The evening world. Newspaper, June 23, 1904, Page 3

% —————— Oe | > | SLOCUM WRECK fh3 BEEN FLOATED AND DRAGGED 10 oHORE Capt. Van Shaick, Who Commanded Her, Carried to Inquest on a Stretcher but Is Too Weak to Testify and Is Returned to Hospital. HAS RECEIVED MORE THAN 1oo THREATENING LETTERS. ‘Member of Crew Admits that He Did Not Put a Life Preserver on Anybody Excepting Himself—Criminal Prose- cutions Are Likely to Follow Inquest. The Merritt-Chapman Wrecking Company succeeded to-day in raising the hull of the Gen. Slocum, and then towed the wreck ashore at Flushing Flats at high water. When the tide runs out an examination zan be made of the entire hull. The boat was raised by six barges. Three barges freighted down to their gunwales were placed on each side of the wr: Then massive chains attached to the barges were fastened round the wreck, When all -was made secure the barges were lightened, and as they rose the wreck was lifted from the bottom. The train of barges cradling the steamboat between them was then towed to shore. ‘CAPTAIN CARRIED INTO COURT ON STRETCHER. Capt. Van Schalck, who commanded the General Slocum at the time of | the Lig steamboat disaster, was takeu to the inquest to-day in an ambu- lance from the Lebanon Hospital, where he has been held as a prisoner. Van Schaick is suffering from a broken heel and other injuries. He was carried into court on a stretcher. ‘The Captain wes weak aud nervous and appeared groatly frightened. It was explained that since the disaster he had received more than a hun- dred anonymous letters threatening his life. A police guard was placed ‘over him in the court-room and he seemed to feel relieved. Under the care of a uniformed Hospital physician, Van Schaick was carried the entire length of the Armory tq a rear room. The doctor told Coroner Berry that in his opinion the captain was not in condition to tes- tify. The Coroner, therefore, ordered him sent to the hospital and it may be several days before he 1s again called. The Coroner said later it was not necessary to call Van Schaick to-day anyway, intimating the inquiry might last several days. Van Schaick wore .@ bandage on his head and his right leg was bandaged in a case from hip; to foot. His appearance indicated much distress, .MORE ASTONISHING REVELATIONS. More astonishing revelations of the conduct of the Slocum crew at the time of the disaster were made at the inquest to-day. Martin Cragh, a deckhand, frankly admitted that he did not put a life-preserver on anybody except himself. His home {is at No. 20 President street, Brooklyn. He is one of the witnesses under detention by order of the Coroner, “T was on the hurricane deck keeping the kids back off the railing when Y aw the smoke and fire come up the forward gangway,” he testified. “I got all the kids down and then threw a lot of Iife-preservers to the people in the water who had jumped overboard after the boat beached. Q. Did you put any life-preservers on any one? Yes, on one, "* Q. Who? A. On me, Q. Now before you made this herole rescue of yourself did you make any effort to get the lifeboats down? A. No. No one did. I couldn't do “fit alone. Q. Did you hear the alarm of fire, a bell ringing? A. No, I wouldn't . know a fire alarm on the boat if i heard it. The witners was being led back a prisoner when Mr. Garvan called: Q. How much were you paid a week? A. Twenty-five dollars. “You're a liar!” cried one of the survivors in the aucience. When the police had silenced this man the witness corrected his statement, saying {t was $25 a month. ‘CREW JUMPED INTO SMALL BOAT, Policeman James Collins, who was on duty at the College Point Ferry the day of the disaster, testified: “I first saw the Slocum afire at One Hundred and ‘7'wentleth street, while she was about two blocks off the New York shore. She was then afire on both sides und I.telophonea the Fire Department and started out with a , small boat for the Slocum. We reached her after she was beached on North Brother Island, aad our boat was filled immediately with women and child- ren, the crew alsc jumping into it. We got them ashore and then took in _sixteen dead bodics. “The Captair could have beached the Slocum on the shelving beach between One Hundred and Twenty-ninth and One Hundred ad Thirty-sec- ond streets, where mauy more lives could have been saved.” * rhis statement cussed the counsel representing