The '' General Slocum '' tragedy of June 15 , 1904 , in which 1021 passengers died trying to save themselves from a burning boat that was banked in seven feet of water less than 20 feet from shore , was a heartbreaking illustration of this situation . This was the single greatest instance of loss of life in the New York City area until the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on September 11 , 2001
World Trade Center terrorist attacks
September 11 attacks
Rose Pitonof