General Slocum
Steamship · United States · Lost 1904 · New York Harbor
A beloved New York excursion steamer burned in the East River in 1904 with over one thousand lives lost, the deadliest maritime disaster in the city's history.
The Vessel and Her Loss
General Slocum was built in 1891 by Divine Burtis Jr. of Brooklyn as a high-capacity excursion steamer for the Knickerbocker Steamship Company. On June 15, 1904, while carrying the congregation of St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church on its annual picnic, fire ignited in a forward lamp room and rapidly engulfed the wooden superstructure. Over one thousand of the roughly thirteen hundred people aboard perished in the East River off North Brother Island. The disaster led to the conviction of Captain William Van Schaick and sweeping federal reforms in shipboard safety.
Vessel
- 1891
- Divine Burtis Jr.
- Brooklyn, New York
- Wood
- 264 ft
- 37.5 ft
- 1,284 gross tons
- Vertical beam steam engine
- Knickerbocker Steamship Company
Loss
- June 15, 1904
- Fire
- North Brother Island, East River
- East River
- Manhattan, New York → Locust Grove, Long Island, New York
- None; chartered church excursion
- 1342
- 1021
- William Van Schaick
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- The hull was raised after the fire; no wreck remains at the loss site.
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- 40.78° N 73.92° W
- Approximate position
- New York, New York
Approximate position of the loss site off North Brother Island; the hull was raised after the fire.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Well documented (95/100)
The vessel was raised after the fire and no longer rests at the loss site; this record is presented as a historical listing.
Specifications, loss account, casualties.
Untapped New York, General Slocum disaster
Location and disaster context.
