Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-06-18
Adds to the Horrors Of
Slocum Disaster.
Late Reports Show $50 Bodies
Have Been Recovered.
Evidence Will Be Presented at Coro-
ner's Inquest, Monday-Over Three
Hundred Funerals Will Be Held,
Observation-Disclosures Bodies.

New York, June 17.-Despite the I'M
firing work of the divers and grapplers
and the watchfulness of scores of men
who have given themselves over to the
task Of searching for the missing, but
few bodies of those who persisted in til.
Slocum disaster We're recovered, today.
II was stated by divers who went down
into the wreck at dawn, that there are
many bodies still under the entangle-
ment of timbers and paddle wheels, and
that it would be necessary to dynamite
the hulk or raise it before they could be
reached.
To this end city officials communi-
accelerated with wrecking company,
and an announcement was made that
the company would undertake the work
of bringing the wreck to the surface.
Later, however, n conference between
the marine insurance companies ana
the wrecking company ended in a dis
agreement with the report that for the
present, at least, the matter is in abey-
ance.
At this conference it was stated that
the knickerbOcker Steamboat Co.,
which owns the Gen. SlOcum, had re-
signed all claim to the boat On the
agreement that it should receive $4,000,
teh amount for which the boat was in
sured. The insurance companies and
the wreching company failed to agree
on terms and if the boat is raised at
all the cost probably will come ont OF
the city treasury.
Secretary CortelyOu, of the depart
n.ent of commerce and labor will per-
sonally undertake the investigation OF
the disaster on behalf Of the govern
ment. District Attorney Jerome's as
SiStants are working onergetically on
the case and officials of the coroner's
office have made considerable progress
in the way of gathering evidence which
will be presented on Monday, when the
coroner's inquest will begin. There is
in the coroner's possession a stand
pipe taken at his direction by a diver
from the submerged wreck. The valve
of the pipe is closed tight. showing that
no use was made of this pipe in fighting
the flames on the S,ocum.
Statements were made to the coro-
ner, today, by several of the steam
boat employees who VIII appear as wit
nesses ut the inquestion, that the cap
tain of the SlOcum sent his boat a dis
lance of between three and four miles
before he beachcd hc:. Several show
that more than half an hour had
elapsed from the breaking out of the
fire, until the boat was run ashore. All
the watches which were taken from the
bodies of the drowned stopped between
1910 and 1920.
Estimates to the number of dead
still vary greatly and this may be ac-
counted for by reason of the failures
to report to the proper authorities on
the part of many who. although Off
cially registered as missing, were in
reality saved.
Already $50 bodies have been recov-
cred. Of which about fifty remain un-
identified. These include 273 children,
2t3 women and % men. Thirteen officers
Of st. Lutheran's church are among
the dead, among them being n woman
score of funerals We're held, today,
and they We're attended by thousands
of persons from the east side commune
ty where most of the dead had lived.
Tomorrow there will be 600 or more
funerals, and thirty-two unrccogniza BILE
poultS WHICH 'tIt iON lyIHS Ut the
mOrsue, will be laid away in the Luth-
eran cemetery at Middle Village. L. 1.
Many thousands of dollars have been
subscribed to the relief fund and money
will continue to pour into the hands
of the treasurer of the mayors relief
committee, for the benefit of the
widows and orphans. Within an hour
or two after the subscription list was
opened $4,000 had been collected.
At midnight the authorities at the
morgue made the official announcement
that SEQ bodies had been recovered. OF
these SIT had been identified. 80 of those
remaining were charred beyond recog-
milton.
Together with the announcement
from the morgue that the number of re-
covered dead was $50 came the state
ment that about 425 persons are still I'M
accounted for. There can be no doubt
that very many of these are dead. be-
cause for AZ hours and more relatives
have been searching for them.
Several witnesses were examined by
Coroner Berry, tonight. including Sec
ond Mate James Corcoran, of the Slo-
cum. Corcoran said that Chief Engin-
eer Conklin was among the first to hur-