gr r ILTg wish famili The Gen. Slocum A 100-year-old tragedy and its devastating e ect on one family. ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM AppleTree Editor : I heard that 2004 marked the 100th anniversary of the Gen. Slocum disaster. Apparently, a ship in New or burned, with more than 1,000 per- sons aboard. If it's New York, there must be a Jewish angle. And can you tell me more about the Gen. Slocum? A: This past year was indeed the 100th anniversary of the tragedy — an event which, sadly, very few remember, despite the fact that before the 9-11 terrorist attacks, the disaster aboard the steamship resulted in the greatest number of deaths in a single event in New York history. The Gen. Slocum, named for a Civil War general, set out on Sunday after- noon, June 15, 1904. Some 1,300 New Yorkers were aboard; most were families, predominantly women and children, from St. Marks Evangelical Lutheran Church on Sixth Street. It was a beautiful day. So the families, many of whom had saved for months to be able to afford the trip, were delighted as the Gen. Slocum headed from Manhattan to Long Island Sound. The ship had traveled only 15 min- utes when a small fire was discovered. The fire spread quickly and fiercely. In minutes, the ship was consumed. Some tried to jump overboard, but few people knew how to swim. Besides, many of the women had lit- tle children and babies with them. Most of the crew made little effort to help the passengers. Even if they had tried, however, the Gen. Slocum Q The Gen. Slocum was poorly equipped for a disaster. The lifeboats had been securely tied to the ship with wire (probably to prevent annoying banging), making them impossible to take down. Though an "inspector" had suppos- edly checked the life preservers aboard the ship before it set sail, these were more than 13 years old, crumbling and useless. Some even broke apart and absorbed water, drowning the poor souls who tried to use them as they jumped ship. In the end, 1,021 men, women and children died that day. Their bodies washed ashore or were almost com- pletely burned or were never found. Among the dead was 10-year-old Sylvia Harris, the daughter of a Jewish couple, David (nee Rosenholz) and Lena Harris. The family lived in lower Manhattan, an area known as Little Germany because of its large number of residents with German roots. (Lena's parents were German- Jewish immigrants.) * * * * *STAIRWAY LIFTS** * * * THE CAREFREE WAY TO CLIMB STAIRS When you're disabled, or just not able to move around as freely as you once could, stairs can be a real problem. But there is a simple answer. The powered stairway lift. Easily installed to fit curved or straight stairs. They give you back the ability to move around your own home. Folds back-gets in nobody's way. CALL OR STOP BY FOR A FREE DEMONSTRATION ACTON RENTAL & SALES LARRY ARONOFF (313) 891-6500 Sylvia was a friend of Agnes Bell, who boarded with the Harris family, where she worked as a domestic. Bell likely was Lutheran, and apparently David paid for both girls to take the trip aboard the Gen. Slocum. Mark Rosenholz of New York is a great-great-nephew of Sylvia's father, David, and he has done research into the family history. Originally, the Harris' family name was Rosenholz, though it was SLOCUM on page 48 OPEN MON — FRI 7-8 • SAT 8-8 • SUN 8-3 I love my Stairway Lift! It takes me up and down the stairs with the push of a but- ton. Call for details! r 1 DELI AND GOURMET RESTAURANT Any Menu Item! OFF on Sat & Sun 8 am-3 pm only! good with another offer LCouaon must be aesentedLg---iresI/31/05 . ..... ac (248) 540-5550 801190 21754 W. 11 MILE RD. • HARVARD ROW • 248-352-4940 FAX: 352-9393 q7st, 1/13 2005 47