various interests to fake hold of the witness, but he maintained that the Slocum had plenty of time to turn in and beach beiow One Hundred and Thirty-second street. Policeman Hubert C. Farrell, of thé Thirty-fifth Precinct, was standing at Locust avenue and One Hundred and Thirty-fourth street when he saw , the Slocum enveloped in smoke going up the river full speed. “In my opinion,” said Farrell, “that boat could have been run ashore between One Hundred and Twenty-ninth street and One Hundred and ‘Thirty-second street.” “You were a blacksmith, weren't you, before you went on the polico| force?” sneered Attorney McManus. | “Yes, but if I had been aboard the Slocum I wouldn't have done with her as the people did who had charge of her.” Reuben H. Moore, owner and Captain of the auxiliary sloop Prize, was. lying in the Great Kills on the morning of the catastrophe. He saw the ex-! _cursion steamer passing the Sunken Meadows. She was then enveloped in’ smoke, but not until the witness reached her side on the beach at the island| edid he see any flames. He related his part in the rescuy work and tpoh| gave this startling statement: “I HAVE A LIFE-PRESERVER ON MY BOAT NOW. I TOOK IT OFF A BODY, AND IT's $0 ROTTEN THAT YOU CAN PICK IT TO PIECES ..WITH YOUR FINGERS.” Q. How many bodies did you recover? A. About four or five, Q. Did they all have on life-preservers? A. Yes, Q. What were they—cork preservers? A. Yes. Q. And practically all in the same condition? A. Yes. » Q. Broken? A, Yes, The cork, powdered cork, had come out of them and was spread all over the surface of the water. The covers of the life- Dreservers were all broken. Capt. John Van Gilder, of No. 675 Kast One Hundred and Thirty-sixth treat, quperintendent of lighters for the New York, New Haven and Hart- r | him for years, THE WORLD: THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 23, 1904 SOME LIGHTS THAT SHINE IN THE CHICAGO CONVENTION. Elihu Koots Artistic Makeup Prince Kuhio Q Did you see any one ~vith a Iife-preserver on? A. Yes, a dead man floating in the water. Joseph P. Gaffney, engineer in the hospitals on North Rrother Island, in telling of the number of lives he and his men saved, sald the sea was | full of cork from broken life-preververs and that they saw one woman with a life-preserver go floating by. “We tried to get her, but she was washed along and both she and the life-preserver went under.” THOUGHT CORK WAS SAWDUST. Henry N, Mallaber, Chief Clerk at North Brother Island, who aided tn the rescue work, testified to the rottenuess of the life-preservers. “Did you see any cork floating around on the water?” “I didn't know at first what the stuff was. I thought it was sawdust. 1 pulled a heavy woman out of the water. She had a preserver under her \right arm. It didn’t go all the way round her back. When | grabbed at | her I caught the life-preserver and it came to pieces in my hands. The cork came out all over me. I caught the woman and finally got her in.” Paul Liebnow, No. 182 East One Hundred and Twenty-fifth street. his | head covered with bandages and his hands burned to a crisp, told a pitiful ford Ratlroad Company, was called as an expert. The witness went over the Slocum’s course ou Sunday last in the police steamer Patrol. Second Pilot Weaver accompanied the party, and he told Capt. Van Gilder that the tide on the day of the accident was a strong flood, and the wind southeast. Other witnesses have testified that the wind was from the westward. Q. (By Coroner Berry) How many points would the Slocum have had to alter her eourse to have made the Now York shore? A. From two to two and a half points. That would have put her on the bank below Ons Hundred and Thirty-secon¢ strect. COULD HAVE REACHED IN THREE MINUTES. Q. How long would it have taken to beach her there, a longer or a shorter time than to North Brother Island? A. Shorter. | Q. How long? A. Threc minutes, possibly less, if she had been goin! at tull speed. . Q. In your judgment would you have beached the Slocum on the New York shore or on North Brother Island? A. On the New York shore. That is where I would have put her. It was an error of judgment, that 1s all. Q. What do you know about Cam. Von Schaick? A. I have known His reputation as a master was the best. There are others in this affair guiltier than Capt. Von Schaick. | story: Q. (By Congressman Goulden, juror) What