The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-06-24
C0RONER'S INQUEST
ON SL0CUM HORROR
Startling Evidence Forthcoming
on Condition of the Vessels
Lite Preservers.
rHE INSPECTOR is SILENT
BY Refusal to Answer Questions Asked
Him of Ships seaworthiness, Gov
eminent Inspector Causes
Unexpected Incident.

New .u:s. June 23.-Evidence of a
,Fartling nature which doubtless will
have an important bearing ON the ulti-
mate result of the coroper's inquiry into
the General Slocum disaster WAS forth
coming at the inquest.
Perhaps the most unexpected Incl
dent was the continued refusal to am
swer questions of Henri Lundbe.g. a
United States steamboat inspector, who
was supposed to have Inspected the life
pr%eservers and the hull of the Inflated
steamboat. His refusal was based on
the ground that an answer might tend
to incIiminate him. n he acted on
the advice of his counsel.
The coroner committed Lundberg to
the house of detention, bu later ac-
cepted $500 bail for his appearance at
the hearing tomorrow, which was sat
isfactory to the district attorney.
by the use of dynamite and heavy
guns fired by men from the battery.
scores of bodies were brought from the
bottom around the shores near North
Brother island. From sunrise to sum
set the s%earchers along the beach and
in the boats gathered in l12 bodies,
bringing the number of bodies recoV-
cred to date up to the appalling total
of S45.
OF these 700 have been identified. and
the missing still are Appropriated at
something more than 300. Some bodies
last found never will be identified. be-
cause of the changes that have taken
place during the week they have been
under the water.
Were Not Billed General Slocum.
In the coroner's investigation yester-
day Miss Hall, the bookkeep.r of the
steamboat company, took the stand.
She said the erasure of the name
Grand Republic" OF the bills for life
preservers had been made by her iii
order to keep the accounts straight.
They had been billed for the Grand Re
public when they We're intended for
the General Slocum. She could not say
whether any life preserverS had been
bought for the Genera Slocum since
1895. The ledgers which she produced
dated back only two years. They
showed that nc life preservers for the
Grand Republic had beer paid for dur
ing the present year.
Miss Hall said it was the custom of
the firm furnishing life preservers 10
the company 20 bin all goods to the
Grand Republic. She frequently erased
the name Grand Republic, always using
acid for the purpose. She was not sure
NlidN siit Soulu Illlu OlleT DllS SO all
tered. but would try, if directed by the
coroner to do SO. She was sent to the
company,s office. accompanied by a de-
tectfve, with Instructions to find other
altered bills. if possible, and also TO
bring other books for examination by
the jury,
Reba Goldberg, bookkeeper for the
nrm Which furnished life preservars 10
the k~nickerbocker company. identified
her handwriting on the bills which haG
been treated with acid.
Several Hundred Ordered.
She remembered that the $50
life preservers had been ordered by
Captain Pease. with an order to charge
them to the Grand Republic.
Miss Goldberg said the life preservers
We're labeled the Grand Republic. of
Hoboken," and produced a book of her
employers bearing Captain Pease's re-
ceipt for $50 life preservers delivered in
good order abroad the Grand Republic.
Mr.. Kanweiler estimated that a life
firm which supplied the life preservers,
original equipment of life preservers In
1891. The last sale made by his Arm
Tor the Slocum was in 1895.
I. Mr., Kanweiler estimated that a life
pFeservef, IL properly cared for. would
last twenty years. Many might be-
" III t1luCli less llllle.
Il will show you one now" said the
assistant district attorney, as he carried
it dramatically and laid across the
knees of the witness a dilapidated look
Ing life belt hat was taken from the
Slocum.
TN trust myself to that belt now,
with hands and feet ted replied Mr..
Kanweiler.
Mr.. Garvin tore the rotten arm strips
of the belt and returned to his seat.
saying. that will do"
Coroner Berry announced that Cap.
tain Van Shack, who commanded the
Slocum, is in such a condition at the
Lebanon hospital that he may not be
able to testify for several days. He
tried to get to court today but coll
lapsed. The coroner stated that the in
quest would not be completed without
the captains testimony.
Second Pilot Testifies.
Edwin Weaver, second pilot of the
Slocum, told of the mad race of the
doomed craft up the river from the
time the fire was reported to the men
in the pilot house until the stealmer
was beaehed on North Brother island.
The distance, he said. was no more than
half a mile. the time consumed in MAX
ing the run between two and II half
and three minues, the place where
the boat was beached was the best
possible place that could have been Sc
lected under the circumstances.
Did you not tell me IN Sunday" de-
manded the coroner, that if it had
been left to you the Siocum would have
beached at One Hundred and twenty
ninth street,"
II did not. The tide would not let
her turn. That boat takes two minutes
to swing. and there was no room.
ITO turn the boat and beach her on
the Sunllen Meadows would have taken
from five to eight minutes"
NJ Weaver said to turn the boat any
other way han the way she was turned
was to invite the flames to rake her
fore and aft.
why did you beach her just where
you did" asked Coroner Ferry.
ITO get her out of the flood and to
place her 50 that the wind would take
The flames seward and give the pas
sengers Il chance to get ashore"
Weaver sale he was in the pilot house
with the first pilot, Captain Van Vert.
ard Captain Van Schaicl,. the com
mander of the steamer. and they had
lust passed through Hell Gate and to a
point about three lengths east of the
Scnken Meadows ~ an he heard 3:
Voice saying: She's on fire. captain"
Captains Final Orders.
He thought II was Mate Flanasan's