The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-16
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owners pennant which always signifies
that he is aboard, and after passing the
Slocum she steered over to the western
snore and hove to while on her bridge
a man in uniform with binoculars to
his eyes watched the vessel burn. Even
more horrible than this and similar acts
of incredible callOusness is the story OF
Miss Martha Wefrk, who says that
while she struggled in the water, a
boat containing several men drew
alongside of her and after stripping her
of her rings and other jewelry pushed
her back into the water.
The body of the steward when found
had been rifled of several hundred dol
There is open criticism of the failure
OF the Slocum's officers and crew TO
meet the emergency, but as yet no
formal action has been taken by eltner
the municipal or federal officials Cap
tain Van Shack and the two pilots are
under arrest but are neld only as wit
nesses.
That there was terrible failure to
meet the responsibilities is undoubted.
No effort as near as can be learned
was made to launch the life RATS or
boats, and no concerted attempt made
toward eQuipping the helpless women
and children with life preservers. But
few of the rescued and few of the
bodies recovered from the river had
on life preservers and according 10
several statements most of these sup
posed instruments of safety were
practically worthless, either coming
apart when an attempt was made to
use them or not possessing the buoy
ancy they are supposed to have.
There is very general criticism of
the captain and pilot for their failure
to turn the vessel ashore the moment
they found the fire had gained head
way. Captain Van Schaick has made
several statements, varying in detail,
but none of them is considered salts
factory.
Pilot Van wart, however, today
said that he could not dock the vessel
because all of her hawsers were burn
ed. His statement follows;
when I first discovered the pres
ence of fire on the steamer decided
to make for the first dock that 1 could
find but in a moment I was informed
that all the ropes by which we usually
tied up had been burned. 1 then de-
cided to make for the first point OF
land where there was no rocks and
beach the vessel and this L did. The
present of rocks all along the shore
made it impossible for me to beach
the vessel any sooner than I did
Scenes at the Morgue.
From midnight until long after sun
rise today the work of arranging the
hundreds of the unidentified BODIES
which were being brought down from
North Brother island progressed un-
interruptedly. The sleepless eyes OF
stricken men and women on the dock
at the foot of East Twenty-sixth street
watched every move of the city physl-
clans The scenes about the morgue
and at the docks where the relief
boats came in laden with their ghast-
~ freight were heartrending. Men
and women who had waited for hours
swaying between fear and nope gave
way to bitter grief, when at last the
bodies of their loved ones We're tound
among the piles of burned and man
gled dead
Lying side by side were two women
who died clasping their infant babies
in their arms. A pathetic figure
among the searchers and watchers
was 16-year-old Fred Hartung, the
sole survivor of a family of six who
went on the Inflated excursion His
mother and four sisters have not been
heard from since the Slocum went
down. The boy saved himself by
jumping to a tug
A heavy pail hung today over the
public school in Fifth street near
First avenue, which is in the center of
the resident district most affected by
the SlOcum disaster. OF the 1000
pupils of the school a large portion
were relatives of the eXcursiOnistS,
and nearly 800 of the regular at
tendants did not appear in their
classes today. of this number 10
had obtained permission on Tuesday
to be absent yesterday to go on the
excursion. Just how many lost their
lives or were injured has not vet been
learned, but the principal is engaged
in a canvass of the homes of the
pupils for the purpose of learning
their fate. Scores of boys and girls
their eyes red with WeeDine TODAY
asked to be excused because a brother
or sister or other relative had been
lost In every room there We're va
cant seats. Study was almost out of
the question. The school flag hung
at half mast, and there was a total
cessation of the usual games that
preceded the opening session.