Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-10-22
THREE BLAMED FOR
SL0CUM DISASTER
Steamboat Inspectors Charged With
Negligence by Investigators.
WILL BE REMOVED FROM OFFICE

Washington, Oct. 17.-Investigation
OF the General Slocum disaster, in
which nearly 1000 persons lost their
lives, by the national commission Gre
sted for the purpose has been com
pleted, and the report OF the commits
sion was made public today. In con-
nection with the important findings
OF the commission presented in the
report, President Roosevelt. TO whom
the report was submitted, has writ
ten letter to Secretary Victor II.
Metcalf, of the department of com
MERGE and labor, briefly summarizing
the report and directing him to carry
into effect the recommendations of
the commission. He also directs that
Robert S. Rode, supervising inspect
of the second district, steamboat in
spection service, and James A. Du-
mont and Thomas II. Barrett, local in
spectOrs in charge of the port of New
York, be discharged from the service,
the commission holding them directly
responsible for the laxity of the steam
boat inspection to which the Slocum
disaster was directly attributable.
President Roosevelt's letter to Sec
rotary Metcalf follows:
my Dear Sir: ] have received the
report of the commission of the
United States on the investigation OF
the General Slocum disaster and the
report of the department of justice
of October II. recapitulating what has
been done by the department of jus.
tice in connection with the criminal
proceedings taken against various in
dividuals because of their connec son
with the disaster. 1t appears that
the department of justice has already
secured Indictments against the mas
ter and captain of the Slocun. and
| against the managing directors of the
Knickerbocker steamboat company. to
which company the Slocu'n belonged,
/ for misconduct, negligence and mat
! tention to duty by the captain, and
| for aiding and abettinE therein by
the managing directors. Furthermore,
the department of Justice has secured
indictments against Henry Lundberg
and John w. Fleming. the assistant
inspectors OF the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
service, who actuS lly inspected the
Slocum, for fraud nisconduct and in
|
! appointed merelv on probation i'm the
/ service, and has been dropped. There
can, of course, be no further action
taken about Fleming until his trial
has been finisued, although it does
not follow that "a acQuittal would pre-
vent the department from discharg-
ing him from the service.
"In addition. the depart rnent of juss
tice has secured the Indictment of the
manager and three employees of the
Nonpareil Cork Works of Camden, N, j..
for putting upon the market compressed
SosR vsScssSAs ioi ueA IN 1isrS1iaa lie pr,-
servers, each of which blocks contain ed
in it's centre a piece of bar iron weigh
ing several ounces. This last offense
was of so heinous a character that it is
difficult TO comment upon it with proper
self-restraint. IL appears that the ma
tional legislature has never enacted a
law providing In set terms for the pun
ishment OF this particular species of
infamy, doubtless because IL never en-
tered the head of any man that so gross
an infamy could be perpetrated. / sug
gest that you report this whole matter
TO congress, transmitting these two re-
ports, and at that time calling special
attention to the need of imposing an
adequate penalty for the making or
selling Of defective life-saving appli-
anceS
an order that may be informed as
to the exact condition of the service in
all its parts, / direct you to order a
/ searching investigation, in continuance
Of the Investigation of the commission,
into the conduct OF the central Office
and of every outside subdivision of the
service save that in New York. You
will also lay before congress a request
that the law be changed in the various
particulars recommended by the COM
mission. / wish particular emphasis
laid upon the proposal of the commits
sion that there be created by law q
special body thoroughly to investigate
the laws which are supposed to provide
for the safety of passengers on steam
boats, especially on excursion boats,
where the prime causes of danger are
the overcrowding and the flimsy and
highly inf1ammable character Of the
superstucture."