The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1904-06-17
other follow Ers of the srfSer.s WE0
braved flame and=heIt zthe=noseSZoi

braved flames andEhciti 1ise@noseS| |ot
lheir boats against the fife Wrannoa.
steamer until driven OF by the awful
heat, ScOrched and choking Deud!
! bodies Of women Were found With their
arms claspins close the pldtnl forms
of little children, and babies Were
found, their Tiny arms enfolding each
other in the stiff embrace of death,
But there is q darker side limited AT
along the river front, where are told
stories that sem 10 be the inevitable
accompaniment of ali great calami-
ties. There has been no evidence of a
character specific enough to fasten ii
upon individuals AMI permit Of pun-
ishment, but survivors and eyewit-
nesses say that some brutal acts OF
seltishness and eowarttice on the part
OF the Slocum's crew We're seen and
that distress signals from the burning
boat were disregardeti BY passing craft.
One man AYERS thatzN big White Yacht
passedZthe Sloeun1= -the-bud1es-o
women and children Mere going over.
board ant did n0teNeh sftefSeh4 sl1tet1.:
According to this man the yil@1ll=IleW
|the@pennanI= of the NeMs=A- -urk=Asa acht
club. b.s=
q Even more hofrihfe=tttssan this-aild
similar aets=oE=incfe hte=ta alldhtsilSsss
is the story. Of faliss-AarthazN azN.eiik.
who says that Mile size slisG2 stcd III
the water a boat drew aion ssittt=at llef
and that the occupants zttfief@stripIln
her Of her rings and Other ieAMellN,
pushed her back into the water. The
body OF the steward had been riiiea
when found and Of several hunaGel
dollals he was supposed 10 nave IN
his pockets not a cent was found.
OFFICERS AND CREW FAIL ED
TO MEET TIE l.Nys!E z GENCY.
There is open criticism q the failure
of the Slocum's officers alla crew 70
meet the emergency anu as y@t no foi-
nal action has tbeGn t.s.. ea by y.zeltleI
the municipal Or federal authoiitics.
Captain Van Schaick and the TIVE
pilots are under arrest, but ate held
only as Witnesses.
That there was terrific failafc TO
meet the responsibilities isantonl,tad.
no effort as far as can Dc lea9nea MS
made to launch the lileinits OF boats
and no concerted att iNt made TO.
ward equirping the helnla$s Wotaen
and children with life ,ll,tspt,,sttsss;. iittt
few OF those rescued ast,i lew of the
bodies recovered from he river had
on life preserVRFs and according TO
several Statements, most Of those si!i-
posed Instruments ol safety Mele piac-
tically worthless, either coming aa;tt
when attempt was ,nade - tlsa nom 1f
not possessing the bnos,iney they ase
supposed to have.
There is very general criticism OF
the captain and pilots for their failure
to turn-the vessel ashore the moment
they were Informed that the tlYc had
gained headMay captain Van Schaics
has made several statements, varying
in detail, but none OF them is aconsia.
cred as satisfactory Pilot Van Warl,
however, said that he could not dock
the vessel because oil of her haWsefs
were burned
The scenes at the bureau Of infola
nation, which has been established IN
st. Marks Lutheran church, were
pathetic in the extreme. There IS a
constant stream of people and now
and again, as some one is informed
that the loved one for whom he OF Ssbe
Is seeking is among the dead crysof
grief is heard.
The wreck OF the General Slocnm
lies about 200 feet off I,aretlos point,
withethe bow pointing to the south
west and only portion Of the one
paddleWheel box aboye.Water. Two
floats are psade fast To the bow Of the
boat and divers are continually going
down into the Wateif Later IN Lie
day they will 70 under The wreck,
when the tide tulnssana lis Thought
they will find "a great many Victims
there, as this was the Side on which
the crowd was.
coRTELYou TAKES ACTION.
Orders Rigid investigation Of New
York Disaster
Washington, june IA rigid IN
vestigation OF the General Slocnm dis
aster has been ordered by Secretary
Cortelyou OF the department Of com:
merce and labor. The inYesi igation
will be conducted by the steamboat in-
spection service under the direction OF
George Uhler, supervising Inspector
general 1t will be conducted by Gen
eral James A i)ulDont and Thomas III,
Barrett, constituting the local boaid
of steamboat inspectors in New York.
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