The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-06-29
ARE HELD FOR
THE DISASTER
The COrOner'S JV Fixes
RESPONSE lty.
sl0cV" INVESTIGATION
Directors $sOf Company and
Captains Arrested.
1t Is Declared by the Jury That the
Mate of the Vessel Acted
I'm Most Cowardly
Manner.

| New York. June 2S.-The inquiry
conducted by Coroner Perry and jury
into the General Slocum disaster was
concluded to-day. and after nearly -four
| hours celebration d verde: was rem
dered in which the directors of the
| Knickerbocker Steamship Coapany
the captain of the Slocum, Captain
Pease, the commodore of the companys
feet. and others were held criminally
responsible. Warrants for their arrest
were issued. The mate of the Slocum,
according to the jury, acted in cow
ardly manner. and the conduct of
Steamboat Inspector Lundberg it was
| recommended, should be brought to the
attention of the Federal authorities.
The charge in each case was man
slaughter in the second degree Bell
was fixed by the coroner in amounts
varying from $1,000 to $4,000.
Van Schaick Testifies.
When the coroner's jury, which has
been investigating the disaster to the
excursion steamer General Slocum re-
sumed its hearing to-day. Captain Van
Schaick. the commander of the Slocun1,
was called as the first witness Van
Schaick who was wheeled into court.
in an invalid's chair, said he has held
masters license about thirteen years.
He says he was on the General SIo-
cum since she first went into commits
sion. but he had nothing to do with the
general equipment of that steamer in
the first place. nor with her life saving
apparatus. He and Captain Pease look
ed after the equipment of the Slocum
each season. He said the Government
inspector had condemned some of the
life preservers since 1891, and he per-
sonally had thrown out about thirty
The captain described the Slocum to
the jury and told of all the fire fight
ing and life saving apparatus on boa I'd
In the course OF the hearing Captain
Van schaick was asked what he did
when informed the steamer was on
fire.
Ordered Vessel Reached.
He said he ordered fulI speed TT
was flood tide and the boat was going
fifteen or sixteen miles an hour" said
the captain. The smoke came back
to the pilot house. We were then about
four lengths beyond the Sunken Mead
ows. The pilot said to me, What shall
do?" I said. Let her GO; then I ran
to see what the fire was like. At the
head of the stairs found a woman on
her knees lifted her up and looked
down the hatchway. 1t was all flame
ran back to the pilot house and said
to the pilot, Ed. she's gone; beach her
IlC Stlu. w mere anu pOiHlch 10
North Brother Island. Shave that
dock and put her starboard side on
the beach Then l started to go aft,
but the flames were coming like a vol
cano and my hat caught fire. That's
where my face and hands got burned.
There was no chance TO move. It was
coming like a locomotive headlight.
Captain Van Schaick said he was not
absent from the pilot house more than
half a minute from the time the alarm
was given until the slocum was
beached, which was not more than two
and one-half minutes.
Denies story.
The witness said 1t was impossible to
beach the boat anywhere else with as
good chance to save life. He denied
that he received information of fire
before the alarm he acted upon reach
ed him, and branded as absurd the re-
port that a boy told him at Ninetieth
street that the boat was on fire.
Inspector Lundberg who few days
ago refused to answer questions at the
inquest on the ground that it might
incriminate him was called by his
ton he denied that any one had ever
given him any money or any present or
anything of value in connection with
the inspection of the General Slocum.
Mr.. Garvin and Henry A. Wise of
the United States District Attorneys
Office on cross examination made Lund-
berg say he had counted and examine
$3.50 life preservers in four hours, and
that he had gone all over the ship.
measured and tested the life boats and
examined the hull and its various com
partments in the other hour and half
he was on board the Slocum.
Formal testimony was Dresented that
905 bodies had been recovered. of which
all but forty met death by drowning.
The case was submitted to the jury
at ass p. m.