Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-28
Department of Commerce
Scored as Result of East
land Disaster.
NO RECORDS KEPT HERE
OF VESSEL INSPECTIONS
Contention Advanced That Some
Other Department Should Con-
duct Investigation.

With the governmental investigation
of the steamer Eastland catastrophe
temporarily shifted to Chicago through
the presence there OF Secretary heu-
field, Solicitor Thurman. Supervising
Inspector General Uhler and Assistant
Supervising Inspector General hoover
of the steamboat inspection service
oficials here are engaged in reaolns
the great mass of letters cr1tlclsing the
department for the disaster.
Every mail brings Hood OF com
munications from people all over the
country criticising the department ioi
permitting such a craft to remain III
the excursion service after such rep
utatton as she is said to have borne.
1t developed today that there IS apso.
luteIy no way in which the STEAMBOAT
insnection officials at headquarters mere
can check up the reports OF the ilNaihss
of the local inspectors on the vessels
which they inspect There is apsoiuteIs
no way in which these officials can looh d.
the record of a vessel and ascertain
whether she Is built according to the laws
of naval construction to insure staoliits'
Only Two Copies Made.
After the certificates containing these
details as noted by the local inspectors
are made out one copy is given TO the
master of the vessel, the other Is
hurled in the files of some CUSTOM
house. a note of the inspection Is sent
on to Washington. and the officials go
right on feeling secure that the Vessel
is all right because the lnspeetos
have given her a good Dill OF saie.y.
The officials here ere x xnow nor can
thew obtain information readily by re-
fArrine to the files here.
The departmental officials here admit
that IL copies of these certihcates were
nlaced on file here those familiar with
steamboat construction could determine
by an examination Of its papers Wnether
a vessel was safe. according to the Jaws
Of marine construction. and could deter
mine whether an inspector had errea ~
issuing a certificate. Practlca1iy an u
these details now are known only 10 the
local inspectors and the supervising IN
spector. but not to the officials here.
Department Is Criticised.
It ID admitted that there has been
criticism of the department for Its act
in assuming to Investigate the disaster
but 1t ID pointed out that the law specin-
cally requires the local inspectors to
make an investigation of any marine
disaster coming within their territorial
Jurisdiction. However. the omcials ao-
NIT that the law did not require the
heads Of the department to make an In
vestigatfon. and 1t il understood to be
on this score that the department Is
criticised.
In the present case, 1t Is contended,
the department Is for sthe time being
the defendant, and that some other de-
partment of the government, probably
the Department Of Justice. should con-
A,.At "a fpuAofi rAffnn A the evil
dsnce now at hand seems to point to the
overlooking of the vessel through an
addition to the excursion list allowed
By Robert Reid, the local inspector OF
spection and Department of Commerce
oficials should be kept out of 1t.
While officials from the department
were rushed to Chicago to make an
investigation of the disaster. 1t was
announced from the department head
quarters here soon after the accident
that the department would have an
investigation made by board OF COM
petent civilians So far, nothing has
been done to get this board on the
ground. From other sources has come
the suggestion that the board should
consist Of civilians and naval officers.
the latter particularly in view OF the
charges that the vessel was not built
according to well established laws OF
marine construction.
Civil Board Plan Dropped.
This suggestion of civilian board
however, seems to have fallen to the
ground with the arrival in Chicago OF
the department and steamboat inspec-
ton bureau officials At this time the
officials here seem disposed to let the
matter rest with the federal investiga-
ton now being made on the ground.
At the department today every ef-
fort has been made to defend its ac-
tion in connection with the catastrophe
It was declared that competent repre-
sentatives Of the department were on
the ground and they would make ar
unbiased Investigation and report. II
was declared that the department was
not disposed to follow the "cry of the
unthinking multitude at this time by
taking blood for blood"
Tho crew Of seven men Of the old Chi
cago coast guard station saved eighty
four lives and recovered $40 bodies from
the recent Eastland tragedy. A Telegram
to the coast guard from Keeper Garland
tells briefly the work of his crew. The
station has only one lifeboat The worl
accomplished by seven men In a boat Ii
regarded as remarkable. No details art
given, further than that Keeper Garland
aSserts that the rescues and the recovery
Of the bodies, as enumerated, was tho solt
accomplishment of the men under him.