Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-10-17
REPORT ON GENERAL
SLOCUM DISASTER
President Makes Public the 0nc
Rendered by l. S. Commission
Of Investigation
HAS SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.

hAo oUINE KEGUMIVltNDA lUN0.
Directs Discharge Of lnspcctors-Som
Indictments Secured Changes Ia
Regulations to be Made
Washington Oct l6-The report Of
TIE United States commission OF inycs-
t.gouon on the disaster to- the steam-
ship General Slocum was made public
today
In connection with the important
findings OF the commission presented in
the report President Roosevelt to
whom the report was submitted has
written letter TO secy Motcllf of the
department Of commerce and labor
briefly summarizing the report ana de
roctng him TO carry into effect the rec-
concentrations OF the commission,
lie also directs that Robert S. Rode,
| supervising Inspector of the Second dis.
trict. steamboat inspection service. and
James A. Dumont and Thomas IT.. Bar
rott. local inspectors In charge of the
port of New York, be- discharged from
| the service. the commission holding
mem d'recuy responsible Tor lae I'E-
which the Slocum disaster was direct
| ly attributable.
Appended 10 the report is a report
| from the department of Justice on the
criminal proceedings connected with
the disaster. and the lie preserver
| cases.
p,ps,rt,,,,... ,,.ro,,,,,,>,n,r ro>-s
i'T'iDI'N I'|N''N W ''' y" i"''"
The Presidents letter 10 Secy. Metcalf
! follows. dated oct ~:
% have received the report Of the
commission of the United States on the
! investigation Of the General Sl0oum dis
aster. and the report of the depart-
ment OF Justice OF oct. f. recapitulat-
ing what has been done by the depart
ment of Justice in connection with the
criminal proceedings taken against va
rious individuals because Of their con-
nectIon with the disaster. | send here
with both reports
punitive course by the government
can. Of course. only take two forms
one, that OF legal proceedings against
those either within or without l ne. SER
those within the service.
,o,,,, Ann, ,,.,,,,rr,,,
'O"L AN" MN Hi''
"It appegrs that the department of
! Justice has already secured indictments
against the master and captain OF the
Slocum. and against the managing dl.
rectors of the Knlckerbocker Steam
boat company. To which company the
Slocum belonged for misconduct neg.
! ugence and inattenton to duty by the
CAPTAIN and for aiding and abstting
therein BY the managing directors.
Furthermore. the department of JUS
tice has secured indictments against
Henry Lundberg and John vs.. Fleming.
| the assistant lnsuectors of the steam
| boat inspection service who actually In
| spected the Slocum, for fraud mIscon-
uug' SlI ,r sv' Io w ,nn6S,rtod mara
ly on probation In the service. and has
! been dropped. There can, OF course, hf
no further action taken about Fleming
until his trial has been finished. ale
though II does not follow that an ac-
quIttal would prevent the department
from discharglng him from the service.
MOST ttFNror-s Cpt5E
In addition, the department Of JUS
tICe has secured the indictment Of the
manager and three employees OF the
Nonparell Cork works of Camden, y. j.
for putting up on the market compress
ed cork blocks for use IN making life
! preserFers, eacn OF when DOCKS cpu-
| tanned In It's center q piece ot bar ron
weighing seven ounces.
This last ouense was of So henIous
q character that II is difficult io CONE
| ment upon 10 WIN proper selt-lesttalnt
1T appears that the national legIsla-
ture has never enacted Jaw providing
/ in set terms for the punishment OF TINS
particular species OF MANY doubtless
| because II never entered the mead or
any man mat so gross an intnmy could
/ be perpetIated.
CONGprss euOr-rD ACT
81 suggest that you report this whole
matter 20 Congress, transmitting These
| two reports and at the same time call
ling special attention 60 the need OF i'm
posing an adequate penalty for the
s n,aHs o, vi y,.'s VI ''''0''e '''''
80 much for what the department OF
/ Justice has done IN reference 10 the dis
aster But IN addition to the men put
| on trial by the department Of justice,
/ action should be taken against those
/ employees whose responsibility for the
gtato az things prOduciDg the accident