The General Slocum burned in the East River, New York June 15, 1904, when it became engulfed in flames during an excursion past Manhattan. Before it had grounded on North Brother Island, 1021 passengers, most of them women and children, were either burned to death or drowned.

Rod Hatt with Commercial Testing & Engineering Company confirmed the authenticity of the find.

It was reported that the sample of material Ralph Wilbanks found was coke. These images were taken using polarized reflected light of a polished surface.

Several features are readily observed that confirm that the material is coal-derived coke:

Figure 1. Anisotropic behavior is exhibited. This is a partial organization of the carbon in a graphite lattice. The result is optically active grains. These are visible as a yellowish dust in the microphotographs. These grains are small, typically in the micron range. Photography by Dr. James Hower, University of Kentucky.

Figure 2. Inertinite is plainly visible as dark irregular material. This represents plant material that was oxidized at some point in the coals history. Most likely during a wild fire in the environment of the original coal plant material. This oxidized plant material does not react in the coking process, hence its name of Inertinite. In some areas it can be seen that the Inertinite minimized the formation of the anisotropic material. This is seen as a lack of the yellow dust material, or a shadow surrounding the Inertinite. Photography by Dr. James Hower, University of Kentucky.

Figure 3. Devolatization bubbles are plainly visible. These form during the coking process as the hot coal material becomes plastic and flowable and the material continues to produce gaseous vapors. Photography by Dr. James Hower, University of Kentucky.