The SS General Slocum was a passenger steamboat that operated in New York City waters and was known for its popular excursion trips. On a beautiful June day, the boat was chartered by a local German-American church group from St. Mark’s Lutheran Church for a picnic at Locust Grove on Long Island. Shortly after leaving the Lower East Side, a fire broke out on the vessel. Witnesses reported that the fire started due to a stray match igniting old rags in a storage room. The flames quickly engulfed the ship, which was built primarily of wood and lacked the safety standards later enforced in maritime travel.

As panic set in, many of the 1,400 passengers found their escape routes blocked. Lifeboats were either not properly equipped or were unusable due to damage from the fire. The ship’s crew struggled to manage the chaos as passengers jumped into the East River to escape the blaze. The incident lasted only about 20 minutes, yet the loss of life was catastrophic, with around 1,000 people perishing in the tragedy. Rescuers and nearby vessels managed to save some individuals, but the sheer magnitude of the disaster shocked the city and the nation.

In the aftermath, investigations revealed severe neglect of safety protocols and the presence of outdated emergency equipment on the steamboat. The disaster led to heightened awareness regarding maritime safety. It sparked reforms in regulations governing passenger vessels to ensure better safety standards and emergency protocols, radically transforming the maritime industry in America.