Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-29
SECRETARY REDFnaLD
CALLED BEFORE JURY

The coroner's Jury tonight called
In Secretary of Commerce Redfeld,
George Chler. inspector-general of
the Steamboat Inspection Service
and A. L. Thurman, special solicitor
for the Department of Commerce at
Washington, for a private conference.
After the Federal officers had been
closeted with the Jurors for more than
two hours, the examination OF witnesses
was resumed
secretary Redfeld said he could not
speak OF what he told the coroner's
jury. He said Coroner Peter Hoffman
and the jurors had asked him, Mr..
thurman and Mr.. Uhler regarding the
usual procedure In the inspection of
lake steamers and of the duties of the
Federal officers connected with the
granting OF licenses to the Eastland
to carry passengers
NO APPROPRIATION
FOR SUCH INSPECTION
1T was suggested and considered
whether there should not be some law
regulating the inspection of steam
boats as to stability" said Mr.. Thur
man. 1T was pointed out to the jurors
that no laws ever have been passed
providing for that. and that there is
force 10 make such an inspection"
After States Attorney Maclay
Hoyne during the day had announced
that the county grand Jury would re-
turn indictments against those 10
blame for the capsizing OF the East
land, and had announced tonight that
the action had been postponed until
tomorrow, he later said he had been
advised that he would not have suf-
ficient jurisdiction TO prosecute, except
FOR manslaughter, and that probably
the jury did not have sufficient evil
dence to warrant it in returning such
true bills. He said he would turn over
what evidence he had TO United States
District Attorney Cline, who will start
placing witnesses before Federal
grand jury in few days.
dozen members of the Eastlands s
crew testified before the grand jury,
hut added nothing. 1t is said, TO evil
dence adduced by Coroner Hoffman.
Investigation by Federal grand
jury and by tho Steamboat Inspection
Service Will start tomorrow. Frank
W. van Patten and William A. Collins.
comprising the Milwaukee Board Of
Steamboat Inspection. who. with Sec
retary Redheld and A. L. Thurman and
Il
hearing. arrived to-day. Inspector
General Uhler also arrived from San
Francisco.
NOTHING FOUND TO REFLECT
on FEDERAL INSPECTION
Secretary Rcdfeld tonight reiterated
that as yet nothing had beer found
to reflect on the Federal steamship in
spection bureau
In preparation for the Federal in
quiry soundinEs were made to-day Of
the river around the EastIand which
still is lying on its side, half-sub-
merged. 1t was found that the maxi
mum depth at the dock was twenty
feet and the minimum fourteen feet
two inches. Witnesses at the coroner's
inquest had asserted that n possible
cause of the ships listing was n mud
bar on which it's Keel was pressed by
the $500 persons on board Experts
to o-night said that II it were shown
that n bar caused the steamer to up-
set the War Department would oc at
fault, rs that department has charge
of harbors.
Funerals Of 200 victims Of the East
land catastrophe were held to-day,
while the whole city was In mourning
under an official proclamation by
Mayor Thompson. who returned from
San Francisco and took charge OF the
relief work.
whole days search in the river to-
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