On this date in 1904, the #GeneralSlocum caught fire in the #EastRiver leading to the deaths of ~1000 people, mostly women and children. No effective safety equipment on board and poor decisions by the #captain exacerbated the #tragedy. It led to the decline of the #littlegermany neighborhood in #nyc and remains the worst #maritime disaster in #newyorkcity #history. Here’s a link to the #wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS_General_Slocum