LONG ISLAND TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 141, 18 June 1904, Page 2

LONG ISLAND TRAGEDY.

ORIGIN OF the Fina. TOT\L DKATHS ESTIMATED AT six jirNimrcn. NEW iUUK, .June 10. Tlic fire on the excursion steamer General Slocum, which caused such u Iragcdy in the Hell (Jute passage yestwduy, originated in a stowage compurliuent forwunl, containing oils, paint, and other ship's stores. It is now estimated that, the total number of fatalities will reach six hundred. I'ANIC STRICKEN' PASSENGERS. (Jwii.,; I<> Hie absence of a proper system in . itiitrol onboard a panic occurred. This was uccentiintcd by the fact Hint tlie majority of lite excursionists could not speak Knglih-h, and tivercfore did not understand directions given by the oilicers.

A DISGRACEFUL INCIDENT. While a number of women were struggling in the water u boat approached and they were rescued. Then the boat's crew ro'/bed the helples« women of their jewellery u.nd valuables, and throw them tiguiu into the water. Another boat arrived on thoscouo then, and succeeded in rescuing many of the unfortunate excursionists. STORIES OF RESCUES, A tugboat made fast to thg side of the burning steamer and rescued many persons, but in backing away it was found she was herself on flru. A negro threw a tarpaulin over the names, thus averting a second catastrophe. One man, standing on a paddlebox, threw no loss than twentyeight of his fellow-paSSengers into small boats lying alongside, and the« sank back into tb# 'flumes. A bricklayer performed heroiv feats in the midst of the awful scene. Five times ho curried a woman or a girl to tho shore, and then, on a sixth essay, '. succeeded In rescuing two more. Twenty-two persons were rescued by a policeman, who approached, umid blazing fragments falling from ;ho burning upper decks, and took them of in a small boat from the paddlewheels to which they were .dinging. An Irish woman, a waitress swam' out to tho wi<eck from the shore and rescued live children in successive journey s. A boy fourteen years of ago carried four children ashore, and then Jiod. RECOVERY OF BODIES. So far four hundred und eighlvII vu bodies havo been recovered. LIFE-KELT PROVISION. it is Ntutnl thut there wore two ihousai.d live hundred lifc-l>el'ts on oourd the General Slocum.

TOTAL KILLED AND LOST.-OVER ELEVEN HUNDRED, (Rvcoivnd June 18, 1.4 a.m.) NEW YORK.Junc 17. Five hundred and thirty bodies nave bcten recovered from the General Slocuni wrwk. Six hundred arc still missing. AUSTRALIAN SYMPATHY. MELBOURNE, June 17. Mr Wutson, through the Uovcrnorlienerul, has cabled Australia's sympathy with sullerers by the New York disaster. The scene of t lie terrible ace idem recorded by caible messages, Hell Uute, or Hurl Gate (named by the early Dulch settlers of New York Hellc (!aq is a pass in the East river, between New York city unu Long Island. Formerly it was extremely dangerous to vessels owing to the rupjd current and tho numbei ol hidden rockr in the vicinity. In 1885 a safe passage was matin bj blasting ttwa*- the most dangerous rocks.