would be the ordinary life! “I saw the boat way afire at Blackwell's Island. I was with my wife, of a life-presorver mado of granulated cork? A. Well, I shouldn't think three children, two sisters, sister-in-law, nephew and niece, and mother, they had any life | eleven of us in all. Q. How long should they be used? A. Not more than seven or elght | “When the flames came from telow I grabbed for the life-preservers, Years: which were held to the ceiling with wires. I couldn't get them down. I Q. Is it not a fact that granulated cork life-preservers become mil-! tried to break the wirés and couldn't. I cut my hands, but I couldn't get any dewed and rot in a season when exposed to the elements? A. Yes, sfr, very /!fe-preservers down, Finally the great crowd came along and pushed us often. over the rail. The flames had then burned all my hair off. Q. (By Mr. Garvan) What do you consider the hold of a “Six of my fatniiy, including two of my children, were lost.”” A. Everything below the main deck. Miss Annie Kipp, of No. 1894 Third avenue, cashier in a Fourth street That settled the contention made yesterday by Government inspectors | store, was the first witness to testify that she had heen carried down by thatithe Slocum lading Boia’ ja Hfe-preserver. She said: The jury wanted to know who should be held responsible in a case of| _ “MY cousin was drowned. I got a life-preserver on and was pushed this kind, and he said !t was up to the officers of the company, the officials) off. The life-preserver carried me under and I was saved by Capt. Wakely." of the boat and the Government inspectors. The line of inquiry being followed by the District-Atoorney in the in- CHIEF PILOT TELLS STORY. quest and the three points which he is endeavoring to establish became known to-day, Capt. Edward Van Wart, chief pilot of the Slocum, was called. He lives! From an official of the District-Attorney’s office who has been con- at No. 321 West Twenty-first street, and said he had been a pilot thirty! nected wi ry The Ev Wor! y ‘ - 3 , th the inquii Evening W | : Nhat A : quiry ening ld learned to-day that the Div. trict-Attorney is seeking, first, to establish and hold under charges the ex- 7 o: ET Taae eb CRU GSE aa eT eM BAITS ees eee elites of the Knickerbocker Steamboat Company; second, to definitely passengers. e ze Sai aco eRe aa anced with criminal carelessnezs, a:il Q. Then besides those 250 put on in 1895 all others had been there Sp aU OR oR Co ote since 1891? A. To the best of my knowledge. NCOMPETENT MEN EMPLOYED. Q. How many passengers was the Slocum permitted to carry at first?} 70 establish the first contention the District-Attorney 1s seeking to A. Twenty-five hundred. | Prove that the system of economy practised by the executives of the com- Q. And how many was this Increased to in 1895? pany led them to employ incompetent men to handle the General Slocum. hundred and fifty. In support of this it has already been shown that the first officer, Edward Q. Did you see anyone going over the life-preservers this spring? © janagan, was not only unlicensed in violatfon of law, but knew nothing Taianct about a steamboat and that his regular business was that of an iron worker Q. Did you examine tke fire lose? A. I did not, | ashore. It will also be shown that the crew for the most part was never Q. Did you examine the life boats? A. I did. | employed on a boat until less than a month before the accident, and was Qi Did’ you repair?) A. They diditiot need any repairs: | composed of such poor quality of men that the wages were only $5 and $6 a Q. Were yon there when they were awung in the davits? A. Yes, sir, | "°C% G. Had they ever been lowered or moved after that time? A. Yes. cir: |. A8minst the executives will also be lodged the Information that the lite- Prete nantan aiisalinetiens, SIT | Dreservers were worthless and that the company had been so notifled and @ Did you ring any belle for a fire drill this year? A. Yes, air; tho | {tat the federal law relating to team valves in the hold was ignored. An- time of the accidont, but that wasn't a fire drill, We had no fire drilis| (her ‘mportant point tc be ured by the District-Attorney before the Grand Rloecee Jury fs that the fire hose, although new, was absolutely worthless. Mr. year. Garvan has a bill showing that the company pald sixteen cents a foot for Q. Where was the Slocum when you were notified that the steamer] the fire hose on the Sioctim, while officers of the company have testified was afire? A, About four or five lengths beyond Sunken Meadows. 