Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-23
TOTAL SLOCUM DEAD 1888
INQUEST SHOWED LIFE PRESERV-
Frs WERE DATED 1895.
Evidence Was Multiplied That Steamer
Was Not Adequately Equipped
for Fighting Fire.

Bodies recovered ................. $50
Identified dead ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. I1S
Missing Observation-Disclosures. 800
Apparent total dead .....,-. ......... 93J
A dispatch from New York last night
says: Although week has elapsed since
the steamer went to destruction on North
Brother Island. the bodies of it's victims
continue to be found in the waters ada
cent to the scene of the disaster Today
thirty-seven came to the surface making
the total number recovered $50 OF these
77S have been identified. Despite the fact
that the police are bending every energy
toward getting complete list of those who
went on the Inflated excursion definite
figures as to the number missing cannot
be given.
From present Indications however it is
apparent that the death roll will total
nearly 1000
Loss May Reach 1,OS6.
Revised lists of the missing make it prob
able that the number will be about :850--it
was 3OS last night Adding this to the
dead already identified, the total is reached
of 1OS6, and this, it is believed, will not be
far from the exact number of victims
which can. of course, never be known.
Tomorrow 100 policemen who speak Ger
man will begin a hOuse-to-house canvass
FOR the purpose Of verifying the list of the
missing.
Life Preservers Rusted by Wire.
At yesterdays session of the coroners in
quest it was admitted by the officers of the
Knickerbocker Steamboat Company that no
new life preservers were placed on board
the Slocum since 1895. The engineer testi-
fed that he never knew of a fire drill
aboard her, and other witnesses told of the
int1ammable character of the contents of
the cabin where the fire started. Another
member of the Slocums crew expressed the
opinion that wires placed to hold the life
preservers In position had rotted them.
The bodies of fifty-two unidentified dead
We're prepared for burial yesterday. Their
interment will take place. today in the
Lutheran cemetery at Middle Village. l.. /.
AT the coroners inquest yesterday an i'm
portant part of the testimony related to
the porters visit to the storeroom with a
lighted lamp. This room was filled with
1nfiammable stuff and it is supposed that in
or near it the fire originated.
C--eap Fire Hose
Evidence was multiplied that the General
Slocum was not equipped in any way for
fighting fire. Cheap new fire hose had
been provided this year. but it has not been
tested in any way. either by the inspectors
or the officers of the boat.
When the emergency arose the hose could
not be used: 1t was knked and twis: ed
the coupling to the standpipe slid off and
the nozzle could not be attached Accord
ing to the testimony of the mate this hose
cost 16 cents a foot. The commodore of
the knickerbocker fleet. Capt. A Pease,
who had not heard this figure given, de
clared with emphasis that good hose could
not be bought at that price.
Great progress was made during the day
and at the conclusion of the session Nj.
Caravan said he hoped to bring the inquest
to an end this afternoon. The main wit
nesses today will be the divers who have
worked in the hull of the vessel and who
have brought to the surface many tmpor-
tant exhibits; Captain Van Schaick. who
commanded the Slocum, and who is now
confined In the Lemanon Hospital and
Capt Edward Van Wart. the chief pilot