On June 15, 1904, the General Slocum steamboat disaster in New York City decimated their German-American community. At Geneanet, they are honoring the victims and survivors of the tragedy with the family trees of every known passenger. The project is free and collaborative project that is open to all. The site now has over 3000 individuals indexed in the 700 families affected by the tragedy.
“On June 15, 1904 — 118 years ago this week — a terrible disaster befell the German-American community of New York City: a chartered steamboat burned and sank in the East River with the loss of over a thousand lives, mostly women and children on a picnic excursion. For nearly a century, until the events of September 11, 2001, it was New York City’s worst catastrophe. Unfortunately, it was a preventable disaster, a result of greed and incompetence.”
Read the article written by Sean Daly – and check out this amazing database.