Its diverse population represented the many German states and their inhabitants who, with their
regional dress, customs and dialects, still thought of themselves as Bavarians, Prussians, or Saxons
rather than as 'Germans', even after German unification in 1871. Bavarians dominated the city
around 1880, and 43% of second-generation Bavarians were still marrying from the same ethnic
group and another 22% were married to someone from an adjacent region. Endogamy was even
more prevalent among Prussians who were soon the largest German nationality in New York.
regional dress, customs and dialects, still thought of themselves as Bavarians, Prussians, or Saxons
rather than as 'Germans', even after German unification in 1871. Bavarians dominated the city
around 1880, and 43% of second-generation Bavarians were still marrying from the same ethnic
group and another 22% were married to someone from an adjacent region. Endogamy was even
more prevalent among Prussians who were soon the largest German nationality in New York.
St. Mark’s Lutheran church, in the heart of Kleindeutschland organized an outing every year and
chartered an excursion boat for a day of swimming, fun and food at a nearby recreation area, Locust
Grove on Long Island Sound. 1,300 plus people boarded the General Slocum on this fine June day.
chartered an excursion boat for a day of swimming, fun and food at a nearby recreation area, Locust
Grove on Long Island Sound. 1,300 plus people boarded the General Slocum on this fine June day.
The ship meandered up the East River. Just beyond East 90th Street, smoke was spotted billowing
from below deck. A barrel of straw below had caught fire and, partly because the ship's hoses were
rotten, the crew failed to put out the fire, which within ten minutes became too big to handle. By the
time they notified Captain William Van Schaick, it had become an inferno. Fearing an explosion if he
dared dock near the many oil tankers along the East River piers, he decided to race at full speed to
North Brother Island a mile ahead. Spectators on shore frantically shouted for him to dock the
floating inferno, and the little boats following him watched in horror as the increased speed fanned
the flames which were also accelerated by the ship's fresh paint.
from below deck. A barrel of straw below had caught fire and, partly because the ship's hoses were
rotten, the crew failed to put out the fire, which within ten minutes became too big to handle. By the
time they notified Captain William Van Schaick, it had become an inferno. Fearing an explosion if he
dared dock near the many oil tankers along the East River piers, he decided to race at full speed to
North Brother Island a mile ahead. Spectators on shore frantically shouted for him to dock the
floating inferno, and the little boats following him watched in horror as the increased speed fanned
the flames which were also accelerated by the ship's fresh paint.
The lifeboats could not be dislodged in time and would not have been able to be used anyway while
the ship was speeding. When the blazing ship finally reached North Brother Island, the remaining
passengers leaped off the ship, while nurses and patients from the island’s hospital rushed to offer
help. Area boats picked up the living and the dead from the water in the wake of the ship, and the
death toll stood at 1,021.
the ship was speeding. When the blazing ship finally reached North Brother Island, the remaining
passengers leaped off the ship, while nurses and patients from the island’s hospital rushed to offer
help. Area boats picked up the living and the dead from the water in the wake of the ship, and the
death toll stood at 1,021.
Thousands of family members and friends gathered at St. Mark’s
Church anxiously waiting for word of survivors, while others raced
uptown to the pier designated as a temporary morgue. Some people
lost their entire family in the tragedy, and funerals were held every
hour for days on end in the churches of Kleindeutschland. Several
people who lost their whole families committed suicide as a result.
Bodies from the ship washed ashore, left
Church anxiously waiting for word of survivors, while others raced
uptown to the pier designated as a temporary morgue. Some people
lost their entire family in the tragedy, and funerals were held every
hour for days on end in the churches of Kleindeutschland. Several
people who lost their whole families committed suicide as a result.
Bodies from the ship washed ashore, left
The city held an investigation and Captain Van Schaick, executives of the Knickerbocker Steamboat
Co., and the Inspector who certified the General Slocum were indicted within weeks. Captain Van
Schaick was convicted of criminal negligence and manslaughter and sentenced to ten years hard labor
in Sing Sing prison, but was pardoned after three years. He lived the rest of his life in seclusion. The
Knickerbocker Steamship Company, however, escaped with only a nominal fine despite the fact that
the company had falsified records regarding passenger safety.
