PS General Slocum
The ship left Manhattan at 9:00 a.m.  Before 9:30, something on the ship began to burn.  The ship caught fire.  People had to decide whether to burn on the boat or jump into the water.  Most people in 1904 New York could not swim.  The clothes people wore in 1904 New York became very heavy when they got wet, so even people who could swim a little were pulled down into the river.