Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-22
OFFICIAL INQUIRY
Into Burning Of the Steamer
General Slocum.
CONTIGUOUS LETTER
MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION
NAMED.
Investigation Will Be Entirely Sep
arate From That Of the Steam
boat Inspection Service.
CONTIGUOUS LETTER

Before leaving for Chicago late yester-
day afternoon. Secretary Cortelyou an
ncunced the personnel of the commission
which has been appointed to make the
government investigation into the disaster
to the steamer General Slocum in New
York last week. The men who will act
are:
Lawrence o. Murray. assistant secretary
of commerce and labor; Major General
John NJ. Wilson, L. s. A, retired; Com
ma nder Cameron MGR. Winslow, U. s. N;
Herbert Knox Smith, deputy commissioner
of corporations in the Department or COM
merce and Labor. and Mr.. George Uhler,
supervising inspector general of the steam
boat inspection service.
The commission will report to Secretory
CCrtelyou. The assignment of General VIII
son and Commander Winslow to duty on
the commission was made by the President
al the request of Secretary Cortelyou me
commissions investigation will be entirely
| independent of the investigation shortly TO
be made by the local board OF steamboat
inspectors under the provisions or Sectlon
445O of the Revised Statutes, which COM
pels an inquiry to be made in such cases
The investigation made by the local board
of inspectors is enjoined on the board by
the statute and takes places without any
order from the Secretary. 1t Is directed
solely at the matter of revocation OF the
licenses Of the vessels officers for 1neom-
potency or other good cause. The inves-
tgs ton to be made by the other commas
sion will be much broader.
Letter to Mayor Mcclellan.
Secretary Cortelyou also sent the follow
ing letter to Mayor George B. Mcclellan OF
New York city in response to commune
ca ton from the mayor:
My Dear Sir: 1 am in receipt Of your
Of instant. In
which. after referring to the awful calam-
ity which has befallen your city, you IN
vite my attention to the propriety OF an I'M
mediate inspection by the United States
government of all passenger-carrying boats
in the waters adjacent to New York city.
You refer to the lack of jurisdiction in
the city authorities. You urge that IN max
ing our investigation it's scope be extended
so as to provide for the inspection request
ed. You say that the reason for this kind
of traffic is now open, and that the tran
guilty of the public mind, the security OF
life and even the interests of the trafac
itself call for immediate action. In con-
GLIDING your communication you tender the
services of experts of the fire. health ana
building departments of your city to facil1-
tate and expedite the work.
"As the head of the Department of Com
merce and Labor. to which the steamboat
inspection service is assigned. beg to as
sure you that the investigation which has
been for several days in progress-ordered
exhaustive 1t would be unfair to assume
that the inspection already made was mad
eauate. prior to the report on the investi-
cation: but, controlled by reasons such as
those you mention. had already ordered
reinspection.
.Insths connection 1 beg to invite your
attention to the following circular issued
under date of May %. 1904 (the Secretary
here quotes the circular calling attention of
collectors and other chief officers of GUS
toms and of inspectors of steam vessels to
the NEAR approach of the summer season
and directing them to take special precau-
tions to prevent the overcrowding of excur-
sion and other steamers and calling on
them to be vigilant and vigorous in the en-
forcement of the law on this subjecD, to
the inclosed circular, No 6, issued under
date of July Do 1903, calling the attention
of licensed officers of steamboats, to certain
sections of the Revised Statutes OF the
United States; to the inclosed copy OF
communication which I had the honor to
address to the chairman of the committee
on commerce of the United States Senate.
under date of March %. 1904. urging a re-
vision of the laws relating to the inspection
of steam vessels; to the recommendations
contained in the estimate of appropriations
submitted by this department at the last
session Of Congress for an appropriation for
the employment of special agents ito make
Investigations regarding the manner OF con-
Quoting the public business in the various
bureaus offiuceS and services of the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor. and to
the following telegram:
TeleCramS to Assistant Secretary