The semi-weekly messenger., 1904-06-24
THE SLOCUM DISASTER.
LIST OF RECOVERED BODIES
OVER $50.
The Missing Still Number Over 800
Several Witnesses Examined Before
Coroner's Jury.

-
New York, June 21.-The harvest of
'icllns VINO lost their lives in the
General Slocum disaster continued to-
day AL through the night, despite
the terrific electrical storm which
swept over the city, the searchers held
TO their grewsome WORK and early to-
DAY the total number of bodies recog-
cred had reached 770 and it was ex-
pected that every hour during the day
would add to the number 1t was hop
ed that Identification would reduce the
large number of missing before night.
An alarming result of the develop
ments Of the last three or four days
mas been that, although more than 200
bodies have been taken from the river.
the list OF missing has remained al
most unchanged. To-Day when the to-
TAI number of bodies recovered exceed
ed $50. the list of missing continued
Wen in excess of three hundred.
Many of the bodies taken from the
river today were in such a condition
as TO make Identification next to i'm
possible
When the coroner's jury, which is in
yestigating the disaster to the Slocum.
resumed it's session today, Daniel o.
Neill a deck-hand on the Slocum was
called as the first witness.
O'Neill said he never saw any fire
drill on the Slocum. although he had
been employed on her ever since she
was put in commission this year. He
could not recall that new hose was
carried on board the steamer at any
time There was no life preservers on
the hurricane deck, he said.
al
given yesterday that rne store room
held paint, oil, old canvass and a lot
OF other rummage, beside the lamp.
He said sometimes the room was light
ed by a swinging lamp End sometimes
there was no light. 4
The witness first learned of the fire
when he heard the people shouting.
When he ran to the hose, it coiled and
burst when the water pressure reach
ed it. He heard Flanagan shout Get
another hose and ran and got the rub
Or washing hose, but the coupling would
not mt the stand pipe. After that he
jumped overheard and swan ashore.
Replying to questions from the jury
O'Neill said the flames prevented them
from getting to the deck the washing
hose. after the coiled fire hose had
burst.
Edward Brandow, of Catskill, the
assistant engineer Of the Slocum was
the next witness. For use in fighting
fires he said they had a donkey engine
for pumping water to the fire hose and
TO the water closet. They never had any
other hose on the SlOcum. He first
heard Of the fire when the man Flan-
agan, reported it.
Oscar Kahnweiler, a member of the
firm which supplied the life preservers,
said he sold the General Slocum her
original equipment of life preservers
Ia 10 hx, y &c fop
the Slocum was in 1895. Mr.. Kahn
Weller estimated that a life preserver,
properly cared for. would last twenty
years. Many might become worthless
in much less time.
II will show you on. now" said thu
assistant district attorney as he car
ried dramatically and laid across the
knees OF the witness. a dilapidated
looking life belt that was taken from
the wrecked Slocum.
''I'p trust myself to that belt now
with hands and feet tied" replied Mr..
Kahnweiler.
Mr.. Garvin tore the rotten arm
strips of the belt and returned to his
seat saying That will do
Coroner Berry announced that Cap
tain VanSchaik, who commanded the
Slocum, IS in such condition at the
Lebanon hospital that he may not be
able to testify for several days. He
tried to get to court today but collapS-
ed. The coroner stated that the in
quest would not be completed without
the captains testimony.
Edwin Weaver, second pilot of the
Slocum. said the distance run by the
burning boat was no more than half
a mile, the time consumed in max
ing the run between two and a half
and three minutes and the place where
the boat was beached, the best possi-
hi yHln ~ In hn
deck hose. He took :. piece of the oli
hose to the store and asked that it be
matched. He ordered two hundred feet
of rubber hose at the same time.
Mr.. Garvin produced the bills for the
hose and showed that it cost sixteen
cents a foot.
Don't You know y-u can't buy good
fire hose for less than one dollar
foot?" was asked.
i don't know anything about hose.
/ did what l was told and bought what
1 was told to buy"
Commission to Investigate the Disas-
ter.
Washington, June 21.-A commission
consisting of Lawrence o. Murray, as
sistant secretary of commerce and Ia
bor, Major General John NJ. Wilson,
u. s. A, retired, Commander Cameron
MGR. WinSlow, u. S. N, Herbert
Knox Smith. deputy commissioner Of
corporations in the department Of COM
merce and labor and Mr.. George Uhier,
supervising Inspector general of the
steamboat inspection service, has been
appointed to investigate the disaster to
the General Slocum near He'll t...ie IN
the East river. wherein more than 700
lives were lost. The commission Will
report at once to Secretary Cortelyou.
The assignmentof General Wilson
and Commander Winslow to duty on
the commission was made by the Pres
ident, at the request of Secretary Cor
telyou. The commissions investiga-
tion will be entirely independent Of the
investigation shortly to be made by the
local board of steamboat inspectors,
under the provisions Of section 445e
of the Revised Statutes, which compels
an inquiry to be made in such cases.