New York's General Slocum Disaster

From Wikipedia.

Yesterday, I wrote about New York City's North Brother Island and mentioned the General Slocum disaster taking place by it.

The General Slocum was a passenger steamboat built in Brooklyn 1891 and used for excusrsions. During its career, it experienced numerous mishaps including groundings and collisions.

On June 15, 1905 it caught fire and sank in New York's East River by Norther Brother Island. At the time it was chartered by the St. Mark (or Matthew) Evangelical Lutheran Church (German-Americans). It is estimated that 1,021 of the 1,342 aboard died from the fire or drowning with all sorts of glaring problems with the ship.

It was the city's worst disaster until 9-11 and still ranks as worst maritime disaster.

An Unlucky Ship.  Kind Of Like Chicago's SS Eastland.  --Cooter