September 9: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
ON THIS DAY IN 1932, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Some 165 laughing and joking workmen at 8 a.m. today boarded the 92-foot steamer Observation, docked in the East River, at the foot of 134th St., happy in these times of depression that they were bound for their jobs helping to build the new $9,000,000 penitentiary on Rikers Island. Five minutes after the Observation had put out, there was a terrific blast aboard. For a few fatal minutes a white cloud of smoke hung ominously over the muddy waters of the East River. When it cleared, only a few pieces of wreckage remained of the craft. Frantic, cursing men struggled helplessly in the water among the dead and dismembered bodies of comrades. And New York Harbor chalked up its greatest disaster since the General Slocum tragedy. Today’s explosion occurred almost at the same place where the General Slocum burned with Brooklyn Sunday School picnickers in June 1904. The known dead this afternoon totaled 37. About 80 more were in hospitals, many of them not expected to live, and about 48 others were missing.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1933, the Eagle reported, “HAVANA (A.P.) — The residence of the American Consul at Cienfuegos was searched Tuesday night by 30 revolutionaries who were armed. They did no damage to the residence and uttered no threats against the occupants. Knox Alexander is the American Consul assigned to Cienfuegos and Edward S. Benet is the vice consul. Rumblings of a possible coup against a four-day-old Cuban junta, itself the product of revolt, grew today as 200 army officers were held virtual prisoners in the National Hotel.”