New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-24
IN COURT on STRETCHER.
YAN setback NOT CALLED
More Testimony about Rottenness
of SLOcum's Life Preseruers,

NlssluB AaPPAOA4AAGbct 305
Il should be remembered that many of the
missing are numbered among the 1,,;7a1..s 80
dead OF whom there are 116
After session yesterday IN which we're
brought out more details Of the rottenress Of The
life preservers on the General Slocurn and rna
disregard OF the crew for any ones safety save
their own the coroner's inquest was adjourned
until Monday morning. Every effort viii he
made TO have the evidence completed AT thar
time 80 the case may go to the jury in the
afternoon. Captain Van Schaick. who was In
court yesterday but did not testify VIII be
examined then. Coroner O'Gorman. who has
been so busy at North Brother Island that he
has hardly had time 10 sleep. viii be on hand
Their TO tell OF ali he saw there The witnesses
held in the House Of Detention were released.
but served with new subpunas for Monday.
Although It was hardly needed, more testi-
nony 70 the worthless character Of the life
preservers was given yesterday One witness
said they "crumbled in his hands like soda
crackers" Another declared that three split
before she could put one on and that the cork
stufing spilled out. Several told how the pre-
servers tore as they were trying TO land per-
sons by them Another told Of putting on one
which pulled her down until she caught hold of
the pad6lewheeI box
Martin Cragh. a deckhand Of the SD q month
variety. said he was on the hurricane deck
watching the kids when ne saw the fire He
pulled down ten or twelve life preservers, put
one or and jumped overheard. The SIocuun then
was beyond Hell Gate. He didn't see the cap
tain. heard no orders. ana saw no efforts made
10 launch a Hfeboat- He couldn't saw whether
he had heard a fire alarm. because he wouldn't
know one # he heard it" All the life preservers
he saw were in good condition. he said
IN -he opinion OF James Collins a policeman
who rescued many women and children, if the
slocum had been beached at OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
rhirty-second-st many lives would have been
saved Collins was at One-hUndre5 -and-t thirty
fourth-sr- when he saw the slocum afre. He said
there was a lot Of loose cork floating in the
water.
Policeman Farrell. who helped Collins in rescue
work. told the coroner that the Slocum might
have been beached on the Mud Flats" the
shelving beach from Observation-Disclosures
ninth-st 10 OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES -second-st-
Just as Farrell began .Is testimony, four hos
pital attendants paced slowly into the long
drill hall. bearing q stretcher on which lay Cap
tain Van Scha1ck His head swatheO IN
bancages, and hisr light leg was covered with
bandages, and his right leg was covered with
walked with The stretCheT and a physician was
IN attendance The physician said Van schaick
was well enough 10 testify, and he himself said,
Berry. however. decided not 70 call him. so the
little procession went back 10 Lebanon Hospital.
Captain John Van Glider. superintendent OF
the New-York. New-Haveu and Hartford Rail
roads lighter service, said that after
animation OF the SlocuEl's route with Edwin
Weaver. the slocUms assistant pilot, he believed
the steamer should have been beached al One
hundred snd-rlirty -frsu-st- t would have
been easy, and the wind would have blown the
flames outward instead OF toward the stern.
where the people were clustered He indicated
the course on d chart OF tie channel
That point could have been reached" said
he, by changing the course about two and
one-half points. The fOod tide would have been
great help"
Would that course have saved timer"
TT would have been much shorter"
To have beached the SIocum there would have
left her stsrboard side. the side untouched by
the flames. IN deep water, but would have saved
from three 70 FIVE minutes, the witness de-
cared Captain Van Schaick had always born
al excellent reputation. He did his duty con-
scientiousy. the witness thought. but might
have made "a error IN judgment Captain Van
Glider thought the inspectors should prescribe
regulations which would make excursion boats
absolutely freproof Anything the inspectors
ordered done. he said, because without
their consent 10 one could get license he
laughed al the declaration that constructively
the slocum had no hold.
mustn't mind what the inspectors say; they'd
say anything and they're often wrong.
Captain Edward Van Wart, chief pilot OF the
slocUn, said 2J0 new life preservers were
bought in 1885. when the Slocum's license was
changed 10 permit her 70 carry 30 more pas
sengers. he didn't know whether the life pre-
servers and the hose were examined at the be-
ginning q the season. The hfeboats were IN
goOC cor 5itiou. He Weaver and Captain van
schsick were in the pilot house when voice
from the tube announced the fire. Captain y an
schaick once gave the order 70 beach the
slocum North Brother Island II was only
minute III the flames were all around the plIot
house. Van Setback went OUT Immediately aIteT
the warning and did not return. The witness
said he generally made an examination OF the
life preservers. and reported on their cohuAIoH
70 the captain but didn't DO 50 this season
Mrs. H ". Turner told Of trying 10 pun me
preservers from the racks They broke anu
the powdered cork fell OFT Of them MISS Lulu
McKibbn. The telephone operator al SorIh
Brother Island who swan out 10 rescue people
saw women trying TO get preservers from Ile
racks. Those TOO pulled apart and the CORK
spilled Paul Ldebenow. survivor, from "hose
party six were lost. had similar experience
Ee was unable 70 pull down the wires Nhlch
held the preservers in place, 50 he tried 20 re-
move the life preservers separately 1hey CT
bled 81 as hands like soda crackers ne saiu-
Re saw smoke at NineLy-second-st- 80
Joseph F. Ganney, the engineer al -S0I144