The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-17
SEARCHLIGHTS ON
NEW YORK HORROR
Three Investigations of Disaster
to Excursion Steamer to
Be Held.
DEATH LIST COMPRISES
900 to 1000 NAMES
Grief Stricken Throngs at the
Morgues and Undertakers
Search for Their Dead.

New York, June 17.-Forty-e eight
hours after the burning of the steamer
General Slocum, the exact number OF
victims is still unknown. IN the early
morning q few bodies were brougnt 10
the morgue, bringing the total 10 ooz.
AS the morning wore on, with no more
arrivals, hope began to be felt that
the awful total had been completed, |
but it was soon shattered by report
that divers had discovered mass or
bodies wedged in one of the paddle
boxes How many corpses are in this
place will not be known for some
hours, as they will not be disturbed
until the coroner is on the scene.
One hopeful phase of the situation
Is the steady decrease in the number
of missing, tho it is still appallingly
large, being between 400 and 500.
The officials, whose positions bring
them in touch with the disaster, still
adhere to the belief that when all is
told it will be found that between 900
and 1000 persons persisted.
The sad task of burying the dead
began to-day. Early in the forenoon
q meeting of the German Lutheran
ministers Of the city was held and
program of services arranged. While
In many instances joint service will
be held over several bodies, neverthe-
less the clergymen Of this denomina-
ton have herculean task before
them in administering the last rites
over the dead of their faith.
The distressing concentration of the
blow Of the disaster is shown by the
zach that In one apartment house in
Eighth street there are th1rty-flve
dead, while in a Rivington street
house, sixteen bodies await burial.
Three Investigations.
Preliminary steps have been taken
for three distinct investigations Of the
disaster. These being undertaken
by the federal authorities, thru the
department Of commerce; by the cor
oner's office, and by the district at
torney.
Monday. Captain Van Schaick of the
Slocum and six Of his crew lie in a
hospital with a policeman at the bed
side of each. They are detained as
witnesses. The authorities are rapidly
gathering evidence helpful in ascer-
tanning whether there was neglect or
carelessness in the safety appliances
of the vessel.
First Officer Edward Flanagan of
the Slocum Is quoted as saying that
useless and that it burst In a dozen
places when he and his men tried to
use It.
The charge is also made that the
life preservers on the vessel were old
and rotten and in most instances
proved inadequate. Several papers to-
day print pictures Of preservers taken
from the Slocum which bear in black
letters this inscription:
Passed by United States steamboat
Inspector, June 10, 1891"
William Thembley, a deckhand, cor
roborates Flanagan's statement re-
garding the defective firehose and it
is reported that evidence has been Sc
cured showing that some Of the life
boats were made fast by wires, MAX
ing it impossible to cast them loose.
All the men who have made these
statements will be called as witnesses
by the coroner. r..
Police boats and other harbor craft
will maintain their patrol of the
waters in the vicinity of the accident,
in the hope Of recovering bodies.
Horror Grows Hourly.
Every hour adds to the horror Of
the excursion steamer disaster Of
Wednesday, when the General
Slocum was burned to the waters
Divers explored the wreck Of the
steamer and reported that no more
bodies were to be found there, but
to-day diver who was at work on
the sunken hull found large number
of bodies packed tightly inside the
paddle wheel. Just how many it was
not known, but it was planned to re-
move them as soon as Coroner O'Gor-
man reached the scene.
The coroner had arranged to visit
the wreck to-day for the purpose of
ascertaining, If possible, what evidence
Of culpability on the part Of the
Knickerbocker Steamboat company
and the officials of the boat, If any
could be secured to present to the
coroner's inquest. Therefore it was
decided to take out the bodies at that
time.
At the various hospitals where the
injured are, 1t was said to-day their
condition was satisfactory. There are
now only flfty-three victims of the
disaster in the hospitals.
It developed to-day that new hor-
FOR had been added to the sterrible
conditions resulting from the Slocun
disaster thru the over-officiousness Of
some persons at the morgue. AS a re.
suit some of the bodies Of the deaG
probably never will be identified an6
will go to last resting place in the
humble plot furnished by the city'
charity.
When the bodies were taken by hun
dreds from the water and laid in row!
on the grass at North Brother island
each was tagged with a number. Tha
number was carefully recorded ant
the papers, valuables and trinket
that would have served to positivel.
identify the body, were removed ant
placed in separate packages, eacl
package bearing q number correspond
ing to the number on tho body from
which the articles were taken.
These packages were then placed il
These packages were then placed il
the custody Of the coroner. Scores Q
the bodies at the morgue were burned
or burised beyond recognition, but
was hoped all might be claimed b.
friends by means Of the papers an
Jewelry.
When the bodies were taken to tn
morgue they were placed in numbere,
boxes but in many cases these mum
bers did not correspond with the fig
ures the bodies previously had borne
AS result the plans were completed
upset and the numbered packages o
valuables became practically WORTHLESS
as means of Identifying the unfortu
mates:
Dazed, They Seek Their Dead.
Almost as appalling as the specta
Gle of the burning and drowning of tn