New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-19
ASKS FOR REINSPECTl0N.
Coutfnues from first page

fnent could not ice mace except AT tho request
% owners, masters or pilots OF the vessels. and
there Was doubt 81 the department could take
tie time to make such inspections. even II such
requests made.
'g.he most Indignant .nan at the CITY Hall
yesterday was General Daniel Z. Sickles who
,-crf here to attend the special meeting Of the
r.oard OF Aldermen. OF which he is a member
lie made n speech indorsing Alderman Sullivan's
pai TO appropriate $1,000 but he said he
thought tho board ought to go much further
and name a committee that would make thor
ossh investigation Of All the phases OF the dis
Aster.
We owe it TO the helpless people who have to
ratrontze these old hulks IL they want days
vacation" he said After the meeting The gen
raj went downstairs 10 the reporters roonl'
a, mere he gave additional expression 10 his in
signation. He declared that the government s
inspection bureau wholly incompetent lie
said the President OF the United states ought
sumrnariIy TO remove every man of the responsi-
lie bureaus from Office We ought TO demand
no tcalp OF every one Of them he shouted.
Il am going TO write a letter TO the President
right away. and demand that he take some ac-
ton"
GEN. sICKLEs WRITES TO PRESIDENT.
General sickIes. late IN the afternoon sent
the following letter TO President Roosevelt:
Ny Dear President Roosevelt.
have lust returned from a meeting Of the
Roard of Aldermen. il being in reference to inc
awful calamity which came TO us last Meohes-
day-the loss of the steamboat General Sloculr,
in which nearly a thousand Of our women ana
children persisted.
This misfortune has touched every heart IN
the municipality, and has brought sympathy tc
Us from every part Of the world OF course
YOU have already taken such steps in the right
direction as become your office, but l trust you
I'd nFrliSG tn
or two from one of the city Fathers
There is an impression here that the federal
officials charged with the duty Of inspecting
steamboats, have been negligent and inei-
:icent, and that they are sraYely at fault IN not
having done what they might have done 10
avert what has happened.
Pray see that these steamboat inspectors shall
he competent and trustworthy, and IL further
legislation be necessary to provide safeguards
f1r the future, ask Congress to provide them.
You VIII agree with me, ] am sure that
prompt and thorough investigation OF all the
facts Is Of prime Importance as well to fix
-esponsibility for the past as 10 provide guar
antees for the future Sincerely yours.
DANIEL z. SICKLES.
Commenting on newspaper statement that
the steamer Grand Republic went en- an excur-
sion with "A large load of passengers, General
Daniel L. Sickles last evening, in a talk with
Tribune reporter expressed the hope that she
was safer than the General Slocum. He also
expressed surprise that people were foolish
ers after the Slocum disaster until those steam
ers had been certified TO as perfectly safe.
1.-THE Grand Republic may be all right" the
general went on 10 say. but there has not
been time since Wednesday for a proper in
spection OF excursion steamers. and Il seems
TO me a risky thing for people TO embark on
them until they have been inspected. Unless
these steamers are provided with lifeboats It
seems 10 me that most Of them are overloaded
These steamers should carry lifeboats IN proper
ton 20 the number of the passengers they
carry"
All connected with the federal inquiry yester-
day refused 10 discuss any phase of the situa-
ton, and most Of them said that they refused
TO talk because of orders From whom the
orders were received none would say but they
were supposed 20 emanate from either Secre-
tary Cortelyou or Assistant Secretary Lawrence
o. Murray, whom Secretary Cortelyou has
placed in charge OF the investigation
As told in The Tribune yesterday. those re-
sponsible primarily for the disaster apparently
are the inspectors who passed on the life saw
ing apparatus OF the General slocum The in
! spector who certified :hat everything was in
mt condition cannot be held responsible by law
for an erroneous report, while those - author
ity who are conducting the investigation are re-
sponsble Cor the acts Of their subordinates
When Supervising Inspector Rode was asked
yesterday if the life saving appliances on the
Grand Republic, owned like the General Slo-
cum by the Knickerbocker Steamboat Company
and at times carrying huge parties on excur-
sions. were TO be investigated he said that such
an Investigation would not be made He added
that the routine Of the Office forbade such an
investigation. and declared that he was under
orders 10 discuss no detail Of the catastrophe
until after the investigation had been COM
az
70 reinspect the Grand Republic or any other
steamboat must be made IN writing on a print
&c form TO the local board Of inspectors before
anything could be done. and added that even
though such request We're made probably
nothing would ever come OF it,
In my opinion" he continued, the board
would not act on such a request. Such re-
quests must be made by owners. rnasteru or
pilots OF vessels, for the board is unable To de-
vote its time 10 investigating the complaints
of citizens. Even so, do not understand that
this could IN any way give masters or owners
an opportunity 10 do ar they wish
The functions Of this board are not punt
tive but executive. The Collector OF Gus
toms furnishes US with information, which we
Also receive from other sources but no in
spections may be made"
Inspector Rode SAID that the men WIN in
pectec the life preservers on the General slo-
surn when the Knickerbocker Steamboat Com
pany bought 900 new ones and had 200 old ones
repaired were John F. Walsh Henry Lundberg.
Peter c. Petrie and Cornelius H. Smith. He
would not tell the present wherea bouts Of these
Inspectors.
inspector Rode said that despite ali reports
Fehecuns on the work and integrity of the
Inspectors who passed on the life saving APP
pianees OF the slocum. he stiu had absolute
confidence IN them