,
who came to pay their last tribute of respect to the dead. The whole lower
floor of the house, where the bodies lay in the rear parlor was a mass of
flowers. Over the caskets purple palls of violets were stretched. The
funeral cortege was largely attended, there being many carriages which
followed the dead to the Lutheran Cemetery. The Rev. Junius B. REMENSNYDER,
the pastor of the English Lutheran Church of St. James, at Seventy-third
street and Madison avenue, Manhattan, conducted the service. There was a
singing by a quartet.
Pathetic Scene at the Funeral of the FICHBOHMS.
The constrained grief of the neighborhood, fighting for expression which
would not out, came near reaching a climax at the funeral of the FICHBORNS,
in the Emanuel Chapel, at 735 Fifth street, Manhattan. The husband and
father, Peter J., bereft of reason by thoughts of the loss of his wife,
Maria, and their daughter, 14 years old, who bore her mother¹s name, has
been with difficulty restrained from self-destruction.
"I cannot speak as my heart dictates," said the Rev. John C. PALMER, rector
of the chapel. "It would be foolhardy. Their grief is too intense as it is
without recalling sweet memories which would serve only to heighten their
sorrow. Mr. FICHBOHM has attempted to make away with himself and needs
careful watching until his grief has somewhat abated."
The sorrowing hundreds in the chapel broke down when they heard the sobs and
moans of the distracted husband as the bodies of his dear ones were born up
the aisle. Women grew pale and faint and some had to be escorted from the
church before the service began. Both Mr. FICHBOHM and his wife belonged to
many fraternal societies and he was a member of United Brother Lodge No.
356, F. and A.M. Representatives of all these societies attended. The Rev.
Mr. PALMER conducted the service.
The funerals of Mrs. Caroline WIESE and her daughter of 12 years, Emilie,
were held from their late home at 216 East Eleventh street. The Rev. Jesse
E. FORBES conducted the service. Here again the whole neighborhood, men,
women and children, passed in solemn procession into the house of mourning.
He family has lived in the same house for many years and had the love of
all.
In the Evangelical Reformed Church at Fifth street and Avenue B, services
were held over the bodies of Lucille BOZENHARD and her mother, Emilie.
Herman RAAG, brother of the late Mrs BOZENHARD, is left all alone by the
taking off of his sister and niece. The scene at the church was pitiful.
That neighborhood as well as that in the immediate vicinity of the Church of
St. Mark¹s has suffered just about to its limit and the continued strain has
brought people near to the breaking point. Here the services were conducted
by the Rev. Jacob SCHLEGEL.
Pastor HAAS Behind a Screen at Service Over Remains of His Wife.
The funeral of Mrs. Anna S. HAAS, wife of the Rev. George C.F. HAAS, pastor
of the St. Mark¹s German Lutheran Church, was held at 1 o¹clock yesterday
afternoon, at the pastor¹s residence, 74 Seventh street. In order to spare
the feelings of the bereaved preacher the attendance at the funeral services
was restricted to intimate friends and relatives. There was a large
representation of Lutheran ministers of this and adjoining cities. While
the number of the people in the house was small, the street was crowded with
persons who lost relatives in the Slocum disaster, and the parishioners of
the church, who were content to show by their presence in front of the house
their sympathy with their pastor.
While the body was being placed in the hearse the people in the street were
surprised to see the pastor enter a carriage on the arms of his son and
brother, and then follow the body of his wife to the cemetery. This
undertaking on the part of Dr. HAAS it was explained was because he felt his
presence at the burial was necessary. The body of his wife¹s sister, Mrs.
William A. TETAMORE, of Bushwick avenue, Brooklyn had been identified at the
Morgue earlier in the day, and to spare his feelings friends had persuaded
the minister to consent to the burial of his wife¹s sister without the
formality of a funeral. Friends arranged to have the body of Mrs. TETAMORE
taken from the Morgue directly to the ferry. There the hearse containing
Mrs. TETAMORE¹s body joined the funeral procession of Mrs. HAAS. Both
bodies were taken to the German Lutheran Cemetery in Middle Village, L.I.
There the bodies were buried side by side.
