The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-29
''Let No Guilty Man Escape, ;

The verdict Of the coroner's jury in
the slocum case, includes In the
criminal responsibility or negligence
and accessory to such responsibility,
the steamboat company's directors
and officers, Captain Van Schalk, Cap
tain Pease, commodore Of the fleet to
which the Slocum belonged; the mate
of the boat; the government steam
boat inspector. Manslaughter in the
second degree is charged, and the ac-
cused will have to stand trial.
The evidence which has been Civ
en- to the public at the coroner's in
quest has shown that an excursion
steamer, constructed and operated to
carry large numbers of people upon
the water, was, while steaming on
Long Island sound, her decks full of
excursionists, burned to the waters
edge with about q thousand men,
women and children who had en-
barked upon the vessel believing that
their lives were not imperiled. II
has been shown from the admission
Of some of the witnesses from the
crew that the boat was frightfully de-
f1cient in proper equipment Of life
saving appliances, and that the fire.
fighting apparatus was practically
worthless while there was careless dis.
position and handling of oil in barrels
The directors and Others not immedi'
ateIy in charge of the Inflated boat
disclaim responsibility, as does thu
government Inspector, who, not Ions
ago, inspected the slocum, but a com
pany which advertises Its boats as fl
and ready to carry large numbers o
excursionists, by that act assumes re
sponsibility for the safety Of the per
sons who embark A railway com
pany is responsible for tn
safety of the passengers wh'
travel ' upon its. trains ant
for the vigilance Of its engineers an
trainmen and train dispatchers AM
switchmen and bridge draw tenders ii
the faithful performance Of thei
duties Those Immediately in charg
Of the Slocum seem to have assume'
that It was none Of their business t
see that the ire-fghting and life-sav
ing appliances were in absolutely eff
fective condition before the steame
started on her trip. The deckhand
testified that there were no fire drill
and no life .preservers had bee
bought for nine years and the hos
was poor and ragged and, if it ha
been good, the standpipe was clogge
10
The government inspectors cor
tribution to the criminality was h
neglect to report the poor condition {
the safety appliances on theIboat.
It would seem, too, that there WE
. fearful lack of judgment on the pa
L of the captain in running the burnin
: vessel on a full head Of steam to tf
, island, where she was beached, ii
, creasing the draft and quickening tt
) progress Of the flames to the destru
/ ton Of the terrified passengers. Hs
= the boat been stopped as soon as
was known that she was af1ame, mo
of the, people might have bee
l rescued.
The coroner's verdict is prelininal
2 to the more exhaustive inquiry befo
the courts, where the questions
q criminal responsibility and Grimm
negligence will be determined. ~ II
United States government will inves
q gate the procuring causes Of the di
O aster and it will be disclosed wheth
Steamboat Inspector Lundberg IS ju
;. tilted in his denial Of criminal ne
ligence in the matter. The coroner
jury found government inspection We
faulty and inspectors frequently i
competent, and there will come gre
good out Of the dire Slocum calami'
If the several Investigations growi
- out of it result In a general revisit
, Of steamboat inspection laws, viii
will require an excursion boat to be
secure as a big transatlantic steamsh
from the chances Of floating firetre
If Africa's Cape-to- Cairo railway Is SO
e advanced that thru trains have be
1t started over 1,600-mile stretch of
n Now is the time to secure a few outl
II in Ijijiji before the road reaches Il