Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-06-17
CHASTITY Discovery of Di-
Vers on the Gen.
eraI SIocum.
BURYING THE DEAD
Investigation is Started
From Several
Sources.

New York, June 17.-Up to 10
o'clock today 532 bodies of the victims
of the General Slocum disaster had
been recovered.
Today divers at work on the hull
discovered a mass of bodies wedged
in one of the paddle boxes. How
many there are will not be known
until the coroner arrives. The num-
ber missing is placed at between four
and five hundred. The sad task of
buTying the dead began today.
Preliminary steps were taken for an
investigation of the disaster by the
department of commerce, the coro-
ner's Office and district attorney.
Search for Bodies Proceeds.
New York. June 17.--With unceas-
ing effort search is going on for the
bodies of those who perished Wednes-
day OH the General SlOcum. What the
list Of victims will total scarce one
dare venture guess, but whatever
the number may be there is hardly a
parallel in the history of disasters
where death came to so many in so
brief a period OF time. Police and
health department officials have placed
the number at figure as high as l.
900 and more, but it would seem that
the maximum fatality will not largely
exceed 100. 1t would seem that the
estimates were based on the number
of bodies recovered-JO4 at noon yes
terday-added to the number missing,
estimated at 400. But of the bodies
recovered only 116 had been identified,
and it is pretty certain that many
of the missing are among the unidenti-
fed.
Bereaved Ones Watching for the Dead.
All day long. from sunrise until
darkness shut off even the melancholy
satisfaction of watching for the dead
anxious searchers kept up their eternal
vigilance. and at dusk there had been
recovered $50 bodies. for the great
part women and children. Mothers
who weeks ago had planned that fatal
outing for their children; little ones
who had longed for the coming of the
happy day. Up to dusk 400 bodies had
passed through the morgue. and Of
these more than 300 were identified.
The east side has its human SYM
pathies aroused to the fullest extent,
and down by the river where the
boats unlOaded their dead. thousands
gathered throughout the day. Streets
leading to the morgue were blocked.
wreck Is Clear of Bodies.
Up the sound, where the hulk of
the General Slocum lies submerged,
showing only n paddle box, scores of
small craft aided the tugs in CRAP
pIing for the victims. Divers went
down time and time again. and when
their work ended for the day they de-
clared there were no more bodies in
the wreck. y score of times diver
reappeared after his plunge with the
body of woman OF child. Two Of
them coming to the surface together
on one occasion had in their arms two
little girls - sisters - clasped in each
other embrace. and their mother, it
was thought, whose dead hand tightly
cIenched the skirt OF one Of them.
Hope for Some of the Missing.
There is a number OF places where
the living may have landed. and II is
believed that many that are now re-
ported missing are safe, and eventually
will be heard from by the officials
who have the rescue work in hand.
A surprising number OF persons. in
fact, has reported to these officials
alive. thus cutting the list OF missing
down considerably as well as the prob
able mortality list.