1 re-, that good fire hoze cannot be bought for less than $1 a foot and the city mained {n the pilot house untli flames broke into it. pays $1.50 a foot for fts fire hose. Tt waa this sixteen-cent hose which DISCUSSED BEACHING QUESTION. broke and rendered the fire-fighting apparatus useless, There was a rumor at the inquest to-day that Mr. Garvan had already Q. What did you do then? A. Pilot Weaver and Capt. Van Schaick were 0 in the wheel-house, and we taiked it over. submitted to the Grand Jury a copy of the evidence so far adduced. Q. What? A. About the fire; where we would go. Q. Then what? A. Well, Capi. Schatck ordered us to beach her on North 893 BODIES RECO VERED Brother Island. I shot the helm over and sounded the fire-alarm, while my | FR OM WRECK TO DA TE. assistant blew the continuous whistle. boat? A. Twenty-seven A. Q. What signals (id you give the engineer when you got the order to) Day by day the awful total of the) the missing, with the idea of establish- 2 oni tull Gen, Slocum’s dead crawls upward, | ing late the accuracy i beach? A. I hooked her on full speed. | i Meat rales racy of which will be Q. What speed was she making? A. About twelve or thirteen miles ee eee enna coronene at the Siceet cueellon A hundred German one who are Wo ollcemen and an hour. She had been at half speed before that. Just before she struck I, wreck with dynamite have come to be- | competent tally clerks have aes slowed her and immediately rang the bell to stop. Neve that in the end the tures will) at work on this task, ‘The policemen, in Mr. Garvan forced Van Wart to admit that on a previous examination | “*\0"" * thoumand: Walt ihe bodes re audition to verltying the Ilats;/aleo have a to-da ere are now 893) ingtructic pinata he had sald there had been fire drills on the Slocum this year, while to-day | known victims, and of these but 105 re- | condition ot berenved tenaitee smanelal he admitted there had been none, main unidentt Among these 105 the fund in the Mayor's pene raae n y | je ie 0! y be LIFE-PRESERVERS WORTHLESS. ri oden that ‘leaves over, aw wh /aiatributed properly and an those who s 5 ? | contributed to ft would. wish to hay Mrs, H. W. Turner, No, 2649 Fighth avenue, when called, said: aiarted away on that fatal trip abao- |placed, The policemen have instructions ef ape "i lutely unaccounted for, The number |to make special inquiry into th di- I was on the boat with my iother, my sister, my nephew and my own! yy \dentiited dead is | Hon Of children orphaned by the digas: little gi. My nephew and sister were lost. I was first attracted by several| The pollce to-day are making a sys-| tures louked out. for by the city fe men trying to pull down a hose which broke in their hands. Then I sald to, tematic Investigation of the dead and New York, = my mother that there must be a fire and we tried to gay. surselves. 1 pulled ot aria 7 down three life-preservers from the ceiling but all of them broke and were!’ RIVER CAPTAINS’ TRAINING, | ™Dseauently the captain of the steamer, no good. The ground cork poured out. The canyas split whenever I touched | eat ao ene eee 2 ne Fiver ag service from boyhood and ts thoroughly it. My mother, sister and nephew were carried away from me, but I wrapped | ail on Citizens’ Masters) competent and capable to fill the posi- my arms ahout my little girl and as the flames came up we were driven to} as Well tion which he now holds, a ‘ ‘To the Euitor of The Evening Worl George Bro} of the steamer the rail and then crowded overboard into the river. I was unconscious, but, Jyear Sir: In the edition of June oops a, has been in the employ 0 still holding to my child when we were picked up and carried ashore,” | of your paper I find, under the head ie oe ine et te eeond Lulu McKibben, @ hospital nurse and telephone operator at North) f “How Do Captains Get Their bi- pilot, wom that to first pilot. and sub- Brother Island, testified. | censes?” in which you mention the | se quent y appointed captain ort ne ves- steamers of this line, City of Troy and | fel Q. Did you zee the people aboard the Slocum trying to get down life-| Saratoga, as to the ntness of the mas-|§ preservers? A. Yes, Wher I got down to the beach I could see the