The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-08-03
INSPECTOR TOLD
STARTLING TALE
nvestiga ton of Sister Ship of
Inflated General SIocam.
WORK OF COMMISSION ENDED
REPORT WILL BE FORWARDED
TO WASHINGTON.

New York, Aug. Am inspector who
yesterday made d partial examination
Of the excursion steamer Grand Re
public today told the federal commits
sion which is investigating the General
Slocum disaster that the life saving
and IRE lighting apparatus. on the
Grand Republic is practically worth
less.
This steamer is a sister ship to the
General Sl0cum. which was burned in
the East river several weeks ago with
a loss of nearly a thousand lives. She
Is owned by the Knickerbocker Steam
ship company, which also owned the
Ssocum.
The inspector who examined the
Grand Republic told the commission
that neither the captain nor crew knew
What TO do when a fire bell was ord
cred; that some Of the fire hose burst
when subjected to water pressure; that
a large percentage of the life pre-
servers were worthless. some Of them
having been manufactured as long ago
as 1871; that the Iifeboats were pro-
Nided with broken oars, one was bad
~ rOtted and another had a broken
rudder; that one OF the lfe-rafts had
no oar locks, and that on some of the
rats what appeared to be rivets up
on closer inspection proved to be only
false heads, the parts being sold
cred.
Story Told BY Inspector.
This story was told by Inspector
James N. TODD. who, with Supervising
Inspector Rode and Chairman Murrv
Of the federal commission, boarded tbs
Grand Republic yesterday afternoon
as she was about to start on one OF
her regular trips to Coney Island with
passengers. The company had been
notified several times to name a time
and place for re-inspection Of the
steamer, but had not complied.
The master Informed US that the
beat would not lay up for inspection,
and accordingly we went to work on
the life preservers,'' said the witness.
THE preservers on the main deck
were in bad condition. You could
break OF the corners as you would a
biscuit. Out Of LOSE we condemned
80. The mark was so old that we could
not see it. The manufacturer mark
was 1877
we found 134 nov preservers. and
tested fifteen Of them at twerty-four
pounds weight and they sank After
being in the water FIVE minutes they
weighed nine pounds They should
have weighed only two and one-half
rounds.
Lifeboats Worthless.
zone Of the hfeboats had three brok-
en- oars and another two. Two of the
boats were very much rOtted and an
other had a broken Tudder. One Of
the life RATS had no roWIOcks, they
having been broken of
on some OF the life RATS" the in
sDectOr continued. apparent rivets on
inspection were shown 10 be only false
heads, the parts being s0ldered.'
For ornament?" inquired Chair
man Murray.
No. SIR" emphatiealIy answered the
Inspector. ''fOr fraud"
The witness testified that he heard
the order for the fire drill given by
the supervising inspector. and he also
heard the master say that he did not
know what orders TO give for the drill.
He finally blew a general alarm on the
whistle and rang tour or five times on
the ships bell before the crew an
swered, testified the witness.
T0day's testimony completed the fed
eral commissions work into the cause
of the Slocum disaster in this city.
and the commission adjourned to meet
IN Washington next Monday
The mass Of testimony and the ex-
hlbits Of hose and life preservers viii
be sent TO Washington.