The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-06-21

New York, June 17.-Unless the city
undertakes the raising or dynamiting
of the wrecked General Slocum, which
was driven ashore, mass of flames on
the beach at North Brother Island
Wednesday morning, the remaining
bodies of the thousand persons who
are believed to have perished in the
fire and flames which accompanied the
wreck of the excursion steamer, will
probably never be recovered. Beneath
the giant paddle wheels of the big
pleasure craft now lying on her side
at the lower end of Long Island Sound
many corpses of the women and chill
dren whose names now appear in the
missing list, are believed to be pinned
down. the flimsy hulk whose burning
caused their death acting as their
sepulchre.
The reason that the city will have
to act is because of the refusal of the
Knickerbocker Steamboat Co., the
owners of the General Slocum, to have
anything further to do with the wreck.
According to reports Of the district at
torney's office, who have kept in touch
with the interested parties since the
disaster, the Association of Marine
Underwriters acting for the compan-
les sharing in the $4,000 worth of in
surance carried by the company on the
General Slocum, inquired of the own
ers what disposition they wished made
of the hull of the steamer, which div
ers had reported to be as sound as
when the vessel left her dock loaded
with 1000 women and children We'd
nesday morning. The company's ans
swer was: I'VE have no further use
for the vessel. She was inGured and
all we care for is to collect the insur-
ance"
In order to save so much of this
money as possible, the Underwriters
decided to have the hulk raised and
sod at auction. The Merritt-Chapman
Wrecking company, whose tugs have
hovered about the wreck for three
days and whose divers have inspected
the hull, was asked to name the price
of raising the vessel. TheiE figure was
fixed at $4,000 and the underwriters
offered to pay $1,000, believing the lat
ter sum to be all that could be recoy-
cred, together with profit in the sale
Of the hulk.
On the figures the wreckers and un.
4, derwriters stood, with the result thai
! the insurance people decided to pay the
N$70, 900 loss and let the wreck lie rath-
er than lose more money paying toe
Z much to have the time-worn vesse
raised. Thus it happens that the peo
pie who might act for their own inter
j. est in raising the General Slocum have
decided that it will serve their owl
ends to better advantage to let her re
main on the rocks at North Bother Is
land.
Other considerations, according tc
the lawyers, have influenced tn
Knickerboclier Steamboat company, t.
wash their hands of the wreck Of thu
General Slocum. Hundreds OF suit
for damages by bereaved parents
children and relatives of the victims
of the disaster caused by the vessel
destruction will doubtless be insti-
tuted, and in case even part of thes'
actions were successful, there are few
navigation companies in the worl'
sufficiently strong In a financial wa!
to withstand the resulting judgments
These suits will however, be defeat
ed II 1t is considered that the Genera
Slocum burned ana sank at sea, as di'
the French liner La Burgoyne, severa
years ago on the Grand Banks, whel
hundreds of passengers lost thei
lives. No damages were recovered b,
the representatives of the victims O
the Burgoyne aisaster in the court
of France or in this country. BY de
.cisions OF the United States suprem
court, the East river. He'll Gate an
the waterways connecting Long Islam
Sound and New York bay are consid
cred a strait and not am inland water
way and while the jurisdiction of tn
New York state courts extend acros
these waters, II is believed the Knick
erboclker Steamboat company, by act
ing as IL 1t considered the loss of 1t
vessel a burning and wreck at sea wi
be supported by the federal courts
even though the General Slocum wa
owned by state corporation. In OF
der to establish this conception of tn
case, the company can obtain better re
suits by allowing the wreck to renal
partly submerged at North Brother Is
land as she is.
cTOpICc TnI hpE