The exercises in the house were attended by Miss HAAS, sister of the pastor
and organist in the church, who was missing for two days and who was
severely burned about the head, face and body. With her head swathed with
bandages and scarcely able to walk, she insisted upon being half led, half
carried down the stairs to the parlor where the body of her sister-in-law
laid. That the ordeal was a trying one for her was evident after the
services when the young woman collapsed in a fainting spell, requiring the
services when the young woman collapsed in a fainting spell, requiring the
services of her physician and trained nurse, both of whom were in attendance
on her during the funeral exercises.
Following her came Pastor HAAS, leaning on the arm of his son George and his
brother, John HAAS, of Allentown, Pa., Gentle hands assisted him to a seat
across the room in a corner behind a screen. Though it could be seen that
he was fearfully wrought up with nervous excitement, he was able to contain
himself and made no scene. His right hand was covered with bandages and his
face was incased in court plaster.
Brooklyn Preachers Assist in Conducting Services.
The services were opened with prayer by the Rev. Jacob W. LOCH of the
Schermerhorn Street German Lutheran Church of Brooklyn. Following the
reading of the Ninetieth Psalm by the Rev. H.W. HOFFMAN of St. Paul¹s German
Lutheran Church, Brooklyn, the Rev. A. Alexander RICHTER of St. Matthew¹s
German Lutheran Church of Hoboken, delivered the eulogy. He spoke of the
noble character of Mrs. HAAS and said:
"We should all be good Chrisitians, recognizing in the tragedy no matter how
appalling, the inscrutable hand of the Divine Providence. Anything that has
happened to us is due to God¹s will. We, as Christians, should bear with
equanimity whatever the good Lord sees fit to inflict upon us as Christians,
in times like these should show to the world that our faith in God is
unshaken."
Only once did the minister make reference to the disaster and said:
"God id not prohibit the accident. Was the cause of the tragedy due to the
carelessness and negligence of the owners and the persons on the boat? That
cannot be said at the present time, but God had His hand in it and we have
to recognize it."
The Lord¹s prayer was then recited in unison and the benediction by the Rev.
J.J. HEISCHMANN.
The casket was plain black and surrounded by numerous forms of flowers.
Amon them were those sent by Frederick C. SUTTON, John A.V. HAAS, Miss Marie
W. WEISS, Mrs. M. RIEHLO, Mrs. G.H. BIERDEN, Mr. and Mrs. W. LAUGHIRT, Mrs.
Elizabeth BECKER, James Duncan DOUGALL and Mr. and Mrs. George A.K. SUTTON.
Funerals in Grace Chapel, East Side Homes and the Bronx.
There were three funeral services in Grace Chapel, on Fourteenth street,
yesterday afternoon. The funeral of Mrs. Lottie SIERICH and Mrs. Louisa
ENGELMANN, two sisters, known to their friends on the East Side as the
LANDER sisters, began at 3 o¹clock, and the services over the bodies of
Bessie STALZ and Helen SAUNDERS, which had been set for the same hour, were
delayed until later. An Episcopal service for the dead were read by the
Rev. G.W. BOTTOME, curate of the chapel and the music was rendered by a
double quartet.
Pastor SCHNEIDER conducted the funeral services over the bodies of Mrs.
Marie VOLLMER and her 16 year old son John, at their late home, 123 First
avenue. The apartment was so crowded that many of the mourners had to
remain in the hall. Burial was in the Lutheran Cemetery.
The funeral services of Barbara HOLLER and her 15 months old grandson John
were conducted by the Rev. W. W. GILLIES, rector of the Epiphany Chapel on
Stanton street, at the residence of the son and father, at 338 Sixth street.
Burial was in the Lutheran Cemetery.
The funeral of Mrs. Edward SCHNITZLER and her 5 year old Katie was held
yesterday afternoon in their home at 10 Gouverneur place, in the Bronx.
Gouverneur place is a short street between Washington and Park avenues, and
, although there were no other funerals there, the sympathy of the neighbors
was shown in the presence of half-masted flags over every door. Theses two
victims were in a party of fourteen of Mrs. SCHNITZLER¹s relatives, four
adults, and ten children, who were lost on the Slocum. None of the bodies
of the other twelve have been recovered. The services ere conducted by the
Rev. Hugh HOUSTON, pastor of the Centenary M.E. Church, and consisted of
prayer and the reading of the Methodist burial service over each body. The
interment was in the Lutheran Cemetery, at Middle Village, L.I.
Eighty-nine Bodies Carried Across the Williamsburg Bridge.
Between the house of 11 and 2 o¹clock yesterday afternoon only one or two
funerals passed over the Williamsburg Bridge, but commencing then, the line
of coaches and hearses was almost continuous. So fast did they come, from
all directions, that traffic on Delancey street and the cross streets was
practically at a standstill, while there was a line of vehicles from the end
of the wagon road of the bridge over the crest to the Brooklyn end. During
the day fifty-five funerals passed over the bridge not including the
fourteen hearses that bore the unknown dead, to the number of twenty-nine,
making a total of eighty-nine bodies which were carried across the big span
to their last resting place. Of the total number of funerals all but 14, or
41 plus the unknown, went over in the two hours between 2 and 4 o¹clock.
Attracted by the unusual sight, crowds gathered along the pedestrian way,
and watched the solemn corteges pass, with heads uncovered.
It was a sight the like of which has never before been seen in New York, or
in any other city except perhaps the burial of the dead from the Brooklyn
Theater fire.
There were ten black hearses and four white hearses provided to remove the
bodies of the unknown dead to the cemetery, and the funeral cortege left the
morgue promptly at 2:30 o¹clock. In the first hearse, two adult bodies were
placed, and so with the second and third, all three of which were black
hearses. The fourth hearse, a white one, contained three small coffins, the
ninth hearse contained four children in white coffins and the remaining
coffins containing the bodies of children were placed in hearses with
coffins containing adults. There were altogether twenty-nine bodies sent to
the Lutheran Cemetery yesterday afternoon, instead of twenty-seven as was
expected. Of the twenty-nine bodies, eleven were those of children,
seventeen were women, and one was that of a man. Two carriages accompanied
the bodies to the cemetery. In them were seated Deputy Commissioner
DOUGHERTY, Daniel DOYLE, Andrew HUGHES, Bernard LAMB, William HOGAN, William
FLANAGAN, William LEE and Hermann WEISBAUER, all of whom are connected with
the Department of Charities.
The scene as the fourteen hearses left the morgue and wended their way to
the cemetery in Middle Village is one that will never be forgotten by those
who witnessed it. The crowd was almost, if not quite as large as any that
has gathered around the morgue at any time since the disaster. It divided
most respectfully and made a clear street for the hearses. It was not even
necessary for the police to clear a way in the street. The men stood with
bowed and uncovered heads, and by far the greater portion of the women and
children gathered along the street and knelt.
Soldiers Set Example of Honoring the Unknown Dead.
Turning into Second avenue, the hearses formed a column two abreast and with
the horses at a walk they proceeded down to Sixth street. Half way down the
block to First avenue stands St. Mark¹s Church. Standing well to the front
of the crowd before the church were two soldiers from Fort Slocum. As soon
as the funeral cortege approached the soldiers stood at "Attention" and
reached to their heads, doffed their campaign hats and brought them down so
that they covered their left breast. With eyes straight to the front they
stood immovable until the last hearse had passed. The effect on the crowd
was wonderful. Everyone stopped talking immediately, everyone seemed to
straighten up as the soldiers had and every man in the crowd slowly doffed
his hat and held it over his breast. Just as the first hearse came opposite
the church nearly every one bowed his head. The silence lasted but a
moment. Then above the slight noise in the street could be heard the moans
of men and women in the crowd, and finally several women burst out crying
and had to be led away by friends.
The cortege went through First street to Norfolk and then south to Delancey,
where it became a part of the long procession of funerals that were wending
their way over the Williamsburg Bridge.
Funeral services were held over the body of William H. PULLMAN last night at
his late residence, 337 East Eighteenth street. Mr. PULLMAN was one of the
victims of the Slocum horror. He and his wife went on the excursion,
leaving their two children, a boy of 18 and a girl of 16, at home. Mrs.
PULLMAN was saved, but her husband lost his life trying to save lives of
children in the wreck. The services were conducted by the Rev. Otto
HOFFMAN, the pastor of the Lutheran Church of St. Paul, of South Fifth and
Rodney streets, Brooklyn, a lifelong friend of the deceased.
