The Saint Paul globe., 1904-10-17


probably less than 20 cents foot, age
unknown, but probably several years
DID,
The rest of the fire apparatus on the
main deck is said to have consisted OF
the after valve of the said standpipe,
two hand fire pumps, and some twenty
buckets. None of the remaining ap-
paratus was used and the buckets were
empty
1t is stated further that the linen fire
hose attached to the forward stand
pipe burst in two or three places and
was blown off from its own coupling
with the standpipe Efforts then were
made to attach rubber hose to the
standpipe.
Upon the failure to couple the rub
Der hose to the forward standpipe, the
report says, '.tlhe crew gave up all fur
ther attempts to fight the fire and went
aft, some of them overheard"
Tribute is paid to Assistant Engineer
Brandow and Chief Engineer Conklin,
who remained at their posts. Conunu-
ing, the report says:
Censures Commander
"The evidence before the commission
establishes the fact that the master
made no attempt whatsoever to fight
the fire, to examine its condition, or TO
control, assure, direct, or aid the pas
sengers in any way whatever. 1t is al
legged that he was unable to reach the
place where the passengers were by
reason of the fire, but this is contra
dieted by the evidence of many Wit
nesses and is obviously not true
An essential fact of negligence is
the utter failure of the master to tight
the fire or aid the passengers. In
less degree the pilots, in the same
manner, after beaching the boat, and
while there were still many passengers
on board, failed in their duty to assist
and rescue the said passengers.
The commission expresses the opln--
ion that the men in the pilot house had
knowledge of the fire in time to nave
beached the vessel either in Little Hell
Gate or to the westward of the Sunken
Meadows, or in Bronx Kills to the
eastward of the Sunken Meadows, IN
stead, as the commission states, OF puf-
suing a course which drove the names
aft and delayed beaching longer than
necessary.
The commission sharply critieises
the fire-fghting apparatus, saying:
Defective Hose Fatal
"There is a strong probability thai
the fire would have been controlled hac
the fire hose been of required statutory
strength
MANY of the life preservers, it is
stated, were bad, and further that only
a small percentage of the passenger
used them.
.eThe ineff1ciency and poor quality OF
! the deck crew of the vessel, douptless
| typical of the majority of the crews o.
excursion steamers, says the report
| ''is one of the essential facts ina
| caused the loss of so many lives.
while it is true that it is the busl-
| ness of the steamboat inspection serv-
ice to see that proper safety appliances
as required by law are provided, THIS
| by no means relieves the owners IRON
| a similar legal and moral obligation
nor from the liability for the mainten-
ance of proper crew discipline. The
commission is of the opinion that the
| owners of the General Slocum are
! eensurable in high degree for the IN
adequate and improper conditions pre-
vailing on board this vessel, and tina
| whatever may be their technical legal
liability, they and their executive
agents share largely in the moral re-
sponsibility for the awful results OF
this disaster"
The commission made an investiga-
! tion of the workings of the steamboat
| inspection service in New York both
| for the explanation of certain features
of the disaster and for the prevention
| of recurrence of similar disasters. The
commission says in connection with the
service at New York that the local in
| spectors were interpreting their duties
| in several respects in manner not
| justified by the statutes; that the re-
quirements as to the testing of fire
| hose on passenger steamers was .dls-
regarded; that the assistant inspectors
made no pressure test of fire hose ex-
cept such as was incidental in the use
| of such hose for testing boilers; thai
they uniformly reported the hose iii
good condition." that the local inspect
ors accepted the reports of their assist
ants without personal knowledge, and
| that the Joint rule which requires thai
a vessels equipment shall be inspected
| Jointly by the inspectors was not en-
| forced.
Board Failed in Duty
AS a result the commission states
that the lifesaving apparatus was otter
| in extremely bad condition. The COM
mission recommends thorough reorgan-
ization of the force of assistant in
spectors, with a view to eliminating
all who have demonstrated incompe-
| tency, and continuing, says
1T is undeniable that the local
| board in this port did not do its duty
Upon the supervising inspector, there
| fore, must rest large share of re-
sponsibility for the existence of such
| ineficiency and neglect
The commission presents the facts
developed by the reinspection of a
| large number of vessels, showing, it Is
stated. 33 per cent of defective or miss
| ing life preservers, and 26.35 per cent
| of defective or missing hose and the
commission is of the opinion that the
same state of facts applies to boiler
| inspections
There was no evidence of corruption
or improper motives. is is stated. The
commission makes many recommends
| tions for laws regulating the construc-
tion of vessels and to give adequate
authority to the department of COM
merce and labor and to increase its
power to enforce regulations as to
safety appliances, etc. Legislation will
i ba asked alonO fIo lines SI0QpSfed --