passen-| ters or captains on said steamers for gers on the rear of the promenade deck, reaching for preservers. They! {%*, positions which they occupy, and, | Ve! vel tal \ He broke as they pulled at them, The cork all came out and went in their) ,faunem (0 them as well ne to tit | ee eyes. mpany he had served some fi with the Cornell Steamboat Com- n New York and dout, a t his whole life the river, Mr. Brown hag always known as a careful, prudent and orthy captain and well qualified the position held by him In any, Tt has always been the custom in all years pany, not only captains, but are masters tn fact an well ax name, holding first-class Heenses as pilots, therefore capabl navigating the vessel ine y circumstances, Very President Citizen: New York, June 22, SS, BIG SLOCUM BENEFIT. Great Array of Talent for G@ Opera-House Performance. In point of profensional talent en- gaged the benefit to be given at the Grand Opera-Housg to-morrow night for the benefit of the children sufferers In the Slocum disaster promises to be the greatest ever held in this city, Every performer wno has volunteered is a vaudeville or legitimate star. Same of them are working on roof gardens or jn the regular theatres and will be huatled to the Grand with thelr make- up to do thelr specialties. Manager Springer, of the Grand, has donated the house and all the attend- ante and in also paying for the print- ing, so that there. will not be a penny of expense attached to the entertain- ment. Four stage ‘beauties appeared in the financial district to-day to sell tickets fur the benefit, They rode in the auto- mobile of Manager Springer and tried to get on the floor of the Stock Ex- change, but the rules prevented this. ‘Then the actresses waited for the brok- ers and disposed of a large number of tickets, They were Frankie Bailey and the Misses Earl, Middleton and 8t. Clair. —.—— FUND AMPLE NOW, MR. SCHIFF ANNOUNCES, Jacob H. Schiff, treasurer of the com- mittee apointed by the Ma r to solicit | dela; Jos Cannong Suspiciouyg Eye Ex-Gov. BlacK And Friends subscriptions for the relfef of the view tims of the Slocum disaster, reported to-day that the committee had thus far received over $90,000. Contribution’, he added, have been on such ~ geneeans scale and the amount already recetved so large that a further Sweue vl wd Teller fund seemed to him both un necessary and undesirable, CONTRIBUTIONS FOR SLOCUM RELIEF FUND. The Evening World has recetved the following sentributions tthe den. Slocum fund: Leo Greenbaum... From Eddie, Wilile, Lina and Anni Brooklyn.. sereneees LOD LIGHT WORK FOR AGED MEN. Commissioner Pallas, of the Depart- ment of Parks, has issued an order to the foremen of the Department direct- ing that the aged men in the various gangs In the parks be given the light ext work, The foremen are told to see that the order 1s carried out at once. ‘The order as issued to the foremem reads as follows: “You are hereby directed, een aa the Seflbe| Gs Commissioner allas, that aged men in your gang) Relected’ for the "work: vequirings the least exertion, the younger men taking up the more arduous features connect~ ed therewith, The Commissioner haw noticed In many instances the very re- verse. Arrange for this change without where practicable.” in_complt- ss the following repf\: to occupy Q. Did you see any cork cn the water? A. Yes, it was floating all] Capt. Charrg 1. Bruder, of the} ‘yt rs around, steamer City ef Troy, nas been ta tho| departi ° x . ich of our employees as have prove Q. Did’ you nave any one? A: Yes, sir, T went out in the water and! “Z?#0Y ©: shia company for the past Ghemacives competent, faithful and cap- brought in a baby abont two months old and «girl about eight years, ry a departments of our vessel to promote eighteen years, beginning as a lookout. Rar eeigcnealtionan tela: he from that to second pilot, first pilot, them, The captains of our steamers are SOROSIS The Best Shoe for Women. This Season’s Sorosis Models,— made of colored leathers,—(tans, fawns, greys, and other fashionable shades) are designed to match - or tone with the dress fabrics now in vogue. The range of tan shades is unusually varied,— from the palest “champagne” tint to a rich “tabac brown. These colors are produced in the new Sorosis silver eyelet Ties, and in several kid and suede Shoes and Slippers. 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