New-York tribune., 1904-10-18

announced by Mr.. ROCie'S clerk that IN IN.
evening there would be statement.
RODIE ISSUES STATEMENT.
Finally it came. In 1t Mr. Rodis lays indirec,,,
the blame for the SIocum disaster on Mr. Cortat
you. since he tells with great detail how Mr. g.
telyou turned down recommendations OF the Ro.ra
Of Supervising Inspectors which would have ruo5
against conditions which made possibI~ The brr1-
ing OF the excursion boat Says the statement
In June and July. 1908. our board of suDervizi,v
inspectors was summoned 10 Washington by SecrS-
tarY SHAW. FOR the purpose OF thoroughly REVISING
the entire body of rules and regulations We
worked six weeks When we had completed our
Rartment Of Commerce and Labor. Of which Georse
tersSrs o TSS ,s s9e He@u ON, r CSTteyou
There were fully one hundred of them They were
not approved by Secretary COrtelyOu.
We believed that adequate protection against fra
was not given the lamp lockers oilrOOms and ike
therefore that steam fire eXtiagUishing pipes be
led into all lamp lockers. oilrooms and like COM
partments. II will be remembered that the FIRE
aboard the illfated steamer General Slocum Org.-
disaster occurred one year after cur recommenda-
'iChs IS had neen hled with Secretary Corteyou
AGAIN existing rules permit the use OF loose gran
Hiated cork life preservers. Our board considered
that no more loose granulated cork life preservers
Secretary coTteiyou did not approve this TeS9
mendation.
The statement went TO tell OF recommends
tions for fire and boat drills on river steamboats.
an increase OF lie preservers on ferry boats and
the providing Of these vessels with water-trbr
collision bulkheads; inspection OF davits and fans.
higher standard OF boiler inspection: more Hfs
beats and bulkheads in ocean-goins steam craft
II continues;
IL will be recalled Vhat when the disaster occurred
20 the steamer General SlocUm Mr.. COrteIyou vas
Secretary Of the Department OF Commerce and
LABOR, and that he Immediately selected Tor its
investigation a commission three of whose mem
Roosevelt selecting the other two. Two of M
three selected bv Mr.. COrteiy0u were Lawrence a
Murray. whom he had made Assistant Secretary OF
his department.. and Herbert Knox Smith. whom he
had made Deputy Commissions Of Corporations
Secretary COTteiyOU may nave recalled our recon-
mendaJiOns that he mad failed TO upon and felt
associated with an inquiry which II il was mo-
ooughl.- made; would not fail 70 discover the facts
here narrated Such things have been known TO De
done In politics and governmental life.
TALK ABOUT sCAPEGOATs
The Department of Commerce and Labor shows
no hesltallon Whatever IN promptly picking scape-
cred ''' - ''--'S' anu '-A''''s'7 l'7 o'1'''-
General Dumont. of the board Of local inspectors.
refused 20 reply to the charges made in the com
missions report
as IL We were going TO be thrown out right away,
Ihat is not the case UnCer tEe Clyli Service
which shall answer in the usual way. The re-
SUIT appears 70 De foreshadoWed n spite OF our
press
BARRETT GIVES OUT UHLERS ORDER
Captain Barrett would not say even that much
spector General Uhler. which the locaI inspectors
feel has promoted. in some measure comment un-
9 t5ctI rs Slel' LseAsd ~ Iay
remain at their offices, supervising the the
ions 1hessvss sR as had seen n the % Custom fon 0 Pr %
y 20 some e5sen5 & &rf96JgstI @ en- 9[ se tGrce q
allowing enough assistants 10 each bureau 10 per-
form the work without the chief inspectors.
Il see that the commissions report speaks %
the neral responsl6IHty o. the oIlcers or The
ence lclIanus. counsel for that company. The
have even moral responsibilify for thaJ aW+al
accident They admit they would aave moral
the best men obtainabIa 10 look out for the equip
msnt Sf ne thsT S, Sssse5 d sPp TaSe ys tas S2o-
two OF the Oldest captains IN the harbor-msn os
that they had carte blanche as 10 equipment. The
ofrcers OK me company were noI p.acI.s@4 steam
whom they believed. Then when the government
safe. and the oficers knew taat they had spent
large sums makns @ repairs & why ,. should taey ao'
Frank A. Barnaby, president OF the company.
I6s conmssio9 5 He woHid max no con5Hent On
it, but didn't seem 70 take much to heart its criti-
ciSms OF his company's methods
sLOCUM SURVIVORS PLEASED.
The prompt action OF the President in compelling
the dismissal ot Supervising Inspector Rode and
Inspectors Dumont and Barrett. and his tns-stence
on legislation which. il is hoped. viii SET higher
General Siocum survivors, OrganizaJion, which.
as The Tribune has told. was incorporated 70 pro-
Il was very much pleased with the vigorous ac-
ton OF the Pre- sdenJ in d!sniSsinS the inspectors
said William B. CirosSman, VINO aided IN incot-
pOrating the society II they had been allowed 20
retain their places should be a laughing stock
among nations. That last report IN whle the n
spectOrs WhiteWaShed themselves, was laughao4s.
if II hadn't been treating or serious q SUBJECT
The legislation the President urges Will be Just
what the SlOcuu Survivors ORGANIZATION conteTn-
plated. The society viii watch this legisIauon
closely
In January. 49, Captain samuel c. FsiEchld. an
Inspector at this bureau. was dismissed oy ms
Treasury Department, after long trial in which
Captain Thomas Fl Barrett was CO-deIerdanl. on
against Inspector Barrett serious as
those against Fairchild. and they were dismissed
In the hearings evidence given about the rot
ten condition OF the steamer Havana. Walc4 cdL-
George W WilmuTt Suh-InSp pector, Jo4d low 20
owners OF the vessel tried 20 bTIbe am WIeu IT
ordered repairs asgreSatIng S2ett. lhe tcga-,S
were made, subsequent lnSpect-ll 9il1.'CD--.
but the vessel continued 10 run Inc Otlpe-y
charges and charges that he had asssS 'tal 1.-,
portatiOn when he was rfdlng on t,'-gS ~.
dropped. and the dismissal OF Falrchl-d was uiid7
on almost purely technical gro-nlS, s -
The cOroner's Jury which heard the testimony rs
20 the SlOcum catastrophe on June = u-,t
sible the officers and directors OF the h4cSe
Edward FTanasan, captain and mate OF the SO
cum: Captain Pease, commodore or tle c1ul.--S !.
Meet and Inspector T4IndherS- The coroner IS WV
also ceusured severely the lax methods or insae'-
Just a month and a day later the federal sraAd
fury indicted CAPTAIN Van Schatck and lnspcetltss
Frank a Farnabv. the president, James h AtNns
son. secretary and Frank c. dexter. Ofsei0u, St;
the Kniekerbocker Steamboat company aaG ~ az
tain PeaSc. for aiding ood a,f'l,, --r tas->i++ %
the slocum In neglect Of his duty
CDryrvNv ADE DT IN