| Show WATERS OF HELL GATE YIELDING UP DEAD t more bodies are being continuously recovered number of missing Reduced Bereaved father kills himself inquest to j commence today new york june 20 all along he east riter from north brother island down to what are known as the sunken meadows search was made today lor bodies ot unfortunates who lost their lives in the disaster to the general slocum last wednesday although more than aso bodies bad been recovered last night reports of the first minutes of work today added more to the total these were found at widely separated points and the searchers were of the opinion that before the day ended the list of mile ing would be considerably decreased they believe the big steamers ste amere aej other craft will so stir up as to cause bodice lying along the bed of the jivco to rise to tho surface wreckers at work on the wreck of the slocum today encountered new difficulties they were at vork about the hull of the sunken steamer aheu they found that instead of the bull resting in mud as they thought it rested on rocks which were bevc known to exist this they say will delay the work somewhat several more bodies were recovered during the day como of them in the vicinity of the wreck there are tour divers at work near north brother island today searching for bodies one diver reports at a depth ot feet he has discovered a large hollow in which he says there aro a great many bodies more aban witnesses had been summoned to appear at the inquest which was scheduled to begin before coroner berry today it was also planned to hare present an assistant united states district attorney and a stenographer with instructions to take down all testimony offered As fast ax the notes are transcribed the evidence will be exam ined by district attorney bumeter who will in turn forward the evidence together with his opinion thereof to the department of commerce and labor it the evidence warrants it said general burnett today 1 I benall not wait until the end of the inquest before moving in the matter if abo evidence Is strong enough the federal grard jury will consider celain ce iain phases of the case long before the inquest has clofed in addition to the department of justice taking in the inquest II 11 K smith the legal representative of secretary cortelyou was under instructions to keep that department thoroughly advised as the inquest proceeded it was expected that striking facts would be adduced at the inquest in addition to the proof that the life preservers were rotten that the fire beao burst that the life boat davits wound not work and that the life rafts were so fastened to the decks that the could not be moved coroner berr was said to have evidence that many of the ring preservers were so neavy that they sank like lead two bodies were found on the bottom of the river with these ring preservers around them another charge which the coroner was to investigate was one to the effect that a portion of the guard rail to which tour bodies were found clinging when it was raised from tho bottom was rotten and worm eaten A resident of jersey city named workman who lost two daughters and a aon in the toaster returned homo last night after having viewed tho scene of the wreck aad attending memorial services during the day and blew out his brains with a revolver the coroners jury was quickly secured president barnaby of th knickerbocker steamship company owner of the slocum was the farsi witness and from him it was learned that the actual operator of the steamer was captain van who received his instruction from captain pease on application of KB latter be said an inspection of the steamer was made by the united states authorities ties before she was put in commission this year saying it was reported to us that the slocum was in thorough good order and working condition the certificate of a united states was placed ID evidence it certified that may 7 leot the general slocum was in good condition to carry 2500 passenger anil that it had aboard 2656 life preservers aaker if toe ledgers would not show how many preservers were bought tor the slocum since she was built in 1891 mr barnaby said be was not ore that all the ledgers could be found sir barnaby said imbat he had instructed ted captain pease ai the opening of the season to put the slocum in first elate condition and to pare no ex pence we spent on the repairs suggested he said the company estimated the boat a worth and carried insurance on her asked the baat was considered ft good riak he replied we paid the lowest possible premium james atkinson secretary of the company said he knew nothing of tho statements presented by barnaby theae statements were pro pared by the bookkeeper he promised to try to find the companas comp anys books A crushing blow fell on albert cranel when he reached his home at L I 1 and learned that bis entire family including hie wife and two children had gone on the cum excursion and haa been lost sha had been at at hie trade 1 and pearl inlayer at newport and dia not know until he renamed home to day that hie faintly went on the fated excursion |