Queens Police Ordered Out
Large Force to Go to Lutheran Cemetery to Preserve Order
(Special to the Eagle)
Jamaica, L.I. June 18 All the available policemen in Queens Borough,
including those who are entitled to the day off and such as are on vacation
who can be reached have been ordered to be present at Lutheran Cemetery,
Middle Village, to-morrow, when 200 funerals of victims of the Slocum
disaster are to be buried. The police are to be sent there to preserve
order and prevent attempts at robbery.
Dead and Missing, 906.
541 Bodies From the Wreck of the Slocum Had Been Identified Up to Midnight.
Following is a summary of statistics of the disaster to the steamboat
General Slocum, up to last midnight:
Bodies recovered'Š'..581
Identified up to midnigh..541
Unidentified and buried in
Lutheran Cemetery'Š'.29
Awaiting identification'..11
Total'Š'Š'Š'Š.581
Reported missing'Š'.325
Total Dead and missing'906
The following bodies were identified yesterday afternoon and evening:
Body No. 116 Gertrude GASS, 27 years, 97 Seventh street.
Body No. 537 Paul C. PORT, 10 years, 86 East Fourth street.
Body No. 542 Magdalene BRUNING, 12 years, 215 East Twelfth street.
Body No. 543 Gustav Hassler LAUE, 17 years, 227 East Eleventh street.
Body No. 545 John KLEIN, 17 years, 19 East Third street.
Body No. 546 Charles ELMER, 13 years, 84 Stockholm street, Brooklyn.
Body No. 548 Mary LIPPERT, 28 years, 328 Sixth street.
Body No. 541 Frank DE LUCCIA, 9 years, 55 Seventh street.
Body No. 550 Sophie SCHMIDT, 36 years, 290 East Second street.
Body No. 549 Anna HOLZ, 37 years, 319 Fifth street.
Body No. 539 Emil HETTRICH, 3 1/2 years, 420 East Fifteenth street.
Body No. 535 Jacob NOLL, 5 years, 400 East Fifth street.
No body no. Mrs. Anna MOLLER, 29 years, 998 Avenue A.
The following were reported missing last night:
KOLB, Valentine, 743 Summit street, Bedford Park, the Bronx.
ELGLEMAN, ___, (boy), 425 East Twelfth street.
GLITT, Lillie, 16 years, 1821 Second avenue.
LANG, Amelia, 15 years, 68 Avenue A.
Ten More Bodies Found Near Wreck of Slocum
Taken From Hole in the River Where the Steamboat Was First Beached.
Thin Fire Hose Recovered.
Wrecking Company Begins Active Preparations for Raising Hull of the Burned
Vessel.
The divers brought up six bodies within fifteen minutes after beginning work
at 1 o¹clock yesterday afternoon in the depression in the river bottom where
the steamboat General Slocum was first beached on North Brother Island.
Within ten minutes the bodies of a man and a woman were raised. About 9
o¹clock last night four additional bodies were recovered and were taken to
North Brother Island. One was that of a girl about 12 years old, who wore a
diamond ring and gold locket and a brooch made of three coins on which was
engraved Carroll and the name Romainc(?). The second wore a gold chain, an
opal brooch and a wedding ring.
Coroner O¹GORMAN yesterday afternoon had drag bars made, with which to
explore the bottom of the water in the vicinity of North Brother Island.
The bars are of wood, 10 feet long, with hooks set at intervals of 6 inches,
with a long iron pipe as a handle. The utility of such a bar was
demonstrated when the first one put into use brought up two bodies, the
fifteenth and sixteenth, respectively, for the day up to that time.
One of the bodies recovered yesterday was identified by H.C. LAUE as that of
his son, Gustave LAUE, 19 years old.
On several of the bodies recovered at the island yesterday were found
jewelry and other articles that are expected to lead quickly to
identification.
Jewelry That May Lead to Quick Identification of Bodies.
In the clothing of a boy about 10 years old was a small aluminum strip, such
as issue from slot machines upon the deposit of a cent. On the strip was
stamped "Frank DE LUCCIA, goes to P.S."
On the body of a girl about 14 years old were a ruby ring with a cluster of
pearls, an opal ring, a blue bead necklace and two gold safety pins.
The corpse of a woman bore an imitation ruby ring, a diamond chip ring and a
watch with the initials "I.S.T.," a chain, an imitation diamond brooch and
an imitation diamond solitaire ring.
