The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-10-17

condition of the fire fighting apparatus on the vessel. saying that the whole fire hose equipment was bad. except possibly one hundred feet of new hose, which was not used at all. The evidence shows that no water had ever been put through the fire hose on the Sloeum' ''There is a strong probability that the fire would have been controlled had the fire hose been of the required staiu- tory strength" No fire drills or boat drills had been held on the vessel this year. Her lifeboats and liferafts were apparently in fairly good condition Many of the life preservers, however, were in bad condition and the evidence indicates that only a small percentage of the passengers used preservers at all.
 The commission says that the Mate Flanagan, in distinct violation of law and contrary to the requirements or the vessels certificate. was not a licensed officer. 'aThe inefficiency and poor quai- ity of the deck crew of this vessel doubtless typical of the majority or the crews of excursion steamers, is one ot the essential facts that caused the loss of so many Iives.'' sr.
 The report shows that the total loss of life by the SIocum disaster was s99 persons and the number injured llb out oe a total list of 1858. This great loss of life, a percentage of death of T0. .32-over seven-tenths-is obviously abnormal and extraordinary. The ab- normal percentage is due primarily 70 the composition of the excursion party, about nine-tenths being women and children.
 In some details the commission dis- cusses the duties and responsibilities i of the owners of excursion steamers and the officers and crews of the yes- sels. The report then reads:
 While it is true that it is the busi- nescs of the steamboat inspection ser vice to see that proper safety appli- ances as required by law are provided, this by no means relieves the owner from a similsr legal and moral obliga- tion, nor for the liability for the main- tenance of proper crew discipline. The lcommission is of the opinion that the owners of the General Slocum are cen surable in high degree for the inade- quace and improper condition prevail l ing on board this vessel and that what lever may be their technical legal lia- bility they and their executive agents share largely in the moral responsible lity for the awful results of this dis aster.
 1 The report shows that the operations of the steamboard inspection service at l New York were unsatisfactory, ineffi- cient and negligent in many respects. The result of this negligence, the l commission states, was that life-saving appliances ofter were in extremely had condition. The inspectors merely look ed over, for instancre, the fire hose. ''The absurd and inadequate nature of such more visual inspections of fire hose Is apparent from the innumerable ! eases of fire hose is apparent from the lir:numerable cases in which hose equip 6n1ent, passed at the regular inspection, burst in the re-inspection under pres? sures all below the statutory require ment. Tn some vessels 60 per cent. of Ethe hose equipment was condemned. < Inspectors did not lower the boats, and \ frequently omitted any test of the falls and lowering tackle. In the majority of cases no test was made of either steam or hand fire pumps. The com mission recommends thorough sreorgan- i2ation of the force of assistant inspec- \ tors with view to eliminating all who have demonstrated their incompetency. Referring to the work of the supervis~ ], ing inspector in New York the commis- sion says that If he did not know of ithe facts of the jinefiicieney and nag lect on the part of his subordinates, or If he knew of them and did not take Esteps to remedy sthenl. he is equally lchargeable with neglect of duty. But lit is undeniable that the local board In this port did not do Its duty. Upon the lsupervising inspection, therefore, must lrest a large share of responsibility for 5l the existence of such inefficiency and } neglect
 T The re-inspection of 268 vessels the
 commission has been able to analyze land consider with great care the
 actual condition Of vessels in the port of New York. The prevalent methods #I of inspection above outlined, the board
 says, show the general system of neg, Ilect inefficiency and law supervision 1; In great detail the condition prevents
 the facts developed by the re-inspectior
 which showed In many instances tha'
 since the Slocum disaster many yes
 sels have been re-equipped, at least il
 part, with new iife-saving appliances
 land f1re-flghting devices. The rein
 spection showed, however, the gross in
 efficiency of inspection, there being 3
 per cent of defective or missing life
 preserves and 26 and 35 per cent. of de
 fective or missing hose. The commis
 sion is of the opinion that the sam
 state of facts applied to boiled inspec
 tion. The commission censures, par
 ticnlarly, however, the inspection of fir
 hose and of fire fighting apparatus gen
 erally and finds that the work of tn
 service falls materially below tn
 standard demanded by the statutes. N
 evidence was presented to the con1mis sion which indicated that the lack Q efficiency was due to corruption or t
 improper motives. but the commissio holds that men who are responsible fe
 the safety of human lives must dis
 charge their trust to the full. In orde
 these results may be accomplished a New York the commission believes tha there must be Fundamental changes i