The Savannah morning news., 1904-06-18

lowed by a score of others, which were
attended by thousands of persons from
the East Side community, where most
Of the dead had lived.
Many More Funerals.
Tomorrow there will be 300 or more
funerals and thirty-two unrecOgnizable
bodies, which are now lying at the
morgue, will be placed each in sep
arate coffin and in a separate hearse
and laid away in the Lutheran Gene
terry at Middle Village, l.. I. The city
has arranged for their burial, a plot
large enough for the interment of $50
bodies having been set aside in this
cemtery. All the unknown dead will
be placed here side by side.
Many thousands of dollars have been
subscribed to a relief fund. Within an
hour or two after the subscription list
to the Mayors relief fund was open
ed, $4,000 had been collected.
Gen. Uhler of Washington, super
vising inspector general of steamboats,,
Collector Stranahan, Gen. Clarkson,
the surveyor of the port, and local Su-
pervising Inspectors Rodie and Du-
mont had a conference this afternoon
and arranged for the inquiry into the
Slocum disaster, which has been order
ed by Secretary Cortelyou.
Total of Dead Runs to $50.
At midnight the authorities at the
morgue made the official announcement
that $50 bodies had been recovered. OF
these 517 had been identified and thirty
two of those remaining were charred
beyond recognition.
Late in the day four bodies were
recovered at North Brother Island by
divers at work in boats and taken
ashore. They were removed to the
morgue and are included in the total.
The morgue officials only tonight
discovered they had failed to account
for the bodies of twenty-siX men, wom-
en- and children that had been identi-
fed at the Alexander avenue station
on Wednesday within two or three
hours after the accident and removed
by friends and relatives. These brought
the list up to $50 recovered dead.
The session was secret, but it was
learned that the character of the life
preservers and fire equipment of the
General Slocum received lengthy con-
sideration. Collector Stranahan asked
Gen. Dumont to produce Inspector
Lundberg, who had certified to the sat
isfactory equipment of the vessel. Gen.
Dumont said that Lundberg was then
appearing before Coroner Berry, bus
would be produced later as a witness.
Might Incriminate Him.
When Inspector Lundberg appeared
before the coroner he was accompa-
MED by counsel. The coroner asked
him several questions about his work.
which he answered.
when did you last inspect the Slo-
cum?" asked Coroner Berry.
4 decline to answer that question,
by advice of counsel"
"On what grounds?" asked the coro-
ner.
"On the grounds that it might tend
to incriminate me-" responded the in
spector.
That ended the preliminary inquiry.
The disagreement that has arisen
with regard to the raising of the
wreck has disturbed the district attor-
ney. AS soon as he learned of it he
sent an assistant to the Knickerbocker
Steamboat Company to ask that the
company take some action in the mat
ter Mayor Mcclellan, Police Com
missioner McAdoo and Mr.. Jerome con-
ferredA on this question during the day.
The district attorney has subpoenaed
representatives of the Knickerbocker
Steamboat Company, its counsel, Judge
Dittenhoefer, and president and off,
GERS, Capt. Van Schaick and the crew
and others to appear at his office to-
morrow. The intention is to get as
complete a history of the disaster as
possible, and a number of survivors
of the wreck have been summoned as
WELL If the responsibility can be
fixed it will be done and the outcome
of the examinations, it is hoped by the
district attorney, will give some real
information.
None Will BE Shielded.
Secretary of Commerce and Labor
George B. Cortelyou. who had a long
conference with Robert S. Rode, in
spector of the Second district of New
York after his arrival here, said to-
day that he would give his personal
attention to the federal investigation
of the Slocum disaster
Mr.. Cortelyou said that if it was
found to be true that the employees
of the government have been Grim
inally negligent in their inspection of
boilers in New York harbor the pub
lie can rest assured that no one will
be shielded but that the blame will
be placed where it properly belongs.
II want it thoroughly understood"
continued Mr. Cortelyou, that the fed
eral authorities will protect no one;
but until it is demonstrated that some
one has been lax in his duty or worse
will stand back of every one in the
service
Born in That Distress.
Several witnesses were examined by
Coroner Berry tonight, including the
second mate of the Slocum, James Cor
coran. Corcoran said the first engi-
neer, William Conklin, was among the
first to hurry off the vessel to tug.
The fire started in a room used for
storing oils, Corcoran said.
"A sight 1 saw on that boat / will
remember for a long time, l guess,
he continued. II saw woman give
birth to a child and then jump over
board with the new born babe. They
both died. l could not get to her, the
crowd was so great, and she had no
help at all-people were crazy The
fire was all around her and she picked
up her babe in her arms, wrapped
piece of her clothing about It and,
sick and frightened as she was looked
about for a way to escape. There was
none 1t took only a moment for her
to realize this. Then she climbed on