New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-17
MAYOR VISITS SCENES.
HE PRAISES RESCUERS.
Inspector AlbertSon Tells Him FiCe
Hundred Bodies Are Missing.

Mayor Mcclellan yesterday showed his con-
Germ over the great disaster involved in the
burning of the steamboat General SIocum- Not
content with issuing proclamation and order
ing the flags at haIfmast, the Mayor paid visits
to the Morgue and 10 the scene OF the disaster
Accompanied by Assistant Corporation CoUn-
sci Breckenridge, the Mayor left the City Hall
at noon. and after a hasty luncheon went to the
pier at Fulton-st and the East River. where he
boarded the Dock Departments tug Manhat-
tan. With the Mayors flag flying. the Man
haitian steamed TO Tweaty-sixth-st- There DIT.
Darlington. the Health Commissioner, met the
Mayor.
do you wish 10 get of here. your honor?"
asked DR.. Darlington.
Yes I'll see it through" said the Mayor.
With Dr. Darlington on his right and Mr..
Breckenridge on his left. the Mayor walked be-
tween the rows OF rough pine collins without
stopping. He uncovered and everybody IN the
party followed his example The Mayor made
no comment at ALL Once or twice, as he passed
one o. the tiny cOrpses. he shook his head out
OF the pier the Mayor and his party went TO the
Morgue and walked quickly through the place
DIT. Darlington explained just what was being
done and assured the Mayor that everything
was moving along with comparatively no fric-
ton.
The crowd on the pier and in the Norgue was
comparatively small. and while many eyes were
red from weeping, there were no scenes Of sor-
row such as characterized the night The open
collins had been roughly filed with broken ice.
and this had melted. leaving an inch or so OF
water In places on the pier But. obIivious TO
any discomfort. the sorrow stricken relatives
| marched slowly UP and down looking at body
after body. The visit OF the Mayor attracted
only moInentary attention from. them. and aside
! from respectfully making passage for him 20
| PASS through his visit attracted attention
| " hatever.
The Mayor spent about ten minutes on the
/ pier and then started for North Brother Island.
All the way up ne questioned the captain in
charge Of the boat as the various places along
/ the route where the IRE had first broken out
/ what would have been the hest place to run
| ashore. etc The captain was positive that he
I would have beached the boat at the Sunken
| Meadows.
At East Observation-Disclosures second-st-.
and again at East One-hundred-and- thirty
eighth-st.. the docks were black with people
Some of them noticed the Mayors fag and
4 waved a melancholy salute.
| Just before leaving the boat at North Brother
Island the Mayor noticed that the flags on the
| Manhattan were at full mast
"HaIfstah your flags he said quietly 10 the
captain. and the latter with an Aye. aye. sir"
| hurried obey.
| Police Inspector AIbertson met the Mayor. and
DR.. Charles F. Roberts. the sanitary superin-
tendent OF the Health Department, was there
/ also. The Charities Department boat Fidelity
/ was alongside the Manhattan. unloading the
/ rough pine boxes-they cannot be called collins
/ and they were piled in great heaps the pier.
| The Mayor was first taken TO a temporary
morgue near the pier. where men were at work
| examining some bodies just taken out OF the
! water. The body of a was stretcher
/ out IN the sun and DIT. Darlington at once or
/ dered it brought inside
| As the Mayor stepped into the building several
brawny Iaborers who were put on extra men
/ after all the regulars had practically exhausted
/ themselves. came out OF the door carrying
/ heavy box. The Mayor had to jump aside 10
/ prevent being knocked over.
| Inspector AIbertson personally introduced sew
/ eral policemen and men OF the Health Depart
| ment and Live Saving Corps to the Mayor. and
/ each was thanked for his work
| The Mayor asked 10 be taken around where
! the boat had run ashore. Standing on stone
| wall he watched for some time the men in
/ rowboats who, lighting the swift running tide
7 we're dragging for bodies. Just the Mayor
/ was about TO turn around OF the men
/ shouted that he had Pound a body. The lines
were drawn in and it proved to be the body
/ of girl about nine years old.
/ That's No. 800 said one Of the reporters
who was present and had kept an accurate
record