Co., and the Inspector who certified the General Slocum were indicted within weeks. Captain Van
Schaick was convicted of criminal negligence and manslaughter and sentenced to ten years hard labor
in Sing Sing prison, but was pardoned after three years. He lived the rest of his life in seclusion. The
Knickerbocker Steamship Company, however, escaped with only a nominal fine despite the fact that
the company had falsified records regarding passenger safety.
Between 1855 and 1880, German New York was the third largest German speaking city of the world.
Kleindeutschland also held about half of the German population of New York. 80,000 Germans lived
in Kleindeutschland by the 1870s, and in 1871 Kleindeutschland alone would have been the fifth
largest city in the German empire.
Kleindeutschland also held about half of the German population of New York. 80,000 Germans lived
in Kleindeutschland by the 1870s, and in 1871 Kleindeutschland alone would have been the fifth
largest city in the German empire.
| Kleindeutschland and the General Slocum Tragedy |
While the band played, the happy passengers left the dock at 9:30 am. The music program scheduled
by the leader of the band that played aboard the ship's final voyage included a typical mixture of
German and American songs: Unser Kaiser Friedrich, America, Poet and Peasant, Bird of Passage,
Waldvoeglein, Vienna Swallows, Swanee River, On The Beautiful Rhine, Dutch Patrol, Hip Hip Hurrah,
Carousal, College, Ever or Never, Under The Double Eagle, The Picadore, Werner's Parting Song, Children's
Carnival, Princess Pocahontas, Mrs. Sippi, Home Sweet Home. 'Unser Kaiser Friedrich' ( the 'Kaiser
Friedrich Marsch' ) was to be played a second time on the return voyage.
by the leader of the band that played aboard the ship's final voyage included a typical mixture of
German and American songs: Unser Kaiser Friedrich, America, Poet and Peasant, Bird of Passage,
Waldvoeglein, Vienna Swallows, Swanee River, On The Beautiful Rhine, Dutch Patrol, Hip Hip Hurrah,
Carousal, College, Ever or Never, Under The Double Eagle, The Picadore, Werner's Parting Song, Children's
Carnival, Princess Pocahontas, Mrs. Sippi, Home Sweet Home. 'Unser Kaiser Friedrich' ( the 'Kaiser
Friedrich Marsch' ) was to be played a second time on the return voyage.
Between 1820 and 1880, many Germans initially
settled in a section of New York city east of the
Bowery and extending from Houston Street to 12th
Street. In the 1850s alone, about 800,000 Germans
entered the US by New York resulting in a steady
growth of "Kleindeutschland", or Little Germany,
a densely populated German neighborhood around
Tompkins Square Park in the Lower East Side.
settled in a section of New York city east of the
Bowery and extending from Houston Street to 12th
Street. In the 1850s alone, about 800,000 Germans
entered the US by New York resulting in a steady
growth of "Kleindeutschland", or Little Germany,
a densely populated German neighborhood around
Tompkins Square Park in the Lower East Side.
One of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in American history ( and the worst one in New
York's history ) would devastate their community when, on June 15, 1904, over 1,000 of them died
when their steamship caught fire in New York's East River. The General Slocum was a ship with a
bad safety record and a history of bizarre accidents and untimely collisions.
York's history ) would devastate their community when, on June 15, 1904, over 1,000 of them died
when their steamship caught fire in New York's East River. The General Slocum was a ship with a
bad safety record and a history of bizarre accidents and untimely collisions.
The neighborhood had its own clubs, lodges, theaters, athletic associations, bookshops, stores,
restaurants and beer gardens. More than half of the bakers and carpenters in New York were of
German origin, and many Germans also worked in construction. The German Lower East Side
formed a trade junction between Europe and German-American traders who supplied goods to both
rural and urban settlements in North America. There was a large German book market as well as a
lively theater and music scene. Kleindeutschland had been a happy home to New York’s Germans.
restaurants and beer gardens. More than half of the bakers and carpenters in New York were of
German origin, and many Germans also worked in construction. The German Lower East Side
formed a trade junction between Europe and German-American traders who supplied goods to both
rural and urban settlements in North America. There was a large German book market as well as a
lively theater and music scene. Kleindeutschland had been a happy home to New York’s Germans.
