The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1904-06-25
FIRE APPARATUS
WAS IN BAD SHAPE
investigation Shows That the
Crew Of the Gen. Slocum
Was Not Drilled.
sTANDplPEs SHOW NEGLECT
Valve Is Badly Rusted, Demonstras-
ing That u Had Not Been useo
Either In Practice or When Neees-
sity Therefor Presented itself.

New York Dispatch: Little doubt
now remains that the victims OF the
Inflated General Slocum were aban-
doned to their fate by the crew Oh
the steamer. Evidence brought up
from the charred wreck by one OF the
divers indicates:
That the Slocum's crew made little
or no attempt to fight the flames.
That no effort was made to use at
least two OF the standpipes when
formed a part OF the steamers fire
fighting equipment The fire hose Is
attached TO these standpipes.
That the crew were apparently ig-
norant OF their duty in such an emer-
gency, not having been instructed In
fire drill.
The coroner has secured posses
sion of a standpipe taken by a
diver from the wreck, which is anoth-
er bit Of cumulative evidence against
the crew OF the vessel. The valve or
the pipe is tightly shut. showing that
IL was not used In fighting the fre-
The valve was rusted from long dis
use. which also proved that 1t had
not been used in fire drill.
Diver Rice also secured another
section OF neutrality-suspicious. and
tightly capped with brass. AS in the
case of the closed valve. the brass
cap was gripped by long accumulated
rust. showing that IL, too, had not
been used
Worthless Life Preserers.
Five bodies dragged from the wat
err off North Brother island furnished
convincing evidence as TO the worth
lessness of the life preservers aboard
the General Slocum.
Around each of these bodies was
slipped a life preserver, the canvas
unbroken, and the filing of pulverized
cork waterlogged. AS II weighted
with lead, the bodies, with these life
belts, lay in the thick mud OF the riv-
er bottom. The so-called- 'preserv-
ers" had made escape impossible for
tie doomed wearers.
Progress was made in the three
separate official Investigations that
have been started on the General Slo-
cum disaster. Through the depart
ment OF commerce and labor, Secre-
ldTy 0OIltllOu 10 ptiSOndiiy uhtNthS
the inquiry OF the federal government
by order OF the president; District At
torney Jerome has number OF de-
tectives at work gathering evidence
for a grand jury probe. and prelim-
mary hearing was held by the coroner
Police Guard Injured Crew.
Capt Van Shack and six OF his
crew are lying in hospital with a
policeman guarding the bedside of
each.
1t was stated by divers who went
down into the wreck at dawn that
there are many bodies still under the
ENHANCEMENT OF timbers and paddle
wheels. and that il would be necessary
to dynamite the hulk or raise IL before
they could be reached.
To this end city officials communi
Gated with a wrecking company. and
announcement was made that the com
pany would undertake the work OF
| bringing the wreck To the surface.
Later, however, a conference between
| the marine insurance companies and
the wrecking company ended in dis
| agreement, with the result that for the
pTtStnt, At itdSt, tnt ndttcI IL III
| allegiance.
Many thousands OF dollars have
been subscribed TO the relief fund.
| Within an hour or two after the sub
scription list to the mayors relief fund
was opened $4,000 had been col
| lected.
p. +. Conklin. chief engineer OF the
| General Slocum, who is iii at his home
in Catskill, N. ", from the effects OF
his awful experience, was sufficiently
| recovered to be able to talk about IT,
Vessel Was inspected.
I'VE had eight life boats and two
| RATS aboard. but II was an utter i'm
| possibility to get near them, for the
| crowd was so dense about them that
| IL would have taken hundred men to
push the frenzied persons aside and
launch the boats. IL all happened SO
| suddenly and the fire spread with such
| rapidity that in less than fifteen min
| utes after IL was discovered the boat
| was in flames from stem to stern.
1T has also been said that the life
| preservers were old and rotten. We
| carried full complement OF preserv-
| ers. They were such as are required
| by law, and II they we're not sound
| and in the condition they should have
| been then IL IL up to the inspectors.
| for the boat had been inspected only
| "A short time before the fire and every