P.S. Is it true a lot of people died simply because they couldn’t swim? I always thought it odd that so many people managed to swim out to the ship to rescue people, but a lot of people drowned within reach of shore.
Memorials: there are memorials for the Slocum held every year. One is held in Middle Village, Queens near the cemetery where most victims are buried. This year it’ll take place on Sat June 14 at 11am; for the 100th (2004) it’ll be held on Sat June 12. There is also a smaller ceremony held annually in Tompkins Sq Park (in the center of the neighborhood where most of the victims lived). This year it’ll be held Sun June 15 (11am I believe). Not sure what the plan in for 2004, but bet on Sun June 14.
Drownings: yes, 900+ of the 1021 killed died by drowning. Most Americans did not know how to swim in 1904 and the victims were all dressed in their Sunday best. None of the rescuers I tracked swam out to the victims, they rowed or jumped on tugs. Once at the scene, those who could swim, dove in and did their best.
I thought some of the nurses on North Brother Island swam out to where the boat was finally beached and saved a number of people?
Of course, I am reading the original 1904 paperback, written when the wreckage was still smoking, so it may not be too accurate . . .
. . . Oh, I realize that may have come off sounding sarcastic. I really meant it may not be too accurate, as no one was checking stories!
Don’t forget the Cocoanut Grove fire in Boston on 28 November 1942, caused by a new employee lighting a match so he could see to screw in a light bulb - and not realizing the fake palm leaves over the table were inflammable.
Also the Winecoff Hotel, Atlanta, 5 December 1946.
A question for Ed O’Donnell (or anyone else who knows): Is it true that one passenger on the General Slocum went into labor and gave birth as the ship was burning? If so (and if she survived) at least she won all future “you think you had a tough delivery?” conversations.
Fifi killed 8000 people in 1974. So remember; never turn your back on a poodle.
Quick answers to the Slocum questions:
nurses - most rescues came by boat, but yes, several nurses swam out and saved dozens (the ship ran aground on an island that had a hospital on it). Many who could not swim waded out and pulled people to safety. Some grabbed nearby ladders which allowed them to extend their reach into waters over their heads.
giving birth story - as my kids would say, it’s a makey-uppy. The story came from one of the most unreliable crewmen and is not corroborated by any other witness. My sense was that he was simply trying to tell fantastic stories to deflect attention from the fact that he and other crewmen did next to nothing to help the passengers.
Thanks—can’t wait to read your book, and I’ll certainly be at the 100th memorial next year!
Slocum, is there truth to the myth I’ve found that the only crewman to have died as a result of the “General Slocum” fire was trying to run off with the company payroll? (An encyclopedia entry I’ve seen says the crewman was “weighted down with money”, but I don’t know how reliable this is.)
Five Slocum crew/staff died in the fire. One was the steamer’s steward, Michael McGrann. As I point out in the book, he was just about the only crewman who did what he was supposed to do in an emergency - protect the $1000 cash on board for making change at the bar and restaurant. Loaded down with the money and wearing a defective life preserver, he hit the water, surfaced once, and sank to the bottom. Interestingly, I’ve been in contact with his granddaughter (and lots of other Slocum victim/survivor descendants). He left behind a wife and five young children.
Thank you for correcting me. The item I saw made made Mr. McGrann sound like some sort of bad guy (or, at least, like he was running off with the ship’s cash), when, in reality, he just had bad luck.
One more question: would it have been safe to have docked along the East River, or would that have resulted in an explosion?
(sorry to be asking you all this, but I can’t find a copy in my local bookstores)
Happy to answer (my book doesn’t go on sale until June 10, if that’s what you were looking for at the bookstore). The reason McGrann was made to look bad in the account you read no doubt has to do with the fact that most of the crewmen proved themselves singularly inept and cowardly in the fire. The author probably assumed the worst.
The East River docking question is one of the big ones in this story. Capt. Van Schaick opted to run a mile upriver at full throttle (thus fanning the flames from bow to stern) rather than try to land along the E River docks because 1) he feared the treacherous currents near the Hell Gate (which he’d just passed through) and 2) claimed he was waved off by a tug captain who warned that he’d touch off explosions resulting in greater loss of life. To this day he is blamed for using poor judgement but the truth is hard to ascertain. Ironically, Van Schaick was given one year earlier an award from the Masters, Mates and Pilots Assn for 50 years service without a fatality. He was widely known as one the most experienced captains in the city. Then again, so too was the captain on the Titanic.
