New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-08
INSPECT THE CEPHEUS.
NEW-ORLEANS MEN BEGIN
Test EUery Life PreserUer-More
Examinations TODAY.

The first government TelnSpectlon or steam
vessel on account Of the Slocum disaster was
made yesterday. and If all the other reinspec-
tions are as thorough and the vestels are as
well equipped the public need not fear greatly
when It travels by water. Inspectors r. ].
Iowden and J. Nolan. OF New Orleans. exam
fned carefully the Cepheus. of the Iron Steam
boat Company's fleet. They handled every life
preserver tested every hose on board by run
ming waaer through Il, examined the boilers.
hull life boats and life RATS. When they fin
ished Inspector Lowden said he had never seen
an excursion boat so excellently equipped. The
Cepheus inspected on May II. 1904. by
Lundberg. who passed the Slocum.
To show that their own men had confidence
in the life preservers, Jerry Sage one OF the
crew, donned a life preserver and jumped over
board IT sustained him easily. He SWAN with
It, lay perfectly still. letting it bear him up,
and then tried to dive and swim under water
with it. IT required great effort to submerge
his body OF the ] $50 life preservers on board
about 100 were laid aside by the inspectors for
repairs In most cases the straps had become
loosened and needed resewing. In no case was
the life belt worthless. They are almost all
comparatively new. Some 400 We're put on
board May 10 TO replace others which had been
rejected by the boats officers. Others date
from 1898 and 1899. but the canvas covering
them is white and on the side protected
cork.
Insnectors Lo7vden and Nolan boarded the
Cepheus. which is tied up at the Erie Basin
brealwater, at 9 a. m. They were still work
sng at 5:l5 D. IN. and there had been no inter,
mission Captain w. H. Van Schaick. jr-. son
of the captain Of the Slocum. and L. B. Wright
chief engineer Of the line. greeted them In
epector Nolan went first TO examine the boilers
while Inspector Lowden measured and examined
the hull The crew was set TO work tearing
down the light Stats which held the life pre-
servers In no case was this difficult, slight
pull displacing the few nails which held the
slats ana letting down half a dozen life pre-
servers at time
The Cepheus has three pumps on the main
deck Her equipment includes collision bulk
head of sheet iron, set twenty feet aft or the
bow She is divided into fourteen watertight
compartments. The hull is OF iron. and fire.
proofiing is resorted to wherever possible There
are two life RATS. which hold thirty-two ana
forty-two persons, respectively, and eight lie
boats. which Will seat twenty-five persons each
comfortably. Her hose on the promenade deck
had been bought since the Slocum accident 10
reassure the passengers. principally the boats
people said.
Inspector Nolan tested the boilers. and found
them in good shape. They have been in use only
five months The pumps were tested. and no
valves were closed. The after standpipe on the
main deck had a poor connection, but after this
was remedied x worked well and the hose stood
the pressure. It was necessary to have the crew
partly plug UP the MOBILES Of the hose to get the
one hundred pounds pressure required for the
test The lifeboats were measured and the
davits and falls examined. The inspectors did
not lower the Hfeboats. The law does not re-
ouire that they he lowered at an inspection
The principal task was that of counting and
examining the life preservers. This took the two
men all the afternoon. for they handled each
one and pulled at the straps and canvas TO see
sf they were sound.
Arrangements are being completed for other
inspections. Eight inspectors were IN town by
last evening and assignments being made
for them as fast as they report for duty. The
Cetus Of the Iron Steamboat Company, will be
examined to-day and the Cygnus on Monday.
. The Albany of the Albany Day Line, Will be
4 examined here on Sunday, the New-York at
Albany and the Mary Powell at Rondout. The
Saratoga of the Troy boats. will be inspected
here on Sunday. The Edmund Butler and the
Angler, fishing steamers. viii be reinspected on
Monday, and the Richard Borden, of the Stevens
& Condit Company, Of Newark, will be exam
fined there
A report that two inspectors had boarded the
Grand Republic. owned by the Knickerbocker
Steamboat Company. Wednesday night and
had found her equipment extremely poor with
rotten life preservers and rotten hose. de-
MED by Supervising Inspector Rode, who was
certain that none OF his new men had been on
the Grand Republic. The inspectors named do
not exist. and the men from New Orleans, from
which district the mythical inspectors were
supposed 10 have come, said that they had not
been on her Another report that the Grand
Republic had been sold was denied by officers
of the company. The Grand Republic has been
chartered by the Dreamland COMPANY. Captain
Ieebe OF the DTeamlanG feet has his own men
board. He said that the vessel would be
inspected she could be laid up
The federal grand jury dlG not hear witnesses
on the Slocum disaster yesterday. 1t is think
ing Of taking trip over Inc course OF the SlO-
cum, did the coroner's jury.
Captain Alfred Johnson. Of the steamship Ho-
ratio Hall passed the Slocum at D. M. on the
day Of the disaster. lie told the local inspectors
their investigation yesterday that the Slocum
could have turned easily to beach Wards
Island or The Sunken Meadows.
i could have roEnCcu my snip there, and she
draws sixteen feet Of water" said he. while the
Slocun only drew eight ana q half.
Then he modified his statement TO say that
he believed the channel there about coo
feet wide. and he doubted whether he could turn
during food tide
Captain Jack" Wadc N-io vas ,omplimeated
by Inspector Dumont for his bravery the
wreck until he bluShei, =,.id the ~lOcum could
not have gone in the channel side the
Meadows because Of the rocks al the bottom.
lie thought the captain pursued the right course.
He praised the second engineer, who stayed in
the engine room until the deck fell ill.,
After hearing the testimony Of several deck
hands. from whom it was brought out that
while the Siocum carried six boats. she lad only
seven men. ard that IL took four 10 lower
boat. a recess WAS taken until Monday morning.