The evening world., 1904-06-22

Before the inquest was resumed to-day Coroner Berry announced that
been first pilot Of the socum. Capt vanwart was found last night a hi,
home. He wa commanded to appear to-day and give his testimony but
begged of until o-morro" oecause Oh mis- physical condition. vanwarts
hips are burned.
Pa, who a IN the soculn, gave this graphic description of the calamity.
THE first knew of a fire aboard a when saw the flames shootinV
out the stairway. There n o alarm. n o signals The children were on
the lower deck playing bean bag inc jumping rope. The forward part OF
the boat va envelopec in fire. I ran forward and met the pastors wife
,othng but smoke. The first apprehension of real danger 1 had was when
I saw a member of the crew, a deck hand. come running from the cabin
Women and children were ciinging to him. They called to him for heir
and he crushed them aside, answering their appeals grunly. He pushed
through the crowd, mounted the rail and leaped overheard.
AT this time the upper deck wa alive to the alarm. The children
n nuo O eu ~, .a% H. nss .aH S to- a uaI ,r ~ n pSs s. .nem uo 1--WE my hands
soon began jumping overheard. One child struck me O the temple as se
leaped. When reached for a Hfe-preserver it come down, but the weigh,
of it alone broke the strap. Seeing it was useless l threw 1t away.
NO RESCUE WORK BY CREW.
Q. Did you SEE any members of the crew ny to do anything to save
people? A. No; only saw one of them with a hose. but there was nc
Q Did any of uhe women n children get nfe-preservers? A. Not that
I Jaw. They were strapped to the ceiling and they could not reach them
B F. Conklin, of Catsktn, chief engineer of the slocum. "a called. He
had bee chief engineer OF h steamer for twelve seasons. with the excep
ton of two months.
@. Did the slaum have any steam pipes to force steam no her com.
partments in case OF fire? A. She did not.
Q. Don't you know that the law requires that all steam vessels sbould
be S o equipped? A. I never heard of such a provision.
@. Was there a fire drill on the Gen. slocum this year? A. There wai
Q. Before that? A. There a last year.
@. (by a Juror Did you receive any word or any order from the cap
tain? A. None. only whau Mate Flanagan told me. that the boat was or
Q. Cy Mr.. Garvan) Was any test v made of this FIRE hose9 A. MOI
that know Of
@. Did you go around with the inspectors when they inspected the boat
A. Yes.
@. Did they test uhe hose? A. No.
@. Was any engine tested? A. No. only that the Inspector asked ma a
everything was all right, and he took my word.
Q You told him everything a all right. A. Yes, I believed everything
was all right.
oonklng said he had seen the inspectors inspect the rubber hose which
W as used for washing down the decks. but did no. see him Inspect the fire
hose.
Counsel for the Knickerbocker Steamboat Company announced, after
Conking was excused. that the company would concede that n new life
preservers had been purchased for the Gen. Slocum since 1895.
This partially proves contention" said Mr.. Caravan, but now We
will prove that have been purchased for the slocum since 1891, when
the boat vas built"
It was further admitted by the Knickerbocker Company that acids were
used 70 erase names o books and bills and that no life preservors were
purchased for the slocum since 1895.
MISS HALL RECALLED.
Miss L. G. Hall, bookkeeper for the Knickerbocker Company, who ad
mitted yesterday making acid erasures from bills for lfe-preservers % al
to lead to the presumption that they were charges against the lost steamer
when in truth they were charges against the Grand Republic. was recalled
TO the stand. The first question by the Assistant Distrct-Atorney was al
10 certain entries regarding lhepreservers in accounts payable and II
brought Attorney McAAanus to his feet with o. objection.
81 don't SCI the relevancy of this testimony now he said, land I OBJ
ject After making the concession I have. don't know what the District
Attorney wants. We concsde that the company bought no life preservera
for the Gen. slocum since 1895. What more do you wants"
poraion" said Mr.. Garvan. '"
LIST OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
J. X. Atkinson, secretary OF the Knickerbocker Steamboat Company