New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-17
CONDITION OF THE BO1T.
T. 1. Barnaby Says Euerything
Has IN the Best Shape.

While its officers have the utmost confidence that
the General Slocum OF the hest. and its
irreproachable the Knckerbocker Steamboat
Company is making investigation to the
cause Of the disaster. So far. according TO F. A.
Barnaby the president. six men. with six stories.
have been found. His own opinion he says is that
the fire started in the storeroom forward. where
kept paints and oil. No conclusive answer
as TO the cause or the responsibility has been
reached. he said yesterday and continued:
The fire apparatus of the very best that
money could buy The boat thoroughly
hauled early this year, and We spent over 5000
ers. pumps and machinery. Wei for life
preservers. We did all and more than the law
quires and complied with every requirement Of the
was ali right am positive because have con-
Gdence in the inspectors they are very exaotlng
and allow US no leeway in what they consider
statement that the hose would not work that it
burst or that the pumps would not work, / con on,
slider false, though I have not heard such was the
case until now.
Have you heard. Mr.. Barnaby. that the steering
apparatus OF rope Instead OF chains. and. being
burned. left the boat unmanageable?' was asked
He replied:
have not heard so. and I do not believe IT, The
inspectors are entirely too watchful. even did We
care 70 assume such a foolish risk The fact that
the vessel rated as an Al risk is the best ev-
es bf c SL mro he ba9f was insured for
$1,000 being distributed among seventeen different
I believe that there were six boats and four RATS.
don't believe that they we're ued down with ropes
and wires. covered with dTle4 paint that tncy
resisted a knife. The life RATS we're simply laid
the deck. and could have been thrown overheard
hin l' rope that was not covered with paint and
which could have easily been cut No wires were
I venture to say that many people were killed
simply IN the effort To get at the boats hundred
90 r doing " could easily have
done. why they not lowered do not know.
What about the life preservers?"
1--WE had over five hundred more than the legal
capacity Of the boat"
What Of the published statement that they were
old and rotten-so much that in many cases
they fell apart when persons tried to put them on?"
1t Is impossible 20 my thinking. that such could
be the case. None Of the life preservers on the
before, as some have alleged. Every year the in
spectors make us throw away hundreds Of them
that are too old for This year we put a lot
Of IN, something Ike a thousand or NJ
teen hundred, If my memory does not fail me, It
the same life preserver IN their mad Efforts each
TO st it It would be easily torn apart Then they
would say they rotten. Under such circum-
s a old one me" and have doubt that this Is the
foundation of the stories | have heard that , some
is said are rotten, but investigation Will reveal
to when they We're bought do rot know. Some
We're new and some were old None were as much
under what you would call the ceiling by thin
wires They simply rest on the wires when 90 nIt
part Of inch they Will fan GOWN as they often
are held up by little two pointed tacks, and a
child could rip down an entire length OF wire with
little strength. dropping every lie preserVer rest
The machinery was thoroughly overhauled this
spring by Tietjen a. Lang and in the best
OF condition. The pumps were in perfect working
boat the pumps were always working. They did
be started. but were constantly in oper-
alton. When the engineer told Of the fire. all
he had 10 do 10 turn a wheel on the wall, and
that Immediately supplied the standpipes through
out the boat. This the engineer did before he
LETT his place.
Referring 10 the place where the fire started Mr..
Barnaby said:
I said. the IRE started on the main deck in
the storerootn. This is almost under the pilot
house. and any discovering it would have had
o go only few steps TO q tube leading to the
pilot house 20 notify the captain We have not
tain Van Schaick. and have been all night trying
| to discover something to work upon. The state
ments Of the crew are unreliable, for they all told
different stories.
What about Captain Van schaiok's physical
condition before the AFFAIR.""
II was the very best He is one of the most
capable captains in this port. Stories to his
! failing eyesight untrue. We doing all in
our power alleviate the sufferings OF these af-
! heted We have retained A wrecking company
effort being made to the bodies OF these
/ lost. No expense Is being spared.
The directors of the Knckerbocler Steamboat
! Company, which has capital OF $4,000 according
! 10 the latest list are: Frank A. Barnaby. James
| c. de Lacey. Charles E. Hin and Floyd S. Corbn.