New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-23

Total bodies recovered. ...........S SS
Total bodies identified. .............77S
Missing approximately ..............So sos
From an examination Of John w Fleming
who inspected the boilers of the General Slo-
cum, Assistant District Attorney Garvan
brought out al the coroner's inquest yesterday
that no effort was made TO see If the regulation
requiring valve connection from the boilers 20
various compartments Of the hold for a steam fire
extinguishing apparatus was complied with IN
stead on the stand. Inspector Fleming and his
chief. Thomas II. Barrett. quibbed on the inter
probation OF the term hold" declaring that, as
the slocum vas merely passenger steamer
carrying TO cargo she had no hold
The efforts OF Mr.. Caravan were centred on
bringing out how superficial must have been
che inspection made by the government off,
Gals He showed from various witnesses what
has already been proved by others. that some
OF the life preservers We're old and torn, ana
that these broke when attempts were made 20
use them. He showed that the fire hose was not
tested with the donkey engine, and obtained an
admission from Captain Pease Of the Grand he-
puhlic sister ship 20 the Slocum that nooodg
could buy good hose for 16 cents a foot, the
rrioe Maid for the hose on the Slocum He
II,
.noouaplete ledger records. life preservers
bsd heen purchased for the General Slocum
since 1895. The District Attorneys Office is not
,hrovr4 with this detail Of the altered bills ana
she unsatisfactory replies given in regard 10
them
Although CAPTAIN Van Schaick is still so weak
that he viii have to be carried on stretcher'
he Will attend the inquest to-day. physician
will 20 with him. in case he should collapse
Csntain Van Schaick is eager TO testify, that he
may "straighten out some Of the tangles
HAD FIRE DRILLS VAN scHAIcK SAYS
Inspector Lundberg made mistake n not
selling everything" said he yesterday 10 IT'D
80 r.nor+er after he inspected the Slocum
he told me that il was the finest equipped
steamer he had ever inspected. They have made
a great mistake in saying we never had IRE
drills on board We had four in two months
The log will show that had them. Why, when
We used 10 run down 10 Rockaway the crew
would hold contests in launching the lifeboats
70 anuse the people AT the hotels. The point
was 10 get the boat into the water. row a given
distance and get hack 20 the ship first
When heard of the fire first We were three
lengths above the red buoy OF the Sunken
Meadows There was never any hesitancy as 10
what 20 do The only place we could land was
on North Brother and we headed for there.
We were calm and cool there I'm tho pilot house.
Captaan Edward Van wart chief pilot OF the
slocun. was served with a subpoena after con-
siderable effort and VIII be at the inquest to-
day.
Fleming. who has been in the government SER
vice for ten years. inspected the slocum's boil
ers He found everything first class" he said.
and certified thereto He did not try the press
ure from the donkey engine on the fire hose.
Though he did inspect the donkey engine. He
was examined In part as follows:
o-Is It a part OF your duty 10 that the regu-
lations requiring valves from the boilers 10 turn
steam into all compartments Of the hold are com
ODD you make a.. Inspection Of the slOcum
o@wRst aid You apd' 40 Tor The socum
o-Did you inspect the boilers and engines? A
@ 0a ne s s any 70 oos n e R0s sas SO
% IRE? A-No; and, IL she ala have any it was
os--Are you SURE she didn't have any such valves'
under the law.
The Rev. George Schultz. pastor Of 81. Lnke's
lutheran Church. OF Erie. Penn. was asked IL
No had used a life preserver
TELLS HOW LIFE PRESENTER BROKE.
81 took one. but when I held II by the strap
she weight OF the life preserver broke the strap.
and threw it away" he replied.
Did you see any OF the crew doing anything7'
7 saw one OF them jump overheard"
Benjamin F. Conldin. the chief engineer. said
ne had never heard OF the requirement for
steam fire sxtinguishing apparatus No fire
drills had been held this year. he said He got
no word from the captain from the time the
alarm was given until the slocum was heached.
He had never tested the hose nor did he know
OF any test ever having been made. The govern
ment inspectors made thorough examination
OF the boilers and engines
The Knickerbocker Steamboat Company con-
oeded formally that since 1895 no new life pre-
servers were purchased for the General SIocum.
Ex-Judge Dittenhoener. personal counsel for
President Barnaby OF the company, said he
could not make the confession beyond admitting
that Mr. Barnaby had knowledge on the
subject. one way the other
The officers are trying shirk their respon-
ssbility," said Mr.. McManus. land place IL on
the cOrporation"-
Theirs is no attempt 20 shIrk any RESPONSE
hty" interrupted Mr.. Dlttenhoener
1t looks that way" said the Coroner.
IL appeared II this admission were made
20 save Mise Hall. the bookkeeper. from any
further examination. but Mr.. Carvan couldn't
see & In that light He made her admit that
she had besa able TO find no other bills which
she had altered she had those put In evil
dence on Tuesday. She persisted that she had
made the ensures solely for her own con-
venienoe. because she thought Captain Pease
said the $50 life preservers were for the Slo-
cum" She thought the captain said he was
going 20 order some new ones
Mr.. Barnaby could not cay who told him the
lfe preservers were for the siocun as ne testi-
fed 81 the beginning OF the inquest Miss Han
and Mr. Parks the company's attorney told him.