General Slocum Disaster Memorial
New York, Queens County, New York
Marker Inscription
Burning of the Steamship Gen Slocum on the East River June 15 1904 in which 1020 lives were lost.
The Story
On the morning of June 15, 1904, the excursion steamer General Slocum caught fire in the East River while carrying more than a thousand passengers on a church outing. Most aboard were German immigrant families from Manhattan's Lower East Side neighborhood known as Little Germany, and the flames spread with terrible speed as rotted life preservers and unready lifeboats failed those on deck. The loss of over a thousand lives made it the deadliest day in New York City until the attacks of September 11, 2001.
Why it matters
The disaster exposed the deadly gap between a booming era of steam travel and the safety regulation that had not yet caught up, spurring reforms in maritime inspection and emergency equipment. It also marked the end of a tight-knit immigrant community, whose survivors scattered in grief from the neighborhood they had built.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- South Street Seaport Museum6.4 mi away · 12 Fulton Street
- Hall des Lumières6.5 mi away · 49 Chambers Street, New York, NY
- 81 Leonard Gallery6.5 mi away
- Bureau6.6 mi away · 112 Duane Street
- Gerben Fine Art6.7 mi away
- Small Editions6.7 mi away · 60 Sackett Street, Brooklyn, NY
Attractions
- Brooklyn Flea5.9 mi away
- Brooklyn Bridge6.0 mi away
- Brooklyn Heights Promenade6.1 mi away
- Kayak Brooklyn6.1 mi away
- Bloody Angle6.1 mi away
- Chinatown6.2 mi away
Food & drink
- Maman8.0 mi away
- Bluestone Lane8.0 mi away
- Sweetgreen8.0 mi away
- Yaso8.0 mi away · 30 Hudson Street, Jersey City, NJ
- Semicolon Cafe8.1 mi away
- Krispy Pizza8.1 mi away · 33 Hudson Street, Jersey City, NJ
Places to stay
- Holiday Inn Express6.6 mi away · 126 Water Street, New York, NY
- Hotel Indigo6.6 mi away · 120 Water Street, New York, NY
- The Wall Street Hotel6.6 mi away · 88 Wall Street, New York, NY
- Hyatt Centric6.6 mi away · 75 Wall Street, New York, NY
- Radisson Hotel New York Wall Street6.7 mi away · 52 William Street, New York, NY
- Holiday Inn6.7 mi away · 51 Nassau Street
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Related events
- · General Slocum disaster
Themes & tags
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