The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-06-18

to-day with an undertaken who was to
attend to the burial of the bodies, they
could not be found. The bodies num-
bered were ia and LIS, respectively
and the authorities at the morgue have
no record of any such bodies having
been given to any one, though they
had record of Identification made by
Mr.. Hill yesterday. 1t is thought some
undertaken was given the bodies In
place of two others which he should
have taken, through a copfusion of
numbers.
532 Bodies Recovered.
Forty-eight hours after the burning
of the General Siocum the exact num-
Der of victims Is Still unknown. In the
early morning hours few bodies were
brought to the morgue, bringing the
total up to sac.
One hopeful phase of the situation is
the steady decrease in the number of
missing. though 1t is still appallingly
large, the number of missing being
somewhere between 400 ard 500. The
various officials whose position brings
them in touch with the disaster still
adhefe to the belief that when all is
told 1t would be found that between 500
and 1900 persons persisted.
Burials Begin.
The task Of burying the dead began
today. Early in the forenoon a meet
ing of the German Lutheran ministers
OF the city was held and a program of
service arranged. while in many in
stances a joint service will be held
over several bodies.
The concentration of the blow of the
disaster is shown by the fact that in
one apartment house in Eighth Street
there are thirty-five dead. while in an
Irvington Street house sixteen bodies
await burial.
Preliminary steps have been taken
for three distinct Investigations of the
disaster These are being undertak an
by the Federal authorities, through The
Department of Commerce.; by the coro-
ners Office, and by the District Attor-
ney. The coroner's inquest will begin
Monday.
Captain Van Schaieck of the S1ocum
and six of his crew lie in a hospital
with a policeman at the bedside cf
each. They are at present detained as
witnesses. The authoyities are rapidly
gaining such evidence as will be aid
full in ascertaining whether or not there
was neglect or carelessness in the safe
ty appliances of the vessel.
Fire Hose Was ROtten.
First Oficer Edward Flanagan of the
saying that the steamers fire hose was
rotten and useless, and that 1t 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 when
used. Several papers today print pic
lures of preservers taken from the SIo-
cum, which bear In black letters this
Inscription:
Passed by United States steamboat
inspection June IS, 1891"
Deck Hands Statement.
William Thembley, deck hand, cor
roborates Flanagan's statement re-
garding the defective fire hose and it
is reported that evidence has been Sc
cured showing that some of the life
boats were made fast by wires. making
1t impossible for them to be cast loose
and lowered. All the men who have
made these statements will be called
as witnesses By the coroner. r.
Police boats and other harbor craft
still maintain their patrol of the waters
in the East River in the vicinity of the
accident fin the hope of recovering
bodies. . ........=.#.
Latest Identified Dead.
Additional identihcations of the dead
made today at the morgue We're:
George Lane, Matilda Merseles, Car
RTE Michaels Daniel Marshal. Elizabeth
Meyers, Kate Morris. Stella Ramenel-
kamp, Bessie Stolz. Margaret Salkman,
Emmanuel Stahl, Annie Schmediing,
Henry Seipert. George Timm, Hedwig
Timm, Frederick Vetter.