When I was a kid, one of th local insurance companies gave out an annual Currier and Ives calendar. An illustration of the General Slocum afire was over one of the months.
Similar in scale to the SS Eastland disaster in Chicago about 10 years later. The Eastland had been chartered to take people on a company picnic on the shore in west Michigan. Overloaded and improperly ballasted, it capsized at the dock and killed 844 passengers and crew.
So many fires have been started by oily rags. Many years ago people I know had oily rags near the gas fired water heater. Yep you guessed it. Their house burned down.😢
@TheHistoryGuyChannel Related, the history of pleasure excursions in New York City might be an interesting topic. Dayliner ran up the Hudson to Bear Mountain and beyond up until the '80s. (Though not advertised as such, Sea Streak to Sandy Hook is very much in the same spirit today.)
A lot of ppl didn't know how to swim at that time. Also, they wore much heavier clothing overall than now. And the east river has strong currents. Not a good recipe for surviving a plunge into the waterway. RIP to all that perished.
I'm not like a genius or anything but I wouldn't keep a full room of oily rags, that just sounds like disaster. I've spent my fair share of time painting and staining and was always told to be very careful of where stain rags go because they can catch on fire spontaneously
The ship had not been well maintained, and a couple of families, probably having subconsciously noticed signs of damage and neglect to fire hoses and life jackets, suddenly panicked and dashed off the ship just as it was about to set off. Their "intuition" saved their lives!
Safety regs, though a pain in the butt sometimes, are written for a reason. Sad story, especially because it was church folk.–Some disagree. Fine. It's a free country. $350 in '04 is like $12,776 today, according to 1 article in Google. But 1400 folks ÷ed by $350 is 4⁰⁰ a person. Still a lot. Nothin can replace the lives lost. Curious, lawsuits or refunds?
The captain could have set the ship quickly on shore but prevailed to go further out in the water killing 1100 women and children. German immigrants moved out of the area after that, disgusted how authorities handled it.
Texas City, Texas, in Galveston Bay 1947. A fire on the French-registered ship SS Grandcamp detonated its cargo of ammonium nitrate. At least 581 people died, including all but one member of the Texas City volunteer fire department, and 5,000 were injured. A 15-foot tidal wave was created and a chain reaction of fires and explosions occurred on other ships and in nearby oil-storage facilities
Was it for lack of knowledge that this happen? Or companies were so greedy that they disregarded safety? Was this a new technology? Did they assume it was safe to smoke/store oily rags/ in a wooden ship?
Just over 1000 died. The fire hoses were dry rotted and split apart once water pressure filled them. The captain tried to beach the ship on a small island while trying to move away from fuel storage tanks along the bank. But it swept the fire down the ship. The life jackets were under weight. I guess they figured a certain weight of buoyant material meant it would support a person. So steel weights were placed internally in the jackets to get them to pass code. It only helped drown those who wore them. The ship burnt to the waterline. It was later fitted out as a coal barge and was towed up and down the New Jersey coast. It was sunk during a storm some years later. It now rests off of “whale beach” on the north end of Sea Isle City, New Jersey. They used to process the whale blubber many many years ago here. When they get strong storms, some coal will wash up on the beach. If you find some, just know it came from the ship where so many lives were lost. I first learned of this while I was reading the story ON whale beach. How odd was that! I started looking for coal.
Have not only heard of this, but seenvwome of the aftermath in photos. Bodies washed upon North Brother Island in East River and laid out onboard a recovery ship and the General Slocum hulk, beached on a shoal. Grisly, to put it mildly.
Always gotta be somebody throwing a lit cigarette into a while room full of oily rags….
Mmm.
I knew they should of went with the bingo hall instead of the "oily rag room"
When I was a kid, one of th local insurance companies gave out an annual Currier and Ives calendar. An illustration of the General Slocum afire was over one of the months.
Similar in scale to the SS Eastland disaster in Chicago about 10 years later. The Eastland had been chartered to take people on a company picnic on the shore in west Michigan. Overloaded and improperly ballasted, it capsized at the dock and killed 844 passengers and crew.
SS Sultana is another maritime incident that’s not covered that much despite being one of the worst disasters in US history
How ingenious, a dirty rag room full of oily rags next to a lamp room…..
😢
Was this God's plan?
This is why you need government regulations. To keep the public safe from things that could go wrong…like this tragedy.
