Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-10-17
|SLOCUM DISASTER
President Roosevelt's Letter on Commissioners Report.
SCORES CAPTAIN AND DIRECTORS.
Whose Responsabze For Wholesale Destructacn Of Hives of Excursion- asts Must Be Fully Punfshed.
 Congress Must Act.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17.-The fol lowing IS the letter in part of President Roosevelt to the secretary of com merce and labor regarding the report of the United States commission of in vestigatIon upon the disaster to the steamer General Siocum:
 TT have received the report of the commission of the United States on the investigation of the General Slocum disaster and the report of the depart ment of justice of Oct 12 recapituIat- 1ng what has been done by the depart xnent of justice in connection with the criminal proceedings taken against va kious individuals because of their con nection with the disaster Punitive ac- xion by the government can of course only take two forms: One, that of legal proceedings against those either within or without the service, and, two, re- moval from office of those within the service.
 Tt appears that the department of justice has already secured indictments against the master and captain of the EIocum and against the managing d. rectors of the Knickerbocker Steam boat company, ta which company the 6locum belonged, for misconduct, neg 1igence and inHttention to duty by the captain and for aiding and abetting therein by the managing directors.
 Furthermore the department of justice has secured indictments against Henry Lundberg and John w. Elem ing, the assistant inspectors of the steamboat inspection service who ac- tualIy inspected the Slocum, for fraud, Lundberg had been appointed merely on probation in the service and has been dropped
 There can of course be no further action taken about Fleming until his trial has been finished, although it does not follow that an acquittal would prevent the department from discharg- Ing him from the service. In addition the department of justice has secured the indictment of the manager and three employees of the Nonpareil Cork works of Camden, N. J., for putting upon the market compressed cork blocks for use in making life preserv- CTS. each Of which blocks contained in it's center piece of bar iron weigh ing several ounces. This last offense was of so heinous character that it is difficult to comment upon it with prop CT self restraint suggest that you report this whole matter to congress.
 "so much for what the department of justice has done in reference to the disaster But in addition to the men put on trial by the department of jus flee action should be taken against those employees whose responsibility for the state of things producing the accident has been brought out in the report of the commission. According to this report 1t appears that in addi tfon to. the two assistant inspectors who are now on trial the supervising inspector of the Second district, MT Rodie, and the two local inspectors o1 the port of New York, Messrs. Du mont and Barrett, should all three be removed for laxity and neglect in per forming their duties. As regards the conduct of Mir. Rodie Mr. Uhler dis sents from the conclusions of the foul other commissioners I agree with tht conclusions of the other four. LaxitJ and neglect, where the consequences may be so terrible as they have prov ed to be in this case. cannot be passed over even where there has been goot conduct in other respects on the par of the man implicated. Accordingly the three officials named will be re moved from the service. Moreover ls xpu wllI please dsxsct thsaE anceesgegl -,