Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-06-22
Missing from Gen. SIo-
cum Disaster Over 800.
lust liz Bodies Taken Out Of
the Water, tuesday.
Startling Evidence at Coroner's Hear
ins-lnspector Lundberg Refuses to
Answer-Fire Hose Ct inferior Ma
ture.

New York. June 21.-By the use Of
dynamite and heavy guns fired by men
from the I'd Battery scores Of bodies
of victims of the steamer Gen. Slocum
disaster were brought up from the
| bottom around the shores OF North
Brother Island, today. From sunrise to
| sunset the searchers along the beach
and In the boats gathered in 112, bring
ing the number of bodies recovered to
| date, up to the appalling total of S45.
| or these, 200 have been identified and
the missing still are Appropriated at
something more than 500. Many of the
| bodies last found will never be identi-
| fed.
Evidence of a startling nature, which
doubtless will have an important bear
ing on the ultimate result of the coro-
ner's inquiry, was forthcoming at the
inquest, today.
Perhaps the most unexpected incident
was the continued refusal to answer
questions of Henry Lundberg, a United
States steamboat inspector, who was
supposed to have inspected the life pre-
servers and the hull of the Inflated
steamer. His refusal was based on the
ground that an answer might tend to
advice of his counsel
The coroner committed Lundberg to
the House of Detention, but later ac-
cepted $500 bail for his appearance at
the hearing, tomorrow, which was sat
isfactory to the assistant district at
torney.
Second Pilot Weaver of the Slocum,
testified that he had purchased the fire
fnr bon
PRODUCED evidence to show that the
price paid was 40 cents a foot, less 60
per cent. or 16 cents per foot net.
Daniel ONeil who according to his
sworn statement had never worked on
a boat until he was hired on the Slo-
cum a short time ago. admitted that
he became frightened after the fire had
gained great Roadway and had jumped
into row boat filled with people from
the Slocum. capsizing IT. sq
Miss L. c. Hall. bookkeeper for the
Knickerbocker Steamboat Co., told of
ensures she had made with acid ON
certain bills for life preservers, and the
substitution of the name General Slo-
cum for Grand Republic"
Monday night proved the most trying
period in their long vigil for the watch
ers who patroled the river in search of
the dead. Drenched and blinded by the
downpour of rain which broke after
midnight and with the sickening blue
fare of the vivid lightning flashes
lighting up the surface Of the river, the
watchers kept their vigil, the little
boats circling about the wide stretch
of water between the island and the
mainland. One particularly bright fash
of lightning revealed to the men on
watch at North Brother island two
bodies floating together about 100 yards
out from the shore. A few minutes later
the bodies Of young woman and an
infant girl had been added to the row
of unidentified dead on the island. In
like manner other bodies were found at
many points and the list OF recovered
steadily increased.
MANY of the bodies taken from the
river. Tuesday. were I'm such condi-
ton az to make Identification almost
impossible.
Dynamite was used. today in an eff
fort to dislodge bodies believed to be
In the wreck and lying on the river
bottom. A large number Of cartridges,
attached to heavy blocks OF wood,
We're submerged about three feet and
then exploded. At the same time
battery Of field guns stationed on
floats In the vicinity of North Brother
island fired scores OF shots across the
water for the same purpose.
President Roosevelt has sent to
Jacob II. Schiff. treasurer Of the Cen
eral Slocum relief committee, con-
trlbution Of $500 to the relief fund
Daniel O'Neill. deck hand on the
slocum. was called as the first witness
at the hearing, today. O'Neill said
that hemever saw any fire drill on the
although he had been employed
on her ever since she was put In COM
mission. this year. He did not see any
continual o,, raoa q