The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1904-06-23
STARTLING TESTIMONY IS TAKEN
The Life Rats Gould Not Be Reach
ed and There 10 a Conflict of Testi-
nony as to Whether Any Lhe-soa.
Was Lowered.

hurled into eternity.
All along the East river, from Nortl
Brother Island down to what ar,
known as the Sunken Meadows. search
was made Monday for bodies of unfor
Inmates who lost their lives In the dis
aster to the excursion day. Although
more than $50 bodies had been recov
cred last night. reports from the first
few minutes of work "A, added five
more to the total. These were found
at widely separated points, and the
searchers were Of the opinion that be-
fore the day ended the list of MISSING
would be considerably decreased. They
belieVe that the big steamers and other
craft VIII so stir up the water as to
cause bodies lying along the bed of the
'lVer to rise to the surface. Wreckers
at Work on the wreck of the Slocum
encountered new difficulties. They
were at work about the hull of the
<hhken steamer when they found that
instead of the hull resting in mud as
tthey thought, it rested on rocks which
were never known to exist. This they
say Will delay the work somewhat
seVefal more bodies were recovered
| curing the forenoon, some of them in
! the vicinity Of the wreck of the Slocum
our divers were at work near North
Brother Island searching for bodies
dlVer reports that at a depth of 90
leet he has discovered a large hollow
In which he says there a great many
| bodies
More than 200 witnesses had been
summoned to appear. at the inouest
which was scheduled to begin before
coroner Berry. 1t also was planned to
nave present an assistant United States
district attorney and stenograpber
with instructions from the Department
or Justice to take down all the testi-
mony offered. AS fast as the notes are
transcribed the evidence will be ex-
ahmed by United States District Attor-
ney Burnett, who will in turn forward
the evidence. together with his opinion
thereon, to the Department.
If the evidence warrants it." said
General Burnett. Il shall not wait until
the end of the inquest before moving
the matter. If the evidence is strong
enough. the Federal grand jury will
De considering certain phases of the
case long before the inquest has
closed"
In addition to the interest which the
department of Justice was taking in
me inquest, H. X. Smith, the legal rep
Iesentatlve of Secretary Cortelyou, of |
the department Of Commerce and La
Dor, was under instructions to keen
that Department thoroughly advised as |
the inquest progressed.
1t was expected that striking facts
would be adduced at the inquest. for,
IN addition to the proof that the life |
preserVers were rotten, that the fire
nose burst, that the life-boat davits
would not work and that the life RATS
were SO fastened to the decks that
'hey could not be moved, Coroner Ber-
ry was said to have evidence that MANY
or the ring preservers were so heavy
that they sank like lead.
Two bodies were found on the bottom
OF the river with these ring preservers
around them. Another charge which
lhe coroner was to investigate was one
10 the effect that portion of the guard
rail to which four bodies were found
cilnglng when it was raised from the
bottom Of the river was rotten and
worm eaten.
A resident Of Jersey City named
workman, VINO lost two daughters and
son IN the disaster. returned home
wreck and after attending memorial
services during the day. and blew his
brains out with revolver.
According to the testimony of John
J. Coakley. one of the Slocum's deck
lands, at the coroner's INQUEST he
lever had been instructed in a fire
I'M since he became an employee of
ne knlckerbOcker COMPANY at tho
'esinning of last season. CoakIev
aid he first learned that the steamer
vas on fire when a small bow called his
,ttehtlon to smoke rolling down from
he bow. Coakley said he ran I'm TO-
ward the bow Of the steamer and found
blaze in the locker, where the oil
amps were kept. He dumped charcoal ,
n It, hoping to smother the flames
men ne let down the hose and called I
Or assistance. The fire was SO hot that
e and those who came to helm him !
'ere driven out of the locker but thov
ct the nose in position and had inst
lrected a stream on the fire when tba .
OSe burst.
Ii was Impossible to reach anv Of
ne life RATS, because of the manic
ut one Of the life boats was lowered
re other boats were so Surrounded nv {
[Tusgling persons that the crew lcould
OF get at them. The boat which thew
ucceeded in clearing. and which wac !
lied with women and children can
lzed While it was being lowered from
ne davlts.
Several of the men corrobor,+ea
oahley story IN most of the details
ut none of them knew of a life hoat S
eng lowered. One of the men lanes 5.
crcoran, described the solid ruhher
asher attached to the standpine 10 l
[eEent water from dripping into the
ose and rottlng it, To get this washer I
fl SO the hose could be used. il wouId ,
ave been necessary to disconnect the
Csc from the standpipe. Corcoran did A
ct see this done y
EDWARD Flanagan, the mate fer the 7
Isl TWO seasons On the Siocunl. Who'll
lred the deck crew of that boat said S
lar the forward cabin, wnere rne nre G
FoAe ont, was used for storing old :
mes and wornout awnings and broons
e mad one barrel of sperm oil there
Id there were some empty barrels f
lat had contained OIL
were tnere any arrangements to S
I'm steam into the lower deck?"
Not TO my knowledge" L
Flanagan denied any knowledge of I
e false washer" which blocked tho :.
e hose. A
He said he manned the water mines
soon as possible, but when the water
essure came the hose burst. Flana- +
n gave testimony as to the visits of >,
e inspectors and said they condemned e
me Of the life preservers.