The San Francisco call., 1904-06-21
SURVIVORS OF WRECK OF SLOCUM
MAKE APPALLING ADMISSIONS
Mate of the II-Fated Steamer Testifes at
COroner's Inquiry That He Had Never
Received Any Instructions in Fire Drill

NEW YORK. June 20.-The list of
those who perished on the General
SlOcum IS growing at an alarming
rate. Bodies came 10 the surface to-
Gay of the shores Of North Brother
Island singly and i'm groups Of twos
and threes until at dusk ninety-eight
additional bodies had been recovered.
Every passing steamer seemed TO churn
up the water 10 such a degree that
With its wash one or more bodies would
be swept on 10 the beach. Between
the hours Of 3 and in the afternoon
forty bodies. some of them badly
mUtilated, We're taken ashore by the
Searching parties.
This brings the total number Of bod
les recovered up TO 7S0. and yet there
are something like 323 persons unac.
counted FOR. A number Of these are
among the 125 unidentified al the
MOrgue and over on North Brother Isl
and and the "unrecOgniza ble'' that
have been buried in the Lutheran
Cemetery on Long Island.
The Coroner's inquiry into the disas-
ter was begun to-day. Thousands Of
persons gathered in and around the ar
mory IN the borough OF the Bronx,
where the inquest was held.
NO FIRE DRILL.
J. Coakley. one Of the SlOcum's deck
hands, at the Coroner's inquest. he
never had been instructed in a fire
drill since he became an emplOye Of
the Knickerbocl1er Company at the be-
ginning Of last season. Coakley said
he first learned that the steamer was
on fire when a small boy called his at
tention TO the smoke rolling down from
the bow. C0akley said he ran up to-
a~E he hn nF he 81 nd
found a blaze in the locker where the
oil for the lamps was kept. He dumped
charcoal on il, hoping TO smother the
flames, then cut down the hose and
called for assistance. The fire was so
hot that he and those who came to
help him were driven out of the locker,
but they got the hose in position and
had just directed a stream on the fire
when the hose burst When the crew
found Il impossible to control the fire
they turned their attention to the pas
sengers. Coakley said he took down
many life preservers and distributed
them among the women and children.
So far as he could see all the preserv-
ers were in good condition.
FLANAGAN TESTIFIES.
Edward Flanagan. the mate for the
last two seasons on the Slocum. said
that the forward cabin, where the fire
linens and worn out awnings and
broOms. He had one barrel Of sperm
Oh there and there were some empty
barrels that had contained oil.
Flanagan said that as soon as he
was aware of the fire he notified the
captain. calling up the tube:
we are al afire forward"
What answer did you get?"
j did not wait for any answer ]
went TO the engineers to give me
water"
Had you given any orders up TO
that time to man the lifeboats?"
Not up TO that time"
What orders did you give your
men2"
None up TO that time. When I got
back from the engineers I manned the
pipes. Then when the water pressure
came a coupler blew off and the pipe
burst Then we tried TO reach the other
standpipes, but we could not pass the
flames"
PRESENT AT INSPECTION.
Flanagan said he was present when
the special inspection took place. At
this point the Coroner ordered Inspec-
tors Fleming and Lundberg TO leave
the courtroom.
Flanagan, however, said he did not
accompany the inspectors on their
rounds. He knew, he said, that ten or
twenty NJ life rarasa-x-arS xr-ar-a ~.