A wedding ring inscribed "A.J. to L.K., 5-14-Œ02" was found on the body of a
woman of about 27 years, together with a ruby ring.
On the body of a woman of 24 years was a solitaire diamond ring, a one chip
ring, diamond screw earrings, and a wedding ring, inscribed "C.D. to M.R.,
1902."
A boy, apparently 7 years old, wore a gold signet ring.
A woman of about 28 wore gold diamond chip earrings, and a wedding ring
marked "F.H. to A.T., January 28, 1891."
On a boy of about 15 was found a small silk flag and a motto pin, with the
inscription, "Be thou faithful unto death."
A photographer from the morgue yesterday afternoon took photographs of all
the dead at the island, marking them with the numbers of the bodies for
purposes of identification later.
Slocum¹s Fire Hose Found That Would Leak Like a Sieve.
The wreckers yesterday afternoon brought up a five foot length of fire hose
used on the Slocum. It proved to be of thin canvas, without rubber lining,
and expert who saw it said that a slight pressure of water inside it would
cause it to leak like a sieve.
One of the lifeboats on the steamer was also recovered by the wreckers.
Several of the seams in its bow were parted and in one place gaped so wide
that there was an opening a foot long. This may have been the result of the
wreck of the steamer or the condition may have existed before.
The wreckers yesterday afternoon were engaged in rigging chains underneath
the hull of the wrecked steamer, for the purpose of raising her as is now intended.
Early last evening the Merritt & Chapman Derrick and Wrecking Company sent
its big tug Monarch to the scene of the wreck. The Monarch has lifting
capacity of 3,000 horse power.
At the request of Coroner BERRY, Commissioner MC ADOO has instructed the
police doing duty on the East River front as far as Ninetieth street and
those on the islands n the East River to try and find as many people as
possible who saw the Slocum when she passed up the river on fire last
Wednesday. It is thought that some new facts can be brought out when these
people are located.
Says the Slocum Was on Fire Opposite East 57 Street.
Sergeant LONERGAN, who is in charge of the emergency sub-police station, at
the foot of East One Hundred and Thirty second street, telephoned yesterday
afternoon to police headquarters the substance of a statement made to him by
Charles A. LANG, of 1843 First avenue, that LANG was on the General Slocum
and that the deckhands knew the steamboat was on fire when opposite East
Fifty-sixth or East Fifty-seventh street, although the flame was not large
enough to be seen until opposite Eighty-ninth street. LANG made this
assertion, so Sergeant LONERGAN telephoned to police headquarters, when on a
visit to the foot of East One Hundred and Thirty-second street in search of
some trace of Amelia LANG, 15 years old, of 68 Avenue A. LANG said he was
on the boat with his family'.[rest missing]
NOTE:
NY Times June 13, 1909
GIFT FOR SLOCUM HEROINE.
Blackwell’s Island Employees Present a Watch to Miss McKibbin.
Miss Louise F. McKibbin, stenographer at the City Hospital,
Blackwell’s Island, who gave the first news to the police of this city
of the burning of the General Slocum, and received a personal letter
from the Empress Augusta Victoria for her presence of mind, received as
a gift yesterday a diamond studed gold watch from Dr. C.B. Baker, the
new City Hospital Superintendent, on behalf of her associate workers on
the island. The occasion was the leaving of Miss McKibbin, who has
accepted a place with a business house in this city.
Dr. Bacon, in presenting the watch, said it was a token of the esteem
and respect of all the employees on Blackwell’s Island, from the scrub
women to the clergy and physicians, all of whom wished her success.
Miss McKibbin is the daughter of the late Supreme Court Justice Andrew
McKibbin of Brooklyn, who occupied the bench in that borough for many
years, first as Judge of General Sessions.
NOTE:
Adella Wotherspoon, Last Survivor of General Slocum Disaster, Dies at 100
Published: February 4, 2004
New York Times
Adella Wotherspoon, the last survivor of the deadliest disaster in
New York City history until Sept. 11, 2001 - the burning and
sinking of the steamboat General Slocum in June 1904 - died on Jan. 26.
She was 100, the youngest Slocum survivor having at last become the oldest.
She died at a convalescent home in Berkeley Heights, N.J.
Transcriber: Mimi Stevens
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