The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-10-10
PRESIDENT HAS
SLOCUM REPORT
Grew Of Vessel Scored More
& Rigid Federal Laws Are
Urged. 81

Washington, Oct. lO.-The commits.
sion appointed to investigate the Slo-
cum disaster has submitted it's report
to the president. Some new legislation
VII! be recommended, but the report
Will show nothing sensational. The
steamboat inspection service will be de-
fended as a whole, but suggestions for
The inspectors in charge Of New York
Will be criticized and held in some
measure responsible for the reprehensi-
BILE condition of the Slocum and the
want OF proper instructions when new
inspectors are put to work will be in
weighed against as an evidence of laxi-
ty IN the service that should be con-
demned. -
One OF the executive officers of the
Slocum is found to have been serving
without license and the crew will be
shown utterly without training or ex-
perlence to, meet any condition that
w9 mId imperil the lives of passengers.
- Inc recommendations that will be
made, 1t is understood, will be largely
along the lines of those recommended
by Former Secretary Cortelyou to con-
gress. Chief among these is one that
gives the secretary control of the regu-
latlons governing the inspection service
and taking it out of the hands Of the
board OF supervising inspectors.
Findings of Commission.
In its report the commission finds::
That the ship was not properly In
spected and that no effort was made by
the inspector upon whose report her GER
| tlticate was issued to test the appliances
| supposed to be used for the protection
of life.
That the life preservers were not taken
| from their supports and tested as they
| ShOn16 hot
with granulated cork instead of cork
| blocks, and covered with rotten canvas
| that permitted them to become water
logged the moment they struck the water
That the hose On board the Slocum had
never been given pumping test by the
| officials.
That when the alarm of fire was
! sounded the hose was pulled from its
| supports and permitted to lie on the deck
in coil where, owing to it's long dsuse,
| 1t burst and became useless; that the
pressure from the pumps was inadequate
| for fire purposes.
That there had never been any fire
drills on board the boat; that the officers
| did not know how to command the crew
under such circumstances and that the
crew knew nothing of their duties under
such conditions.
That the projections required by law in
| oNSAA POI % VI the vessel as might be
| exposed to fire had not been complied
| with by the owners.
Should Have Beached
One of the strong points of criticism
is the conduct of the officer of the Slo.
cum in running his vessel so far up the
river before Bleaching her. The report
calls attention to. the very inadequate
fire protection, the quickly collapsinq
wooden deck superstructure which was
destroyed before the ship was beached
and insists that these things should
have compelled the captain Of the Slo.
cum to run his boat aground at the first
possible moment instead Of permitting
his, passengers to burn to death while
making his race to North Brother
island.
The president will go over the report
more in detail and will add to it such
comment as he wishes to make and the
report, with his views on it, will be Civ.
en- out at the White House, probably
on Wednesday.