“Ironically, Van Schaick was given one year earlier an award . . . for 50 years service without a fatality.”
—Or, as it’s also called, The Kina Hora Award.
I doubt many in this thread are familiar with ‘Are You Being Served’ but, for days now, I’ve wanted to ask what became of Mrs Slocum’s pussy ? And did it get very wet ?
Okay all you Gen’l. Slucum fans, my pal Ed O’Donnell (username = slocum), the author of Ship Ablaze (Broadway Books), will be giving a slide talk and book signing in NYC at the N-Y Historical Society on Tuesday, June 10 at 6:30p. The talk is free with museum admission (6 bux for non-senior adults).
The N-YHS is located at 77 Street & Central Park West. To make reservations or for more info, call 212/ 873-3400.
Ship Ablaze, will go on general sale that very day in case you can’t make the event.
I’ll be there. Betch eve will too.
Turns out the N-YHS event is just the tip of the iceburg. Got this email from Ed this morning. Thought I’d share:
Dear Friends,
My new book, Ship Ablaze: The Tragedy of the Steamboat General Slocum
(Random House\Broadway Books) goes on sale June 10. Below you will find
a summary of my NYC book tour events.
For more information on the book, including 50 photos, an excerpt, and
published reviews, see www.General-Slocum.com.
I hope you can make one of these events.
Also: keep an eye out for an article I’ve written about the Slocum
story for the Sunday New York Times (City Section) for June 15:
BOOK TOUR DETAILS
-
Tuesday June 10, 2003 @ 11:30 am
Interview WNYC Radio (AM 820)
The Brian Lehrer Show -
Tuesday June 10, 2003 @ 6:30 pm
Slide Talk and Book Signing
** reception to follow slide talk **
New-York Historical Society (212) 873-3400
2 West 77th Street at Central Park West -
Wednesday June 11, 2003 @ 6:30 pm
Slide Talk and Book Signing - FREE
New York Public Library Mid-Manhattan branch (212) 340-0833
455 Fifth Avenue (at 40th Street and Fifth Avenue)
Note: it’s just south of the Main Research Library (the one with the
lions)
http://www.nypl.org/branch/central_units/mm/midman.html -
Thursday June 12, 2003 @ 12 noon
Slide Talk and Book Signing
New York City Police Museum
100 Old Slip in Lower Manhattan’s Financial District 212-480-3100 or
http://www.nycpolicemuseum.org/ -
Fiday June 13, 2003 @ 7:00 pm
Slide Talk and Book Signing
South Street Seaport Museum 212 748 8600
207 Front Street New York, NY
http://www.southstseaport.org/ -
Saturday June 14, 2003 @ 11:00am-1:00pm
Annual Slocum Memorial Service
Open to the Public
Post-ceremony book signing at the church
Trinity Lutheran Church, Middle Village Queens
63-70 Dry Harbor Road – at the corner of Penelope Ave.
718 335-7300 -
Saturday June 14, 2003 @ 3:00 pm
Slide Talk and Book Signing
Museum of the City of New York (212) 534-1672
1220 Fifth Avenue @ 103rd St. New York, NY
www.mcny.org -
Sunday June 15, 2003 @ 11:00 am
Annual Tompkins Square Park Slocum memorial ceremony
at the Slocum memorial fountain (in northern end of the park)
Open to the public. -
Sunday June 15, 2003 @ 1:00 pm
Walking Tour of Little Germany neighborhood
led by author Edward T. O’Donnell
Sponsored by Big Onion Walking Tours and N-YHS
Full info at www.bigonion.com -
Tuesday June 17, 2003 @ 6:30 pm
Slide Talk and Book Signing – FREE
NOTE: this event requires a reservation - see below for phone #
American Irish Historical Society
991 Fifth Avenue New York, NY
(212) 288 2263 x31 -
Wednesday June 18, 2003 @ 6:00 pm
Slide Talk and Book Signing – FREE
Brooklyn Public Library, main branch at Grand Army Plaza
Grand Army Plaza at NE corner of Prospect Park (Eastern Pkwy &
Flatbush Ave)
718-780-7700 or www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org -
Wednesday June 25 @ 6:30 pm
Slide Talk and Book Signing
Lower East Side Tenement Museum
97 Orchard Street, New York, NY
(212) 431 0233
http://www.tenement.org/ -
Wednesday July 23, 2003 @ 7:30 pm
Reading and Book Signing
Barnes & Noble - Upper West Side
2289 Broadway, New York, NY (212) 362 8835
Many thanks!