So many fires have been started by oily rags. Many years ago people I know had oily rags near the gas fired water heater. Yep you guessed it. Their house burned down.😢
@TheHistoryGuyChannel Related, the history of pleasure excursions in New York City might be an interesting topic. Dayliner ran up the Hudson to Bear Mountain and beyond up until the '80s. (Though not advertised as such, Sea Streak to Sandy Hook is very much in the same spirit today.)
It was just Americans though ? That’s alright.
Where ever there is a fire, close behind is a room full of oily rags
A lot of ppl didn't know how to swim at that time. Also, they wore much heavier clothing overall than now. And the east river has strong currents. Not a good recipe for surviving a plunge into the waterway. RIP to all that perished.
Like the Eastland, in Chicago, a decade later… No fire, but a top heavy boat that capsized… Ended up on its side, sunk in the Chicago River…
The worst marritime disaster in US history is the sinking of the Sultana. 1,547 victims.
I'm not like a genius or anything but I wouldn't keep a full room of oily rags, that just sounds like disaster. I've spent my fair share of time painting and staining and was always told to be very careful of where stain rags go because they can catch on fire spontaneously
The ship had not been well maintained, and a couple of families, probably having subconsciously noticed signs of damage and neglect to fire hoses and life jackets, suddenly panicked and dashed off the ship just as it was about to set off. Their "intuition" saved their lives!
Safety regs, though a pain in the butt sometimes, are written for a reason. Sad story, especially because it was church folk.–Some disagree. Fine. It's a free country. $350 in '04 is like $12,776 today, according to 1 article in Google. But 1400 folks ÷ed by $350 is 4⁰⁰ a person. Still a lot. Nothin can replace the lives lost. Curious, lawsuits or refunds?
I heard about this disaster in the Longest Johns’ song Downed and Drowned.
The captain could have set the ship quickly on shore but prevailed to go further out in the water killing 1100 women and children. German immigrants moved out of the area after that, disgusted how authorities handled it.
Texas City, Texas, in Galveston Bay 1947. A fire on the French-registered ship SS Grandcamp detonated its cargo of ammonium nitrate. At least 581 people died, including all but one member of the Texas City volunteer fire department, and 5,000 were injured. A 15-foot tidal wave was created and a chain reaction of fires and explosions occurred on other ships and in nearby oil-storage facilities
That room full of oily rags seems like a bad idea in retrospect.
They never have enough lifejackets for commercial boats. and a spreading fire is so terrified
Was it for lack of knowledge that this happen? Or companies were so greedy that they disregarded safety? Was this a new technology? Did they assume it was safe to smoke/store oily rags/ in a wooden ship?
Just over 1000 died. The fire hoses were dry rotted and split apart once water pressure filled them. The captain tried to beach the ship on a small island while trying to move away from fuel storage tanks along the bank. But it swept the fire down the ship. The life jackets were under weight. I guess they figured a certain weight of buoyant material meant it would support a person. So steel weights were placed internally in the jackets to get them to pass code. It only helped drown those who wore them. The ship burnt to the waterline. It was later fitted out as a coal barge and was towed up and down the New Jersey coast. It was sunk during a storm some years later. It now rests off of “whale beach” on the north end of Sea Isle City, New Jersey. They used to process the whale blubber many many years ago here. When they get strong storms, some coal will wash up on the beach. If you find some, just know it came from the ship where so many lives were lost. I first learned of this while I was reading the story ON whale beach. How odd was that! I started looking for coal.
Sultana.
Reminds me of the S S Eastland in Chicago on 24 July 1915.
One of the many reasons we have OSHA.
Sad way to start a new century.. lots of sadness in that century. A lot of Good things too though.
Quite a few of the deceased along with a few survivors washed up on the shores of The Bronx.
May the victims Rest In Peace.
"Where can I smoke??"
Use either the Lamp Room or the room next door, where we keep the oily rags.
As a Native NYer and of German Descent, I’m fully aware of New Amsterdam and later New York City’s history. Thank you.
Another reason not to smoke.
Oh, that's terrible 😞
Wow.
my grandfather was a school kid that was supposed to be on that excursion, but was at home sick that day.
Have not only heard of this, but seenvwome of the aftermath in photos. Bodies washed upon North Brother Island in East River and laid out onboard a recovery ship and the General Slocum hulk, beached on a shoal. Grisly, to put it mildly.
Life was so much more dangerous then….
Those who dont know history are doomed to repeat the lessons not learned.
Not a maritime disaster if it’s on a river?
"hey boss, we need a room for all of our oily rags"
"Ehh, put it next to the lamp room, you know, the one that's filled with other flammable stuff"