The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-03-23
Unfortunate Tragody-Somo Flight
.--f. Sd Lives Lost.

A sad occurrence took place near
this port, yesterday, by which some
eight persons were drowned, and
others injured. The steamer General
Hooker, Captain Davidson, which
has been plying as packet from this
port to Georgetown, S. c., for several
months, left Boyce & Co.'S Wharf, in
this city, on Wednesday, about g G.
M, and about one hour later, when
the steamer was off Beech Inlet
Breakers, she was found to be on fire
in and near the coal bunkers. Az
though q stream Of water was imme-
diately played on it, and every effort
used to put out the flames, they in
creased rapidly, and in some fifteen
minutes the entire upper part of the
steamer appeared to be on fire. The
boats were got ready, and the steamer
pointed for the beach, But there was
heavy sea rolling, which, with the
confusion among the passengers, in
terfered seriously with the use of the
boats, and finally capsized and filed
them with water, causing the drown
ing of seve- al ladies, and perhaps
others.
The fire progressed so quickly that
the tiller ropes were burnt before tho
Hooker could be got to the beach,
and she consequently became unma-
nageable. While in this position,
passengers took to the water, and
hung with tenacity to any object that
would support them.
The steamer Pilot Boy, Captain
Payne, also on her way to George
town, and which was about one and
a half miles off, put about and came
to the aid of the Hooker as soon as
her situation was discovered. Cap
tain Payne, on reaching the spot,
anchored mis- steamer to keep her
head to wind and sea, got out his life
boat, which was taken charge of by
Captain John Ferguson, who, to-
gether with Captain Davidson, of the
Hooker, who was in a half-sunken
boat, and Mr.. Doane, Pilot, succeed
ed In placing some twenty persons
on the Pilot Boy, by which means
they reached this city at IL a. NJ,
and bringing the first news of the
disaster. The following are the names
OF those who came up in the Pilot
Boy, as near as could be ascertained:
d. Risiey, wife and sister, passen-
gers, Georgetown, s. c.; W. Burke,
passenger; j. n. Foote, passenger;
Master Bush, passenger. Georgetown,
s. c.; Mrs. Davidson and child, wife
of the Captain of the Hooker; T. G.
Coffin, Mate of the Hooker; A. F.
Doane, Pilot of the Hooker; four
other white passengers, the body of
Miss Bush, two firemen, steward,
waiter and one deck hand; also, three
or four colored persons; one woman,
badly burnt
The following landed on Sullivan 8
Island: Captain Davidson, Mr.. Long,
Engineer; Mr. Rottereau, Purser; and
two deck hands
The following arelost: Mrs. Rhodes,
passenger, of Georgetown, S. c.;
Miss Belle Risley, of Philadelphia;
Miss Bush, daughter of the Mayor of
Georgetown, s. c., who was just re-
turning home from school. Her body
was kept ahoat by her clothing, and
she was picked up, but life was ex-
tinct when she was got on board the
steamer.
The number of colored persons
drowned we found it impossible to
learn, and placing them at four or
five, we do so only conjecturally
there may have been greater num-
ber. The Hooker was burnt to the
waters edge, and has aoated ashore
son Sullivan's Island The bodies OF
Mrs. Rhodes and a colored woman
foated ashore on the beach, yester-
day, and others will no doubt soon
find their way there Captains Fer
guson and Payne, and Mr.. Doane,
Pilot of the Hooker, are particularly
spoken of in reference to their efforts
to save the lives of the unfortunate.
The Gen. Hooker is q new boat,
and is owned by >Messrs Mckay &
Aldus, of East Boston.
Charleston Ne,cs, 22d.
Coroner Whiting, on the arrival of
the steamer Pilot Boy, yesterday
morning, with the body of Miss
Bush, at once empanelled a jury and
commenced an Inquest. Some three
or four witnesses were examined,
when further investigation was post
poned until 4 o'clock this afternoon,
at which time all the surviving passen-
gers, officers and crew, are summoned
to appear at his Office, in Law
Range, No. 90 Broad street. We ap-
pend the depositions taken: