The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-20
STILL FIND BODIES.
Number of known Dead in SIocum
Disaster Is Now 635.

New York, June 20.-All along the
East river from North Brother island,
down to what are known as the Sunken
Meadows, search was made today for
bodies of unfortunates who lost their
lives in the disaster to the excursion
steamer General Slocum last Wednes-
day. Although more than $50 bodies
had been recovered last night, reports
from the first few minutes of work to-
day added five more to the total. These
were found at widely separated points
and the searchers were of the opinion
that before the end the list of missing
would be considerably decreased. They
believe that the big steamers and other
craft will so stir up the water as to
cause bodies lying along the bed of
the river to rise to the surface.
Wreckers at work on the wreck of
the Slocum today encountered new diff
f1culties. They were at work about the
null of the sunken steamer when they
found that instead of the hull resting
in mud as they thought, that it rested
on rocks which were never known to
exist. This, they say, will delay the
work somewhat.
Several more bodies were recovered
during the day, some of them in the
vicinity of the wreck of the Slocum.
There are four divers at work near
North Brother island today, searching
for bodies. One diver reports that at
a depth of 50 feet, he has discovered a
large hollow in which he says there
are a great many bodies.
More than 200 witnesses had been
summoned to appear at the inquest
which was scheduled to begin before
the coroner today. It was also plan
ned to have present an assistant Uni
ted States district attorney and a.
stenographer with instructions from
the department of justice to take down
all testimony offered. As fast as the
notes are transcribed the evidence viii
be examined, by United States District
Attorney Burnett who will in turn
ard
his opinion thereon, to the depart
ment.
IF the evidence warrants it." said
General Burnett today, 81 shall not
wait until the end of the inquest be-
fore moving in the matter. If the evil
dence is strong enough the federal
grand jury will be considering certain
phases of the case long before the IN
quest has closed.
In addition to the interest which the
department of justice was taking in the
inquest, H. K. Smith, the legal repre-
sentative of Secretary Cortelyou, of the
department of commerce and labor,was
under instructions to keep that depart
ment thoroughly advised as the inquest
progressed
1t was expected that striking facts
would be adduced at the inquest for
in addition to the proof that the life pre-
servers were rotten, that the IRE hose
burst that the life boat davits would
NOT work and that the life RATS were
could not be moved, Coroner Berry was
said to have evidence that many OF the
ring preservers were so heavy that they
sank like lead.
/ Two bodies were found on the bottom
of the river with these ring preservers
around them.
/ Another charge which the coroner
was to investigate was one to the erect
that a portion of the guard ran TO
which four bodies were found clinging
when it was raised from the bottom OF
the river yesterday was rotten ana
worm eaten
! A resident of Jersey City, named
Workman, who lost two daughters and
a son in the disaster, returned nome
! last night after having visited the scene
of the wreck and after attending me-
mortal services during the day ana
/ blew out his brains with a revolver
Discussed From Pulpit.
New York, June 20.-Nearly every
minister in Greater New York re
ferred in his weekly discourse to the
Slocum disaster. A prominent note in
all the sermons was sympathy, but
many strong comments We're heard as
to the cause of the disaster