The Forgotten Disaster That Killed More Than The Titanic

On June 15, 1904, the paddle steamer PS General Slocum caught fire while carrying over 1,300 passengers (mostly German-American women and children) on a Sunday school picnic in New York City. The disaster resulted in 1,021 deaths—more than the Titanic—due to critical safety failures: lifeboats were wired shut, fire hoses were rotten and burst, and the crew lacked proper training. The captain's decision to continue sailing rather than dock immediately worsened the tragedy. This event, one of the worst disasters in New York history until 9/11, led to major safety reforms and contributed to the creation of the U.S. Coast Guard, yet it remains largely forgotten in public memory.