The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-18
Will Have TO Dynamite Wreck
Of The General SIOcun
DIVERS ARE HARD At WORK
Estimates as to Number Of Dead Still
Vary Greatly, But $50 Bodies
Have Been Recorded.
Fifty Unidentified.

New York June 17..-Despite the untiring
Iork OF the divers and grapplers. and the
watchfulness of scores of men who have
given themselves over to the task OF
searching for the missing, but few bodies
of those who perished in the Slocum dis
Rster were recovered today.
1t was stated by divers who went down
Into the wreck at dawn, that there are
many bodies still under the ENHANCEMENT
ii timbers, and paddle wheels, and that
lt would be necessary to dynamite the
hulk or raise 1t before they could be
reached. To this end, city officials COM
muncated with a wrecking company, and
an announcement was made that the COM
rany would undertake the work of bring
ing the wreck to the surface. Later, how
ever, a conference between the marine in
surance companies aud the wrecking COM
rany, ended in a disagreement with the
result that for the present at least, the
matter is in allegiance.
At this conference it was announced
that the Knickerbocker Steamboat COM
pany which owns the Gen. Slocum had re-
signed all claim to the boat, on the agree
ment that 1t should receive $4,000, the
amount for which the boat was insured
Salvage company and Transportation
company failed to agree on terms, and If
the boat is raised at all, the cost prob
nbly Will come out of the city treasury.
cortelyou viii Investigate.
Secretary Cortelyou of the department
of commerce and labor will personally
undertake the investigation into the dis
aster on behalf of the government. Dis
trict Attorney Jeromes assistants. are
working energetically on the case, and
officials of the coroners office have made
considerable progress in the way of gath
ering evidence which will be presented
on Monday when the coroner's inquiry
will begin.
There is IN the coroners s. possessien a
standpipe taken at his direction by a
diver from the submerged wreck. The
valve of the pipe is closed tight. showing
that no effort was made to open this pipe
In fighting the flames on the Slocum.
Statements were made to the coroner
today by several of the steamboat em-
ployes who will appear as witnesses at
the Inquest that the captain of the Slo-
cum sailed his boat at distance of be-
tween three and four miles after the
fire broke out before beaching her. Sew
eral watches showed that more than half
an hour had elapsed from the breaking
out of the fire until the boat was run
ashore, all the watches which were taken
from the bodies of the drowned stopping
between 1910 and 1920 in the morning.
Estimates Still Vary.
Estimates as to the number of dead
still vary greatly, and this may be ac-
counted for by reason of the failure to
report to the proper authorities on the
part of many who, although officially
registered as missing. were really saved
Already $50 bodies have been recovered
of which about fifty remain unidentified
Thirteen officers of the ST. Marks church
are among the dead, one of them being
woman.
The first funeral from among the VIC
tins was held today. 1t was that of
young girl who IS believed to have died of
heart disease from fright. No signs of
death from burning or drowning was dis
covered Her funeral was followed by
sore Of others who were attended by
thousands OF persons from the East SIDE,
where most of the dead had lived
Tomorrow there will be 300 OF more
funerals and thirty-two unrecognizabe
dead now lying at the morgue will be
laid away iE the Lutheran cemetery at
Middle Village, L. l. The city mas ar
ranged for their burial plot large enough