The San Francisco call., 1904-10-17

BLAMED FOR
DISASTER
Held Responsible for SlOcum
Tragedy by Commission
and Are to Be Dismissed
From the Federal Service
ROOSEVELT ACTS
WITH PROMPTNESS

WASHINGTON, oct 16.-The report
of the United States Commission Of In
vestigation on the disaster to the
steamboat General Slocum was made
public to-day In connection with the
important findings of the commission
presented i'm the report, President
Roosevelt, 10 whom the report was
submitted has written letter TO Sec
retary Metcalf Of the Department or
Commerce and Labor briefly summar
izing the report and directing him TO
carry into effect the recommendation
of the commission. He also directs that
Robert $. Rode, supervising Inspector
of the Second District, steamboat in
spection service. and James A. Du-
mont and Thomas n. Barrett, local in
sPectoTs in charge Of the port of New
York, be discharged from the service,
the commission holding them directly
responsible for the laxity Of the steam
boat inspection TO which the SlOcum
disaster was directly attributable.
Appended 10 the report is a report
from the Department OF Justice on the
criminal proceedings connected with
the disaster, and the life preserver
cases.
The Presidents letter to Secretary
Metealf follows. dated October Il;
! have reeeivsd the report Of the "Commis-
sion Of the United states on the investigation
port OF the Dspartuent Of Justice OF October
-. eeapitulsting what has been done BY the
department OF Justice IN eonheelloh Nh Nh tne
criminal proceedings taken against various IN
dviduals because Of their connection with the
disaster. send herewith both reports.
course. only take two forms: one that OF legal
proceedings against those either within or
within the service from office. II appears that
the Department Of Justice has already secured
Indictments against the master and captain Of
a~-~ = ma a1rf~ n
OF the KnckerbOcker Steamboat Company, to
which company the Sloeum belonged, FOR mis-
conduct. nesligencs and inattsntion 20 duty by
the captain and for aiding and abettins therein
by the managing directors Furthermore, the
Department Of Justice has secured indictments
against Henry Lundberg and John ". Fleming.
the assistant inspectors Of the steamboat IN
spsction Sertice. who actually inspected the
to duty
Lundberg had been appointed merely on pro-
baton in the service and has been dropped
There can OF course, be no further action
taken against Fleming until his trial has been
finished. although il does not follow that an
Justice from discharging him from the service
In addition, the Department OF Justice has
employees Of the Nonpareil Cork Works OF Cam
den n. j.. for putting upon the market com
pressed cork blocks for use in making life pre-
servers each Of which block contained In its CEN
ter piece Of bar iron weighing several ounces
This last ofense was OF so heinous a character
that IL is difficult 20 comment upon ~ win
proper self-restraint IL appears that the Ma
tiOnal Legislature has never enacted law pro
yiding in set terms for the punishment Of this
particular species Of tnfamy doubtless because
it never entered the head Of any man that
gross an infamys could be perpetrated. i sug-
gest that you report this whole matter TO Con
gress. transmitting these two reports and at
the same time calling special attention TO the
needs OF imposing an adequate penalty for the
making or selling Of defective life saving apPli-
aRces
has done in reference to the disaster But in
addition to the men put on trial by the De
Dartment of Justice. action should be taken
against those employees whose responsibility
for the state of things producing the accident
has been brought out in the report OF the com
mission According 70 this report. IL appears
that in addition to the two assistant fnspso-
tors who now on trial. the supervising in
spectOr OF the Second District. Mr.. Rode. and
tie two local inspectors Of the port Of New
York DIr. DumOnt and Mr. Barrett, should all
three be removed for laxity and neglect In
performing their duties. As regards the con-
duet OF Mr.. Rodie Mr.. Uhler disssRts from the
conclusions OF the four other Commissioner.
agree with the conclusions 81 the other four.
LaXity and neglect where the consequences
may be SO terrible as they have been proved
in this case cannot be passed over even where
there has been good conduct IN other respects
by the present men implicated. Accordingly
the three officials named viii be removed from
the service Moreover. you viii please direct
their successors in office TO at once conduct a
thorough examination of the entire inspection
force Of the port Of New York, with the oh
ject OF weedinS out all the men whom such
examination shall show 20 be UNITED to per
form the very arduous and responsible duties
The supervising inspector general has At
present headquarters force Of special
agents, so that il is undoubtedly very difacult
for him to exercise any adequate and direct
supervision over the various local divisions 0r
the inspection service In each division he
must rely chiefly on the fidelity and energy os
the local heads and f these fail TO perform
their duty they mUat be held accountable. TTe
must however, exercise thorough a super
vision the means at his disposal allow. Iu
order that / may be informed as TO the exact
condition of the service in all its parts. II direct
you 10 order a searching Investigation in con-
tinuance OF the Investigation Of the commits.
sion, into the conduct of the central office and
OF every outside subdivision OF the service save
that in New York.
You will also make such changes in the reg
uIatfons as are recommended by the commits
sion. and you will therefore call a special
meeting OF the Board Of Supervising Inspec-
tors for this purpose. You viii also lay before
Congress a request that the law be changed in
the various particulars recommended by the
commission. / wish particular emphasis laid
upOn the proposal of the commission that there
be created by law special body thOroughly
to investigate the laws which are supposed to
provide for the safety OF passengers on steam
the prime causes Of danger are the overcrOwd-
ing and the himsy and highly inhammable
character OF the superstructures. Very truly
yours, THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
SUSPECTED OF ROBBERY RY-Detectfves
Brenner and Freel arrested Michael Ryan on
Suisun and Nacaville to answer robbery