On June 15, 2012, a memorial service was held on the beach in Strathmere to remember the victims of the fire aboard the General Slocum that killed over 1,000 people on June 15, 1904 in New York Harbor.
On that day, The General Slocum, a side wheel steam passenger ship, was chartered by St. Mark’s Lutheran Church of Lower Manhattan, which was a German neighborhood church, for an excursion to Locust Grove, a picnic site on Long Island. The 1,358 passengers who boarded the ship that morning experienced a disastrous cascade of faults as the General Slocum caught fire and virtually all the safety equipment on board failed. As a result of the many safety shortcomings, 1,021 people died that day, mostly women and children.
President Theodore Roosevelt formed a special commission to investigate the tragedy. The Captain, crew, inspectors and company officials were indicted and charged with federal and state offenses. This disaster outraged the country and motivated federal and state regulation to improve the emergency equipment on passenger ships and recreational vessels.
Each year, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary organizes a memorial service to commemorate the tragedy, remember the victims and pray that such an event never happens again. The location of the service in Strathmere is significant as the hulk of the General Slocum, converted into a coal barge after the 1904 fire, sank in a storm about a mile off this beach in 1911. Following on the heels of “National Safe Boating Week”, this service gives us an opportunity to reflect on the safe operation of boats on the water. Incidents such as the General Slocum disaster bring home the need for reliable safety precautions and equipment on all vessels.
A stiff northeast wind straightened the flags as the participants assembled…
Bob Babezki, Public Affairs Officer of the USCG Auxiliary and a member of the SFEC, conducted the ceremonies.
Mayor Palombo was one of the speakers…
This lady is a descendant of someone who perished in the tragedy…
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Please heed the lesson this service was intended to emphasize and ensure that your boat is properly equipped and everyone on board knows how to use the safety equipment!
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