The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-18
vALUABLEs WORTH 100000.
Have Been Taken From Bodies of
Victims of the SIocum Disaster.

Have Been Taken From Bodies of
Victims of the SIocum Disaster.
New York, June 1S.-Of the money,
jewelry and other valuables taken from
the dead in the Slocum disaster, aggre-
eating nearly 100000, much has been
claimed from the coroner by relatives.
There is one package, however, Tor
which no claim has yet been eStab lish-
ed. It was found on the body of a wo-
man at first supposed to be that of Eva
Kruger, but which has not yet been
identified.
The property consists of eight bank
books showing deposits of nearly $685.
900 in eight of the best known savings
institutions of New York; two or three
life insurance policies amounting in all
to about $4,000 or $4,000, deeds to pro-
perty in New York and elsewhere and
a considerable amount in bank notes.
The deeds, insurance policies and the
bank books are all in the name of
person who, it would seem is quite dit
ferent from Eva Kruger, but the corO-
ner is keeping the name secret for the
present and is considerably puzzled be-
cause the woman has not been identi-
| fed by relatives.
AS a result of the conflict over the
| disposal of the wreck, the hull has
| been taken in charge by the district
attorneys office in order to collect all
| the evidence obtainable- Announce
ment was made that the authorities
would brook no interference in the
work.
A wrecking company has. been given
| charge of the hull and probably Will be
| directed to tow it from the present
| resting place to a point on South
Brother island, where it will be beach
/ ed at high tide.
| This will free bodies which some of
/ the divers assert are imprisoned under
/ one of the paddle boxes of the side
wheeler. It also will enable the de-
| partment to make a thorough investi-
cation of the machinery and the hull
u l. 10 IL
| any more bodies in the hold. The yes
! sci in it's position will be high and dry
at low tide.
Captain Van Setback, who is lying at
/ Lebanon hospital with a broken foot
and severe burns about the head, has
| given out an interview replying to the
/ criticisms of his conduct, it having been
alleged that he ran the boat two miles
/ past at least eight places where it could
have been beached after the fire was
| discovered. He is quoted as follows:
Il was in my cabin when some one
/ yelled Fire through the tube. l ran
/ out saw the flames sweeping over the
/ boat, ran back, waited five seconds and
/ then gave the order to run ahead to
| North Brother island and beach the
boat sideways, believing this was our
| only chance.
1.-The critics don't know the territory.
/ We were more than 1000 feet above the
/ buoys on the Sunken Meadows and
| about 1000 feet from North Brother is
!
/ hour.
"a short distance ahead and to the
| westward was a large tug. I had no
choice but to keep on for the island.
If had stopped and turned round and
gone back to the Sunken Meadows the
chances were that the boat would have
been burned to the waters edge and
| the passengers with it before we reach
ed the Meadows.
Even if it would have been burned,
the boat, striking the Meadows, would
| have backed off again, and everybody
on board when they jumped off would
! have been drowned in deep water And
if had run to the neck on the Bronx
shore 1 could not have made fast on
! account of the panic on board.
Il knew the water was very deep
there, and thought the people would
have no chance to save their lives by
jumping overheard. The tug, at any
rate, would have prevented me from
going in that direction without some
delay
Previous statements have been to the
effect that the fire was discovered be-
fore the boat passed the Sunken Mead
OxvS