Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-22
STARTLING EVIDENCE
FURTHER TESTIMONY AT SLO-
CUM DISASTER INQUEST.
Inspector Refuses to Answer Questions
and is Held-S45 Bodies
Recovered.

A dispatch from New York last night
says: Evidence of a startling nature, which
doubtless will have important bearing
on the ultimate result of the coroner'S in
qury into the General Slocum disaster. was
forthcoming at the inquest today, showing:
That the United States laws for the pro-
lection of human life were absolutely dis
regarded in many vital respects by the Of
ficers of the Knickerbocker Steamboat
Company, which owned the Slocum. There
was no equipment for turning steam into
the forward cabin. in which oils, paints and
other combustibles were stored. and in
which the fire started. The federal laws
calling for fire drills. the testing of fire
hose and the carrying of a licensed mate
were also disregarded.
Refused to Answer Questions.
The United States steamboat inspector,
Henry Lundberg who favorably passed
upon the Slocum and her lfe-saving appa-
ratus, refused to answer questions when
placed on the stand, giving the excuse that
the answers might incriminate him.
That the books of the company showed
that not a single new life preserver had
been purchased for the General Slocum
since 1890.
That the fire hose purchased for the Slo-
cum cost 16 cents a foot, while the fire
hose used by the city fire department costs
$50 foot.
That the company had tried to make it
appear that several hundred life preservers
had been purchased for the Slocum by
putting in as evidence bills for life pre-
servers that were bought for, delivered to
and receipted by the Grand Republic.
A Flimsy Trick.
This fimsy trick has aroused the ire of
the officials beyond measure because of the
immensely of the catastrophe and the
III lie
were put in by President Frank A. Bar
naby of the Knickerbocker Steamboat
Company. Mr.. Barnaby's examination has
not yet been concluded. He will be placed
on the stand again before the inquest Is
ended.
erase with acid the words Grand Repub-
lic' from one of the Hfe-preserver bills
was made by Miss M. c. Hail. an elderly
woman. who Is the bookkeeper, stenograph-
er and cashier of the company. She gave
a wabbly reason for erasing the name with
acid, which did not satisfy Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Garvan, who Is examining
the witnesses for Coroner Berry. Mr.. Gar
van Is not yet through with the acid mat
ter
Rotten Fire Hose.
At the inquest yesterday much testimony
was had as to the Slocum's fire hose, which
cost 16 cents a foot and which Fire Chief
Croker says could not possibly be worth
anything, and about the life preservers, one
of which, according to an officer of the
boat, Seemed" to drag down a little girl
into the water. The sensation of the day,
however, was the refusal to testify Of Hen
nv Lundberg an assistant steamboat in
spector who examined the Slocum on May
6. His lawyers said that he might In
criminate himself. His action was called
''unparalleled' by Assistant District At
torney Caravan.
Beached at Proper Place.
Edwin Weaver. second pilot of the Slo-
cum, told of the mad race of the doomed
craft up the river from the time the fire
was reported to the men in the pilot house
until the steamer was beached on North
Brother Island. The distance, he said. was
no more than half a mile. the time con-
sumed in making the run between two and
half and three minutes. and the place
where the bow was beached was the best
DC ssible place that could have been selected
under the circumstances.
did you not tell me on Sunday" de-
manded the coroner. that If 1t had been
left to you the Slocum would have been
beached at 10th street?'
Il did not. The tide would not let her
turn That boat takes two minutes to
swing, and there was no sea room. To
turn the boat and beach her on the Sunk
en- Meadows would have taken from Ave
to eight minutes"
Weaver said to turn the boat any other
way than the way she was turned was to
why did you beach her just where you
did?' asked Coroner Berry.
ITO get her out Of the flood and place
her 30 that the wind would take the flames