Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-06-17
aOCDN GREW SCORED
Claimed General Slocum Could
Have Been Beached Sooner
and Saved Hundreds
cHlLDREN's SOCIETY IS AROUSED
lssues Official Statement That it Will
Cooperate in Every Way to Fix the
Guilt Of Persons Responsible for the
7 Awful Tragedy The Defense OF
), the Steamer.

New York, June 17.-By going over
with expert rivermen the actual course
followed by the Generai DIV
cum Wednesday, after she haa
caught fire, and it was learner
there were no fewer than seven points
all more than one mile nearer the
point at which she beached, to which,
in their judgment, Captain van
Schaick might have taken the Slocum
and beached her safely, and saved
many hundreds that We're lost by his
going to North Brother island, two
miles north of Hell Gate. The opinion
Of expert navigators is as follows:
The northeast corner of Wards is
! land, where there is shallow water for
$50 feet out, and well within reach OF
i hundreds of boats.
Little He'll Gate. In which safe
bleaching point could have been reach
ed at a distance of no more than 1000
feet from the point of the Slocum
course
Sunken Meadows, 400 feet from the
course OF the Slocuni
v Casino Beach, not 600 feet from the
easternrnost point attained by tins
Slocum in her course north when the
captain was wayering between east
md west. At this point there is
wide shelving beach of sand. Three
hundred men We're standing on the
beach, watching the burning boat way
erfng in midstream.
Lawrence Point, 500 yards north OF
Casino Beach.
The marrow passage east OF Law
renee point.
Oak Point, in reach of the fire de-
partment, and within stones throw OF
O yacht club, where 100 small boats
could have been manned for rescue
work In ten minutes.
All of these places We're so situated
that they could have been reached
without the necessity of turning the
Slocum,s head to the wind and thus
sweeping the fire aft over the vessel
The Society for the Prevention Of
Cruelty to Children has issued an Of
fetal statement thru its counsel thai
the society will take determined action
to fix the responsibility for the deaths
of the little ones burned or drowned
In the disaster. Howard Townsend,
chairman of one of the most impor-
tant committees of the Bar Associa-
ton, as well as counsel for the society
authorized this statement today:
"The Society for the Prevention ri
Cruelty to Children will cooperate In
q 49, L. ,f ma,
sons responsible for this awful tragedy
All the money in our treasury is a
service, if necessary, for the proper
prosecution of the case. Our president
Mr.. Lindsay. has written letter t
District Attorney Jerome, asking hin
to permit Mr.. Lindsay TO be ASSOCIATED
with him in the proceedings before
the coroner. This society exists fol-
the protection II assures to children
This case seems to be one of the worst
offenses against children that ever has
come to the attention of the officers oil
the society"
Many Charges Made.
That there was terrible failure t
meet the responsibilities is undoubted
No effort, as far as can be learned
was made to launch the life RATS d
boats, and no concerted attempt was
made toward eqdipping the helpless
women and children with life preserv.
ers Few OF those rescued and few OF
the bodies recovered from the river hat
on life preservers. and, according I,
several statements, most of these sup
posed instruments of safety were prac-
tically worthless. either coming apar'
when attempt was made to use them
or not possessing the buoyancy sthe.
are supposed to have.
Edward Flanagan. chief officer OF
the Slocum, when questioned by As
sistant District Attorney Garvin, de-
MED that it was impossible to get water
where the fire hose was attached. The
supply of water was plentiful. but ths
hose-which was new. he satd-burs
water was turned on and became use
less.
Defense Of the Steamer.
Pres. +. A. Barnaby, of the knick-
erbocker Steamboat Company, made
this statement:
"The apparatus for fire fighting or
board the boat was of the very bes
that money could buy. The boat was
thoroughly overhauled early this year
and we spent over $4,000 on her IL
refitting machinery, in hose, extin-
guishers. pumps. and machinery. as
well as for life preservers. We did al
and more than the law requires. The
hose was all new this year and wa:
all right. The fact that the vesse
was rated as AN AL risk is the hes
evidence that everything was done
that human foresight could provide.