EOD
Turns out the N-YHS event is just the tip of the iceburg. Got this email from Ed this morning. Thought I’d share:
Dear Friends,
My new book, Ship Ablaze: The Tragedy of the Steamboat General Slocum
(Random House\Broadway Books) goes on sale June 10. Below you will find
a summary of my NYC book tour events.
For more information on the book, including 50 photos, an excerpt, and
published reviews, see www.General-Slocum.com.
I hope you can make one of these events.
Also: keep an eye out for an article I’ve written about the Slocum
story for the Sunday New York Times (City Section) for June 15:
BOOK TOUR DETAILS
-
Tuesday June 10, 2003 @ 11:30 am
Interview WNYC Radio (AM 820)
The Brian Lehrer Show -
Tuesday June 10, 2003 @ 6:30 pm
Slide Talk and Book Signing
** reception to follow slide talk **
New-York Historical Society (212) 873-3400
2 West 77th Street at Central Park West -
Wednesday June 11, 2003 @ 6:30 pm
Slide Talk and Book Signing - FREE
New York Public Library Mid-Manhattan branch (212) 340-0833
455 Fifth Avenue (at 40th Street and Fifth Avenue)
Note: it’s just south of the Main Research Library (the one with the
lions)
http://www.nypl.org/branch/central_units/mm/midman.html -
Thursday June 12, 2003 @ 12 noon
Slide Talk and Book Signing
New York City Police Museum
100 Old Slip in Lower Manhattan’s Financial District 212-480-3100 or
http://www.nycpolicemuseum.org/ -
Fiday June 13, 2003 @ 7:00 pm
Slide Talk and Book Signing
South Street Seaport Museum 212 748 8600
207 Front Street New York, NY
http://www.southstseaport.org/ -
Saturday June 14, 2003 @ 11:00am-1:00pm
Annual Slocum Memorial Service
Open to the Public
Post-ceremony book signing at the church
Trinity Lutheran Church, Middle Village Queens
63-70 Dry Harbor Road – at the corner of Penelope Ave.
718 335-7300 -
Saturday June 14, 2003 @ 3:00 pm
Slide Talk and Book Signing
Museum of the City of New York (212) 534-1672
1220 Fifth Avenue @ 103rd St. New York, NY
www.mcny.org -
Sunday June 15, 2003 @ 11:00 am
Annual Tompkins Square Park Slocum memorial ceremony
at the Slocum memorial fountain (in northern end of the park)
Open to the public. -
Sunday June 15, 2003 @ 1:00 pm
Walking Tour of Little Germany neighborhood
led by author Edward T. O’Donnell
Sponsored by Big Onion Walking Tours and N-YHS
Full info at www.bigonion.com -
Tuesday June 17, 2003 @ 6:30 pm
Slide Talk and Book Signing – FREE
NOTE: this event requires a reservation - see below for phone #
American Irish Historical Society
991 Fifth Avenue New York, NY
(212) 288 2263 x31 -
Wednesday June 18, 2003 @ 6:00 pm
Slide Talk and Book Signing – FREE
Brooklyn Public Library, main branch at Grand Army Plaza
Grand Army Plaza at NE corner of Prospect Park (Eastern Pkwy &
Flatbush Ave)
718-780-7700 or www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org -
Wednesday June 25 @ 6:30 pm
Slide Talk and Book Signing
Lower East Side Tenement Museum
97 Orchard Street, New York, NY
(212) 431 0233
http://www.tenement.org/ -
Wednesday July 23, 2003 @ 7:30 pm
Reading and Book Signing
Barnes & Noble - Upper West Side
2289 Broadway, New York, NY (212) 362 8835
Many thanks!
EOD
Would you all think I was terribly lazy if I went to the June 11 event instead? It’s right near my office . . .