The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-10-21

Washington, October 16.-The report
Of the United States commission on the
investigation upon the disaster to the
steamer General Slocum, appointed
June 23rd, last, by the then Secretary of
Commerce and Labor George B. Cor
telyou, and consisting of Lawdence o.
Murray, Assistant Secretary of Com
merce and Labor; Herbert Knox Smith,
deputy commissioner of corporations;
George Uhler, supervising inspector
general of the steamboat inspection SER
vice; General John NJ. Wilson, United
States Army, retired, and Commander
Cameron MGR. Winslow, United States
navy, was made public today.
In connection with the important
findings of the commission presented
whom the report was submitted, has
written a letter to Secretary Victor H.
MetcaIf, of the Department of Cons
merce and Labor, briefly summarizing
the report and directing him to carry
into effect the recommendations of the
commission. He also directs that Rob-
ert S. Rode, supervising inspector of
the second district steamboat inspection
service, and James A. Dumont and
Thomas H. Barrett, local inspectors in
charge of the port of New York, be dis
charged from the service, the commits
sion holding them directly responsible
for the laXity of the steamboat inspec-
ton to which the Slocum disaster was
directely attributable.
COMMISSIONS Uhler diSsents to that
portion of the report which places the
responsibility on the supervision in
spector of the second district, Robert
5. Rode; otherwise, he concurs with
the commission. Appended to the re-
port is a report from the Department
of Justice and criminal proceedings con-
nected with the disaster and the life
preServers cases.
THE PRESIDENTS VIEWS.
The Presidents letter to Secretary
Metcalf follows:
white House,
washington, d. c., Octo. u, 1904.
My Dear Sir: l have received the
report of the Commission of the United
States on the investigation of the Gem
eral Slocum disaster and the report Of
the Department of Justice or October
18th recapitulating what has been done
by the department of Justice in connec-
ton with the criminal proceedings
taken against various individuals be-
u of their connection with the dis
aster. / send you herewith both re-
ports. Punitive action by the governs
ment can of course, only take two
forms; that Of legal proceedings against
those either within or without the SER
vice. 1t appears that the Department
of Justice has already. secured indict-
ments against the master and captain
of the Slocum and against the manag-
ing directors of the Knickerbocker
Steamboat Company, to which company
the steame belonged, for misconduct,
negligence, and inattention to duty by
the captain, and for aiding and abet-
ting therein by the managing directors.
therein by the managing directors.
Furthermore, the Department of JUS
tice has secured indictments against
Henry Lundberg and John w Fleming,
the assistant inspectors Of the steam
boat inspection service, who actually
inspected the Slocum, for fraud, mis-
conduct. and inattention to duty. Lund-
berg had been appointed merely on pro-
baton in the service and has been drop
ped. There can, of course, be no fur
Their action taken about Fleming until
his trial has been finished, although it
does not follow that an acquittal would
prevent the Department from diScharS>
ing him from the service. In addition
the Department of Justice has secured
the indictment of the manager n
three employees of the Nonpariel Cork
works, of Camden, N. J., for putting
upon the market compressed cork
blocks for use in making life preSeryers,
each of which blocks contained in its
center a bar Of iron weighing several
ounces.
This last offense was of so heinous
a character that is difficult to COM
ment upon Il with proper self-re-
~straint. It appears that the natlonal
legislature has never enacted a law
providing in set terms for the punish-
ment of this particular species I. in
fanny, doubtless because 1t never en-
tered the ead of any man that so
gross an infamy could be perpetrated-
I suggest that you report this whole
matter to Congress, transmitting these
two reports, and at that time calling
special attention the need Of imposing
an adequate penalty for the making
or selling of defective l~ife-saving ap-
planes.
REMOVAL OF DELINQUENT OF
FTCIALS.
so much for what the Department
Of Justice has one in reference to
the disaster. But in addition to the
men put on trial by the Department
Of Justice, action should be taken
against those employees whose respon>
Sloliity for the state of things pro-
ducing the accident has been brought
into the report of the commission
According to this report it appears
mat IN addition to the two assistant
inspectors who are now on trial, the
supervising inspector of the second dis
trlct, Mr. Rode, and the two local
inspectors of the port of New York,
Messrs. Dumont and Barrett, should
al three be remoyed for laxity and
neglect in performing their duties. AS
ISSdrus Inc conduct of Mr.. Rode, Mr..