New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-17

other provision for those needing them. and they
said they would like to look after destitute
families IN Instances in which the breadwinners
had met death in the disaster.
At midnight the temporary morgue was closed
to the public and undertakers began to embaIm
the ninety-one bodies remaining unidentified.
Later in the morning the tug Fidelity brought
| twenty-three additional bodies from North
! Brother Island. They had been recovered after
! the Ffdelity's last afternoon trip, when she
brought one body. Like the others they were
| embalmed that they might be held the longer
/ for Identification
| The temporary morgue last night was the at
| traction for the largest crowd Of morbid per-
sons that has ever gathered at such place,
| according to the police. From until 10 O'Clock
| at least five thousand people walked to the end
Of the pier and back again. between the lines Of
| dead. Not one in thousand had any reason for
being there but morbid curiosity.
! squad OF police formed the crowd in sim
| gle file line which up Twenty-sixth-st. 10
! Ffrst-ave.. and. turning there, extended as far
| down as Twenty-third-st. There were several
showers in the evening. but few persons dropped
out of line in consequence 1t took an hour to
| move from the end OF the line to the pier en-
| trance. The police had a way OF passing those
! who could give a good reason for visiting the
Morgue through the lines without the long wait.
| At 10 O'Clock Captain Gallagher Of the Eight
/ zenith Precinct who was in command under IN
spector Mclaughlin. aroused at the unfeelins
/ comments of the crowds they viewed the
/ bodies. gave orders that none but relatives
should be admitted.
In the investigation started by District Alter
! ney Jerome one important witness made state
ment at the Criminal Courts Building yesterday
to Assistant District Attorney Garvan- This
witness is Edward Flanagan. chief officer or
the General SIocum. He jumped overheard
when the steamboat grounded at North Brother
Island. and then he spent the rest OF the Gay
helping to recover bodies from the water. He
kept at work until early yesterday morning hs
! says. when he collapsed. After being attended
/ by a physician he went to the Distrf,- Attoc-
/ ney's office yesterday and made the following
| statement:
/ STEAMERS FIRE HOSE BURST.
I was on the main deck OF the SIocuIn wnen r
received my first intimatiOn that the boat as
on fire 1 ran at once TO the engine room 20
notify the engineer, and then / ran up 70 th4
| pilot house and told the captain the boat was
/ ahre-
/ she's gone UP on US, cap" told the cap
! tain. and then l ran at once to the mem usGA
again TO direct the crew. The captain blew bis
whistle almost at once. and headed Immediately
/ for North Brother Island. My men had cut
/ the fire hose in a iiffy and were soon playing on
I the flames which had started in the lamp rOoln-
| The hose was new and seemed at first 20 be
A-Ie .tN9S 49, - - -T,I-ir1 riea
Roadway with the fire when the hose burst, nrSt
/ In one place, then in two. three hair a dozeh'
/ L cannot tell you how many, places
At once the fire began 20 gain on US, ana WIN
many breaks in the hose weakening the
stream and making IL almost useless we SON
/ concluded to give up the nghJ anu lurheu an
our attention To keeping the passengers N o!ueI
/ and trying 70 prevent panic. We talked %
I them but most of them were Germans a.
were unable to understand assurances tnaI
the boat would be safely landed. We were u l'u.e
/ to prevent them Crowdlng al over 'I' U
and the greatest disorder resulted
The members of the crew became 10 some ~
tent lisorganzed and when the boat vs.
grounded finally the seconL e'5 80, remained
don, and 1 were the only ones VINO IS-' ,.---T1
on my part OF the boat. The people oesay1
to jump into the water by scores 'IeSl p CI,th
our efforts to prevent them Finally my 60
ing afire in three or four places ~.
decided that I could do no good by REMNANTS
, longer on the deck. / jumped into tht wy.
( and made for two women and a child "HI
were struggling to keep themselves alioat
managed to reach them and get theIn = 80
water, but all three were drowned before
reached there just as jumped. and the svVollA
engineer with me, the deck fell. 50 that l .olI
slider that escaped certain death oy 'e"N'"S
when did.
The steward of the boat Jumped in at nearly
the time that did He was trying TO save
a large quantity of money. including mueh Sl r
COIN amounting. I think 10 nearly $2t"' Ina
weight OF the money. 1 think dragged me
steward down. for he drowned. although
under ordinary conditions good swimmer
1 do not believe the stories about life pre-
servers being rotten, but il seems to me thaI
the hose must have been rotten. and l think
that IL we had been able TO continue to play
on the fire with full stream We could nave
nut IL out i do not know, and don't tnihA
ANYBODY else does. Just how the fire started
am sure il began in the lamp room
District Attorney Jerome said yesterday that
his office would continue investigation Of the
disaster. He said he was appalled, by the enoF-
nifty of the catastrophe. and had not been a'-s
TO sleep or eat much because of the growing
gravity OF the case. .,,
Fire Marshal Seery has ordered an investisa
ton 10 ascertain the origin of the fire. II P'SSt
BILE in view of the conflicting stories reg;eFllli
the starting of the flames on the Gehe''4
SlOcum. III,
The Fire Marshal says that he is not certain
as to his authority In the case. the qCeStw.
being new one in his department and thet1
being lack of precedent. notwithstanding 80
fact he says he will proceed under the ass&i.ig,
ton that his authority Is complete, ana W. W.,
continue the investigation until there IS oehn''0
ruling the point. -.
A great many concerns throughout the ciS
have offered help and aid TO the relatives OF lne
dead and the injured. Several large department.
stores have offered blankets and other thinss'
and offers of aid being received all the time
after u. s. INSPECTOR.
Coroner Berry said last night he had eneoun-