Milford chronicle., 1904-10-21
d TFBIANFDFOR
g0CUM DISASTER
rr,DectOrs Charged With
s.,n,s by Investigators.
prMOvED FROM OFFICE

!, UvMOVED FROM OFFlGE
oct. 17.-Investigatfon
aailslon, 5ar,l slocum disaster, in
J a'lS'1l als 1000 persons lost their
i'al' .la national commission ere
y y 'ls NE purpose has been com
b lnt ne p report OF the commits
'na w ~ nublic today. In con-
% .s ns' the important findings
WIN .'mission presented In the
President Sga.ili, Roosevelt to. to whom nom
fl''lr I, was submitted, has writ
FP0n or. n Secretary Victor II.
F''s' the department OF COM
y ~ a. labor briefly summarizing
..1rt rrt and M directing him t'o to carry r,
y. s.'. ' the recommendations OF
l%i.,ion. .lea. ion He also directs that
liI9 podie supervising inspect
..oDd !, district, steamboat in
''.o Twice. and James A. Du-
Y. y, ~ Tbomas H. Barrett, local in
anp !, charge charge OF the port of New
" y 4 discharged from the service,
]. .ission t holding them directly
lRia l1i,' for the laxity of the steam
..nectiou % to which the Slocum
Y, -'y was directly attributable.
.'lssnt Y, Roosevelt's letter to Sec
NetcaIf follows;
I, near Sir: have received tne
N the commission OF the
|, Stotes on the investigation OF
esrsrsl slocum disaster and the
If tbe department OF justice
s,OSsr p. recapitulating what has
5oDe bv the department of JUS
i connection with the criminal
.,sdinps taken against various in
,,,ls because of their connection
mo disaster. 1t appears that
,.D.rtment Of justice has already
.,.5 indictmentss against the mas
,n5 captain of the Slocum, and
,,t tbe managing directors of the
.Esrbocker steamboat company, to
4 company the Slocum belonged,
Misconduct. negligence and mat
.nr TO duty by the captain. and
siding and abetting therein by
managing directors. Furthermore,
iepsrtment of justice has secured
tmeDts against Henry Lundberg
Iobn W Fleming. the assistant
rrtors Of the steamboat-inspection
Tre who actually inspected the
rum for fraud, misconduct and in
ation to duty Lundberg had been
Yigtej merely on probation in the
nice and has been dropped. There
Of course be no further action
len about Fleming until his trial
been finished, although it does
follow that an acquittal would pre-
nt the department from discharg-
him from the service.
I'm addition, the department of JUS
has secured the indictment of the
inager and three employees of the
lDareil Cork Works of Camden, N. j.,
putting upon the marketcompressed
k blocks for use in making life pre-
Eers, each of which blocks contained
Its centre a piece of bar iron weigh
several ounces. This last Offense
b Of so heinous a character that it is
1cult to comment upon it with proper
-restraint. It appears that the ma
lal legislature has never enacted a
\ providing in set terms for the pun
lnent of this particular species of
amy doubtless because it never en-
Ht the head Of any man that so gross
hiamy could be perpetrated. 1 sug
that you report this whole matter
congress, transmitting these two re-
rs and at that time calling special
2lton to the need of imposing an
Qlate penalty for the making or
llg Of defective life-saving appli-
les.
IN order that I may be informed as
lle exact condition Of the service in
lis parts, l direct you to order a
lghing Investigation, in continuance
'ae Investigation of the commission,
. the conduct of the central office
Of every outside subdivision of the
'''e save that in New York. You
u also lay before congress a request
-' Tue law be changed in the various
ll.llars recommended by the COM
son / wish particular emphasis
lpon the proposal of the commits
IAat there be created by law a
@'A body thoroughly to investigate
.'Vs which are supposed to provide
we safety Of passengers on steam
y especially on excursion boats,
y 'ne prime causes of danger are
,%5lcTowding and the fiimsy and
I' hHammable character of the