The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-06-24
NEARING 900
List of the SlOCum Vic
Tins is Still In
CredSing
MORE EVIDENCE
Before the Coroner's Jury.
A Determined Effort Will be Made
to Find Out the Number Of Persons
Who Took Passage on the Excursion
Steamer the Day of the Disaster
Every Succeeding Hours Search for
Bodies Adds to the Total.

New York, June 22.-That the illfated
steamer General Slocum had no life
preservers aboard less than nine years
old was admitted by counsel of the
at the inquest today. Miss Hall, the
Knickerbocker Steamboat Company
bookkeeper of the company had testified
concerning several bills for preservers
Grand Republic" the sister ship .of
the Slocum and substituted that Of the
latter. Notwithstanding this, the coun-
sci for the company said they would
make the admission, as to the age Of
the belts as they were una
dence was also brought out that the
inspectors did not examine the fire
hose and standpipes and that the pre-
servers were not in good shape.
A determined effort to ascertain as
nearly as possible the number of per-
sons who took passage on the excur-
sion steamer General Slocum when she
started on her Inflated trip up the
sound one week ago today. has been
begun under the direction Of the police
department. One hundred patrolmen,
specially selected from the various
precincts, have been detailed to visit
the home of every person whose name
has been in any way mentioned In con-
nection with the disaster. These Off
GERS will make up a list or names Of all
ersons who went on the excursion
from their several districts. with their
individual fates. From these lists a
final report, embodying all the names,
will be prepared.
The list of known dead, which has
reached S46 up to o'clock this morn
ing, has steadily increased since that
hour. Before daylight twelve more
bodies had been taken from the river
nearly every succeeding nour added to
the total.
William w. Trembley, a deck hand
on the Slocum, testified at the inquest
today that no water was turned on the
flames, that the fire hose did not burst,
that the assistant engineer was not In
the engine room during the fire on the
Slocum and that he saw holes in sew
eral of twenty life preservers which he
threw to passengers struggling in the
water.
Rev. George ShultZ, pastor of ST..
Luke's Lutheran church of Erie. Pa,
who was on the Slocum, said he took
a life preserver before jumping from
the steamer, but when he held it the
weight of the preserver broke the
strap and he threw it away. During
all the trouble he saw only one men,
ber of the crew and he was in the act
of jumping overheard.
The Knickerbocker Steamboat Com
pany conceded that since 1895 no new
life preServerS were purchased for the
General Slocum. Counsel for the Com
pany explained that they made the
confession because they were unable
to explain to the contraryoitxencombr
to prove to the contrary. Considerable
evidence was heard as to the life pre-
servers.
Maria B. Ehrengs, who was taken
from the steamer rail by boat, said
that one Of her daughters who was res
cued had on life preserver when she
was taken from the water.
The inquest was then adjourned for
the day.
New York, June 22.-In identifying
the body of his seven year old daugh-
ter, Elsie who lost her life in the Gen
eral Slocum disaster, John Kircher.
Of Green Point, Long Island, today
her downing was due, he believed. to
a life preseryer that was worse than
useless.
In support OF his assertion Kircher
said that his wife. who with their three
children were on the Slocum, put a life
preseryer on Elsie and dropped her
overheard. thinking she would be per-
fectly safe with the preserver on. she
waited for the child to come up. but
the little one never appeared. The wife
and other two children jumped over
board and assisted by the mother, who
could swim, an got ashore in safety.