The General Slocum Disaster w/ Edward T. O'Donnell

Рет қаралды 1,126

3 ай бұрын

There were few experienced swimmers among over 1,300 Lower East Side residents who boarded the General Slocum on June 15, 1904. It shouldn’t have mattered, since the steamship was chartered only for a languid excursion from Manhattan to Long Island Sound. But a fire erupted minutes into the trip, forcing hundreds of terrified passengers into the water. By the time the captain found a safe shore for landing, 1,021 had perished.
"Ship Ablaze: The Tragedy of the Steamboat General Slocum" draws on firsthand accounts to examine why the death toll was so high and how the city responded. Masterfully capturing both the horror of the event and the heroism of men, women, and children who faced crumbling life jackets and inaccessible lifeboats as the inferno quickly spread, historian Edward T. O’Donnell brings to life a bygone community while honoring the victims of that forgotten day.
Edward O'Donnell's website: edwardtodonnell.com/
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Пікірлер: 8

@MightyMezzo 3 ай бұрын

Fire on a ship, fire on a plane, both appalling disasters.

@RED-cy7ig 3 ай бұрын

This reminds me of the Eastland disaster. The ship is not far from land but with the death count it might as well be in the middle of the ocean.

@ImCarolB 3 ай бұрын

How did I first hear about the General Slocum disaster? My grandmother was a rather snippy person from childhood. The morning of the big church picnic, she was very rude to her mother and, as a punishment, she was not allowed to go to the picnic. She cried and cried, until the news began creeping back to the neighborhood. My mother told this story to a friend a good 80 years later and the friend just stared at her. It turned out that her grandmother had spilled her breakfast down the front of her one good dress and couldn't go to the picnic. Many states away from the Lower East Side, two survivor-descendants found each other.

@AlexaLake7 3 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing your story.

@SuperStrik9 3 ай бұрын

Great episode. First time I've heard about this.

@marycahill546 3 ай бұрын

I never get into a boat of any sort without wearing a life jacket -- canoe, fishing boat, tour boat, ferry, whatever. My Dad taught me well! (Cruise ships are not for me).