As the fire spread over the whole ship, people had
no choice but to leap overboard in a horrible scene
of panicked, screaming people, some clinging to
the side rails as long as they could before dropping
into the murky water where whole families
drowned. Only a few were rescued by nearby
boats. Even though there were 3,000 lifejackets on
board, they were all rotten and actually served to
pull down those who wore them into the water.
no choice but to leap overboard in a horrible scene
of panicked, screaming people, some clinging to
the side rails as long as they could before dropping
into the murky water where whole families
drowned. Only a few were rescued by nearby
boats. Even though there were 3,000 lifejackets on
board, they were all rotten and actually served to
pull down those who wore them into the water.
Yorkville replaced Kleindeutschland as many of Manhattan's Germans moved from the Lower East Side to Yorkville on
the Upper East Side. The main German avenue was 86th Street. Called “Sauerkraut Boulevard”, it served the German
populace from 84th to 90th Streets with restaurants called Die Lorelei and the Gloria Palast which had a German movie
theater on the main floor and ballrooms for waltzing and polka dancing. Until 1930, the population figure decreased to
249,755. Today, there are only a few remnants of its German past. Lou Gehrig was one of its native sons.
the Upper East Side. The main German avenue was 86th Street. Called “Sauerkraut Boulevard”, it served the German
populace from 84th to 90th Streets with restaurants called Die Lorelei and the Gloria Palast which had a German movie
theater on the main floor and ballrooms for waltzing and polka dancing. Until 1930, the population figure decreased to
249,755. Today, there are only a few remnants of its German past. Lou Gehrig was one of its native sons.
Most survivors and their relatives departed from Kleindeutschland, unable to
remain in a neighborhood so scarred by sadness and tragedy. By the 1910
census, only 10% of New York's Germans still lived in Kleindeutschland. The
Slocum tragedy all too soon faded from memory, replaced by the Triangle
Shirtwaist factory as the city’s most notorious fire just seven years later, even
though the Triangle fire’s death toll was 85% lower than the Slocum. The onset
of World War One quickly eradicated sympathy for anything German, including
the innocent victims of the General Slocum fire, and the media no longer even
mentioned it. By the 1920s, not many people had even heard about the General
Slocum fire, and the Triangle fire still, even today, takes precedence in history
books. All that was left of the Slocum tragedy was a small, annual memorial
service at the Lutheran cemetery in Middle Village, Queens.
remain in a neighborhood so scarred by sadness and tragedy. By the 1910
census, only 10% of New York's Germans still lived in Kleindeutschland. The
Slocum tragedy all too soon faded from memory, replaced by the Triangle
Shirtwaist factory as the city’s most notorious fire just seven years later, even
though the Triangle fire’s death toll was 85% lower than the Slocum. The onset
of World War One quickly eradicated sympathy for anything German, including
the innocent victims of the General Slocum fire, and the media no longer even
mentioned it. By the 1920s, not many people had even heard about the General
Slocum fire, and the Triangle fire still, even today, takes precedence in history
books. All that was left of the Slocum tragedy was a small, annual memorial
service at the Lutheran cemetery in Middle Village, Queens.
The Memorial to the victims of the tragedy in Tompkins Square Park says:
"In memory of those who lost their lives in the disaster to the steamer General
Slocum June XV MCMIV."
"In memory of those who lost their lives in the disaster to the steamer General
Slocum June XV MCMIV."
'Unser Kaiser Friedrich' ( the 'Kaiser Friedrich Marsch' ) was played at the Slocum's departure and intended
to be played a second time on the return voyage. It never got the chance. Listen to it on the following page.
to be played a second time on the return voyage. It never got the chance. Listen to it on the following page.