New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-28
JURY VIEWS THE WRECK.
OYER SLOCUM'S COURSE.
FreeI Shoes Barrel-Says Fire
Started an 1t.

coroner's jury in the SlOcum disaster inquest
let the dismantIed wreck tell it of the disaster
which had cost a thousand lives With coroner
Berry. Assistant District Attorney Garvan eT-
Fire Marshal FreeI and the lawyers for the
Knickerbocker Steamboat Company, the jury
went to North Brother Island, and thence 10
the Erie Basin where the hull of the SiocuIh
lies in an old drydock. inspected the wreck
and then went over the course taken by the
excursion, with Edward Van Wart. chief pilot
Of the Siocum. pointing out the route
This morning ex-Fire Marshal Freel viii tell
the jury of his investigation, making as a 1orInal
bit Of testimony what he told in part yesterday.
Captain Van schaic!l. who is still in Lebanon
Hospital will also testify One or two other
witnesses will be put the stand. and the
case viii go to the jury. The verdict with
transcript Of all the testimony, will be taken
TO General Burnett. United States District AT
torney by Henry A. Wise. United States Assls-
tant District Attorney. who has been az all the
hearings Subpenas viii be issued to witnesses
at once TO attend the sessions OF the feder@
grand jury, which will begin on Thursday
AS was told in The Tribune last week. Cor
oner Berry and Assistant District Attorney Gar
van have been receiving letters saying that the
day before the Slocum disaster fire was dis
covered in the forward cabin, and apparently
drowned out, after which some charred wood
was thrown overheard. The theory was that the
fire had not been eXtinguished entirely Mr.
Caravan found that the Slocum had been char
tered on that day by st. PauPs Church. in one
hundred-and-twenty- third-st., of which the Rev.
John A w. Haas brother of the pastor of ST.
Marks Church, was minister. On Sunday
number of the teachers who were on the COM
mittee of arrangements We're subpRnaed- They
appeared at the inquest yesterday. but could tell
little.
Soon after IL a. M. Coroner Berry called his
Jury together and told them of the work out
lined. Automobiles took the party to Classons
Point where. after luncheon, the police boat
Patrol met them. Terence McManus and ex-
Judge Dittenhoefer went with the jury, to keep
track of all the evidence submitted Coroner
O'Gorman stopped for a moment at North
Brother Island to leave orders for the men
watching for bodies Then the 20 Erie
Basin continued.
After the jurymeu with much effort had
climbed old barges and crossed perilous
planks which bridged canals of dank green
scum, they finally reached what had once been
the Slocum. sorry sight. The main deck,
charred and blackened was covered with piles
of wreckage of every description. heaps of
worthless life preseryers, half burned barrels.
camp chairs, boxes and hale burned timbers.
Several sections of the 10 cent hose were rolled
up and tagged for reference. Broken glass, pull
verified cork and cinders covered the deck inches
deep, while wire, bolts and bits of rigging made
walking perious. Coroner Berry led the jury
men. who tiptoed through the mass OF rubbish. 10
the forward hatchway. Below could be seen the
forward cabin" or general storeroom. where
the fire was supposed TO have started. filled
with a miscellaneous collection OF odds and
ends much as it was when the SloCum left her
pier on the disastrous excursion.
Il suppose you'll concede that the fire started
th1 pp1,,,,artr,1prtT sLaJ he hal
banteringIy. of Terence McManus
Don't see why we should concede anything"
interposed Mr.. Dittenhoefer grufiy.
Call BRANDON" said the Coroner. Edwin
Brandow. assistant engineer. said that the fire
had started in this forward cabin so far as any
OF the crew could learn. and described how the
stairs and doorway TO the compartment had
been arranged.
Did you examine this hold?" asked Coroner
Berry of Mr.. Freel
Yes" replied Mr. FreeI l went down into
the forward cabin last Thursday. Immediately
after the wreck was raised and towed over to
oil barrels these paint tubs. paint cans. camp
stools. barrels of glasses packed in salt hay,
few odd barrels. old life preservers and a lot
more stun which is down there now indicating
with his hands heaps OF junk which had been
brought To the main deck. The fire started in
the hay in this barrel" pointing out a half
burned barrel which topped the heap, its slaves
chaured and fallen apart.
How do you know" broke in Mr.. NIcManus.
These slaves tell the story" said Mr.. Freel.
You can 10y the burned edges that the fire
began the inside and worked out through
the barrel The outside is not touched. except
where the fire burned through
The expert fires declared that in his opinion
the contents Of the hold in about the same
relative position when the fire occurred. al
though things might have hOated down
there from the main deck when the vessel sank.
Some of the oil barrels We're full when he re-
moved them, and practically untouched. The
hatchway formed chimney through which the
flames roared out the deck. burning every
thing there more readily than the rubbish in
the hold.
Commander Winsow. L. s N. Of the federal
commission of inquiry. visited the SlOcum with
George Uhler, supervising inspector general,
and Inspector Rode. He made close eXamina-
tion of the hun and the interior of the hold. die
tatiuE to his stenoErapher after his tour of in
spection.
Leaving the Erie Basin. the iuryren went over
the course taken by the SloCum. Up by the
Thrd-st. pier went the Patrol Inside of Hell
Gate Van Wart took the wheel. while around
him clustered the jurymen. The tide he
of the excursion. The wind was blowing from
the opposite quarter. The Patrol was running
little slower than the Slocum did after word of
the fire was received
Just here got the word" said Van Wart.
the Patrol passed the uOrtherly end of the
Sunken Meadows. ITO beach her there
and he swung his hand TO indicate the spot.
would take change of five points in the
course. Ii only took about three minutes to
get to North Brother Island and beach her"
1t took the Patrol four minutes To get abreast
of the North Brother Island pier.