Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUnE 28, 2024 ~ The Old Sachem ~ The General Slocum Disaster By Bill Stewart T he PS General Slocum was a sidewheeler built in 1891 that became a disaster on June 15, 1904. The ship carried 1,358 passengers plus crew. The ship was chartered by the St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church for $350, and the passengers came mostly from the German-American community of the Lower East Side of New York. The passengers were mostly women and children for a fun-filled day outside the city. The enjoyment of an East River ride up the river allowed the passengers the fun of watching the shoreline out of the North Shore of Long Island. But the enjoyment quickly turned to a disaster. The ship left the dock at 9 a.m. and about an hour later a fire started. This led to panic among the passengers as they faced the prospects of either drowning or being burned alive. Most of the passengers were wearing clothing that prohibited them from swimming and most probably could not swim against the river. Bodies would wash ashore for days afterward, and only 321 passengers survived. A total of 1,037 passengers were lost to the fire or drowning. The captain, William Hen50 Gerry D’Ambrosio Attorney-at-Law Is Your Estate in Order? Do you have an update Will, Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney? If Not, Please Call for a Free Consultation. 14 Proctor Avenue, Revere (781) 284-5657 ry Van Schaick, was worried about the insurance of bringing the ship to shore. Instead, he directed the burning ship, General Slocum, to North Brother Island because he feared that gas tanks and a lumber yard would be dangerous at the landing of 130th Street close to the Bronx. Testimony following the disaster pointed to few safeguards on the ship. Survival vests were rotten; life boats ASKS| FROM PAGE 3 grade on? A: I think I was a very perfectionist child. I was a very nerdy child. Q: So you spent a lot of time in the Saugus Public Library and loved reading? A: Yes. I would always leave with a stack of books taller also were unusable as they, too, were rotten. Fire drills were never used on the ship and the crew was untrained to assist the passengers to safety. The Knickerbocker Steamboat Company and captain Van Schaick came under investigation. The president of the company, Frank A. Barnaby, defended the actions of the captain and crew. A jury was formed of the United States Circuit Court and on January 27, 1906, the captain was found guilty of criminal negligence in that he failed to maintain fire drills required by law. The presiding judge Thomas sentenced Van Schaick to 10 years of hard labor. He only served part of the sentence at Sing Sing prison; he received a pardon from President William Howard Taft in 1911 under the urging of the captain’s wife. Frank Barnaby and the Knickerbocker Steamship Company escaped justice. The loss of so many people aboard the ship devastated families; suicides and depression resulted from the losses. Jewish and Italian families were impacted because of their family members on the ship. In Tompkins Square Park there is a Tennessee marble than me. I still have my first library card with me. I keep renewing it. Q: Have you done volunteer work at the library? A: I volunteered here the summer after my sophomore year. I would put books on the shelves. Q: As you look back on your 12 years in Saugus Public “The Old Sachem,” Bill Stewart. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Joanie Allbee) obelisk dedicated to the victims of the General Slocum disaster. A fountain was erected in remembrance of the victims in 1906 by the Sympathy Society of German Ladies, and a saying is included which states “They were earth’s purest children, young and fair”. This became the worst manmade disaster in the New York City area until the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. (Editor’s Note: Bill Stewart, who is better known to Saugus Advocate readers as “The Old Sachem,” writes a weekly column – sometimes about sports. He also opines on current or historical events or famous people.) Schools, is there any one area where you think the education system could improve? A: I feel we don’t foster a sense of caring about culture enough. I feel like introducing different languages into the curriculum would help. Q: What’s the best thing you can say about Saugus Public Schools? A: I personally really liked my English teachers this year. I felt like there were things about Saugus they could illuminate in their teaching. David Jones is one of the teachers that has a passion for what they’re doing. Every year, I feel like I have a teacher that has a passion for teaching the kids. The fact is the kids can really tell which teachers are interested in what they’re doing to build a relationship with them. Q: What was your favorite subject? A: I think my favorite subject was English because I was naturally good at it. I also like calculus because of the teacher. And I loved my biology and anatomy class because of the teacher and I also liked the subject matter. Q: Were you a straight-A student all the way through school? ASKS | SEE PAGE 9
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