| Show jl skyum deck hand tells coroner of feeble attempt to fight the Fire Awful increase in harvest of mutilated bodies new york june 20 the list of those who perished on the general slocum Is growing at an alarming rate bodies came to the surface today off the shores ot north brother island singly and in cropps 0 twos and threes un dusk ninety three additional bod les had been recovered every pass ing steamer seemed to chum up the water to such a degree that with its jl i wash one or more bodies would bo 4 swept on the beach between tho hours ot three and six in the alvernoon alter noon forty five bodies some of badly i mutilated were taken ashbro by tha parties this brings the total number of bod 1 ies recovered up to and yet there A are something like persons unac counted of A of these are among the unidentified at the morgue r and over on north brother island and the unrecognizable that have been burled ln the lutheran cemetery on ang island the coroners inquiry into the disaster was begun today thousands ot persons gathered in and around the armory in the borough ot the bronx where tho inquest was held according to the testimony ot john J chakler Co akler one ot the slocums deck bands at the coroners inquest ha ikier had been instructed in a fire drair since bo became an employed ot aho company at the beginning of last season coakley imald he first learned that tho steam ti er was on fire when a small boy called ahls attention to the smoke rolling i down from the bow he waa below and could not tell exactly where the f boat was at that time coakley said he ran up toward the bow ot the i J steamer and found blaze tn the lock CT where the oil tor the lamps waa hept he dumped charcoal on it hoping to smother the flames then cut down the hose and called tor asals lance the alre waa so hot that ho 1 l and those who came to help him driven out of the locker but they got the hose In position and had lust dl a stream on the alre when tha hose burst no attempt was made to y replace the ruined hoso he said as the passengers were in a panic and r made U almost impossible to do any thing they could not reach the oth K r baand pipe back near the stern ot tho steamer when the crew round it impossible to control the fire they turned their attention to the 1 f berb coakley bald he tool down many afe preservers and distributed them among the women and children so far aff he coulta ECO all the pre were in good condition it was im possible to reach any ot the life ratta i because ot the panic but one ot the ie boats were lowered 11 the boats were so surrounded by people that th crew could i not get at them the boat which they succeeded n clearing and which was filled with women and children capsized while U was being lowered from the davits 11 the witness was unable to give any information as to tho origin of the anro tho room in which it started was lighted by a common ship lamp which was cot in use but he was euro the lamp was not lighted when ho found ohp blaze ho remembered that a quantity of hay which had beau around a barrel of bee glasses brought on board that day had been stored in lie locker ho also said ll 11 waa a custom or tho men to light matches in the locker when they wani edlo find anything thero edward banagan Fa nagan tho mate for tho last two seasons on the isaid that the kwam cabin chero the tiro bruke out was used for storing old lines and worn out awnings and brooms he had one barrel ot sperm oil here and there some empty barrels that had contained oil ri anagan said that as soon as ho was abaro of ho fire he notified tho captain callig up ho tube we are all afire forward what answer did you get 1 I did no wait for an answer I 1 went to iha engineers to me water hail you given any orders up to that lime to man he lifeboats life boats not up to that time what orders did you rive your nun conr up to that time when I 1 got back from the engineer I 1 manned he pipes then when the water pressure canio a coupler blew off and the pipe burst then we to reach le oilier stand pipes but we could not pass the flames flanagan said he was present when the inspection took place at this point ho coroner ordered inspectors fleming and lundberg to leave the court room flanagan however said he did not accompany the inspectors on thela rounda he knew be said that ten or twenty of the life preservers were ordered down by one of the inspectors lie declared that all the preservers were stamped 1891 to slates district attorney wise flanagan said he had no license as either master or mate his duties were to take charge of the deck crew did you ever have a fire drill asked mr wise flanagan placed his hands on hla forehead and hen replied not dojny memory I 1 did not keep track navo you ever been the fire hose uncoiled since uie season opened not to my memory I 1 dont recall it I 1 have been very sich flanagan said he never counted the alfe preservers aboard but he was con fluent that more yian the 2600 called for were aboard and within easy reach of the passengers in his opinion the life preservers were in first class condition adjourned until tomorrow the total number of bodies found up to 1 a m was the number found in the 24 hours ending at 1 a m boang |
