Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-17
PLACING THE BLAME
Investigation of the Steamer
Slocum Disaster.
CENSURE OF OWNERS
THE PRESIDENT DIRECTS DISMIS-
SAL OF INSPECTORS.
Commission Holds That Poor Judg-
ment Was Used in Bleaching the
vessel-Legislation Urged.

and Labor, on the report of the national
commission, which has been investigating
the disaster to the steamer General Slocum,
which was destroyed by fire in the East
river, New York, June 10, 1904. The COM
mission, as appointed by Secretary Cor
telyou June %. was composed of Lawrence
c. Murray, assistant secretary of Commerce
and Labor; Herbert Knox Smith, deputy
commissioner of corporations; Geo. Uhler,
supervising inspector general of the steam
boat inspection service; Brigadier General
John M. Wilson, United States army, re-
tired, and Commander Cameron MGR. Win
slow, United States navy. Mr.. Murray be-
ing named as chairman of the body. This
commission was directed to make a thor
ough investigation of the disaster to the
vessel. by which approximately LOU lives
were lost by fire and drowning. and In
direct line Herewith to consider all mat
tiers relating to the general safety of pas
senger traffic by steamboats, on the waters
of the United States Recommendations
for such legislation as would seem to be
conducive to the improvement of the serv-
ice and to guard against similar disasters
was also a part of the duty of the COM
mission.
Since its appointment the commission has
been at work almost uninterruptedly. The
hearings before the commission were held
principally in New York city, but much
of its work was done in Washington. The
typewriter pages and included more than
forty exhibits. The commission was wholly
without compulsory powers to enforce the
attendance of witnesses for the produc-
ton of evidence. This condition proved
at times serious hindrance to the progress
Of the work.
The report of the commission is elaborate
and exhaustive, consisting Of a pamphlet
of sixty-two printed pages. containing
about $4,000 words. 1t is divided into five
chapters in which are considered the ap-
pointment and proceedings of the commits
sion. the disaster, departmental action as
to the steamboat inspection service pre-
vious to the Slocum disaster, the steam
boat inspection service and the recon-
mendations Of the commission. AS an ap-
pendix to the report a statement is made
by the Department of Justice of the crmi-
nal proceedings connected with the Slo-
cum disaster and the life-preserver cases.
The Presidents Letter.
The full text of the letter of the President
follows:
WHITE HOUSE,
washington, October IL, 1904.
'My Dear Sir: have received the report
of the commission of the United States on
the investigation of the General Slocum
disaster and the report of the Department
of Justice of October II, recapitulating
what has been done by the Department of
Justice in connection with the criminal pro-
ceedings taken against various individuals
because of their connection with the dis
aster. I send you herewith both reports.
Punitive action by the government can, of
course, only take two forms: One. that of
legal proceedings against those either with
in or without the service, and two, removal
from office of those within the service.
ut appears that the Department of JUS
tice has already secured indictments against
the master and captain of the Slocum and
mat he
knickerbocker Steamboat Company, to
which company the Slocum be nged, for
misconduct. negligence and inattention to
duty by the captain, and for aiding and
abetting therein by the managing directors.
Furthermore the Department of Justice has
secured indictments against Henry Lund-
berg and John W. Fleming, the assistant
inspectors of the steamboat inspection serv-
ice who actually inspected the Slocum for
fraud. misconduct and inattentlon to duty.
Lundberg had been appointed merely on
probation in the service, and has been
dropped. There can, of course, be no fur
Their action taken about Fleming until his
trial has been finished; although 1t does not
follow that an acquittal would prevent the
department from discharging him from the
service
..In addition the Department of Justice
has secured the Indictment OF the manager
and three employees of the Nonpareii cork
works of Camden, N. j., for putting upon
the market compressed cork docks Tor use
in making life preservers, each OF winch
bar iron weighing several ounces. This last
olfense was of so heinous character that
1t is difficult to comment upon II WIN prop
err self-restraint 1t appears that the nd
tIonal legislature has never enacted law
nroyiding in set terms for the DunlSn1n
of this particular species of infamy; douptr
less because it never entered the head Oh
any man that so gross an infamy coulu De
nernetrated. / suggest that you report this
whole matter to Congress- transmitting
these two reports, and at that tune Gazing
special attention 10 the neeo OF linpo saIi
an adequate penalty for the making vi seh-
ING of defective life saving appliances.
$50 much for what the Department Oh
Justice has done in reference to the as
aster But in addition to the men put On
trial by the Department of Justice, action
should be taken against those w.
whose responsibility for the state OF tnnss
producing the accident mas peen proosn'
ont in the report of the commission. Ac-
cordinc to this report it appears that IN az
dition to the two assistant inspectors VINO
are now on trial, the supervising inspector
of the second district Mr. Roole, anu tnu
two local inspectors of the port OF new
york Messrs Dumont and Barrett, Snouiu
all three be removed for lax1ty ana neslect
in performing their duties. AS REGARDS the
conduct of Mr.. Rode, Mr. Uhler dlssents
from the conclusions of the four other COM
missioners. l agree with the conclusions
of the other four. Laxity ana negiect,
where the consequences may De SO terripie
as they have proved to be IN TINS case can
not he passed over even where there mas
been good conduct in other respects on the
part of the man implicated. Accordingly
the three officials named will be removed
from the service. Moreover, you Will please
direct their successors in office at once to
conduct a thorough examination of the en-
tire inspection force Of the port of New
! York, with the object of wedding out all the
men whom such examination shall show TO
be untitled to perform the very arduous and
responsible duties of their positions The
supervising inspector general has at pres
ent no headquarters force Of special agents,
SO that it is undoubtedly very difficult for
him to exercise any adequate and direct
supervision over the various local divisions
of the inspection service. In each division
he must rely chiefly on the fidelity and en-
ergy of the local heads; and II these fail
to perform their duty they must be held &C
countabie. He must, however, exercise as
thorough a supervision as the means at his
disposal allow In order that may be In
formed as to the exact condition of the
service in all it's parts, direct you to order
a searching investigation, in continuance of
the investigation of the commission, into
the conduct of the central Office and OF
every outside subdivision of the service save
that in New York.
"You will also make such changes in the
regulations as are recommended by the