The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-08-17
The SAVANNAH IN DISTRESS.
An Alarming Accident to a Sound
Steamer Below Whitestone.
marrow escape Of 500 Passengers Heroic Ac.
ton Of tho Engineer Rescue BY
tho D. B. Martin.
THE BOAT WITHDRAWN FOR THE SEASON,

upper works are completely torn out, and tt Ia onlv
by the mercy Of God and the presence OF mind OF
the engineer, Edward Meeks, that the HERALD In
saved the painful duty Of to-day recording another.
disaster similar to that Of the Westheld The Sea-
wanaka was companion steamer to the Arrow
smith, and piled daily between New York and Ros-
Ign, L. l., taking in Whitestone, Bays' Dock, Great
Neck Sands Point Glen Cove, Motifs Dock and Glen
wood and Rosyn on the way. She started daily at
four p. NJ from pier "a East River. and during the
Summer months she has taken up from three to.
I'VE hundred persons every afternoon for the sew
eral places along the Sound between this city and
her destination The Arrowsmith has taken the.
morning trips up, carrying the chief part of the
freight required for those places and returning
from Glen Cove about four O'Clock In the afternoon.
The Seawanaka returned the following morning,
leaving Roslyn at AS A. NJ, with transient pas
sengers for the city 1t will thus be that the
Seawanaka was o favorite and always bore pre-
cous freight OF human souls. night and morning.
Yesterday, while our city merchants and business
men were slipping their coffee or reading the
HERALD, or, perhaps, riding down town to their
stores counting rooms, little thinking that there
was but step between some OF their friends and
death, the Seawanaka,
LITTLE BEHIND TINE
on her cityward trip, was pressing her way along
from point to point to get to her dock In good sea-
son and to maintain her reputation among her
patrons a fast sailer. She had left Whitestone,
her last calling place, and was between that village
and Riker's Island and nearly opposite West
Farms, with about three hundred passengers on
board, when kissing sound was heard az OF steam
escaping; then crash, and flying pieces OF wood
and iron aroused the passengers from their mirth
and their morning medtatlOns over the latest po-
htical bulletins and warned them that danger was
near, and in moment they might every one be
hnrr into atar ntfy Vha ccft W.
field disaster passed like a mirage before their
minds, and every man ran hither and
thither to escape the falling debris which
might crush him In an instant The in
the dense cloud of steam and smoke which covered
the deck and hid from their view the real condition
OF the boat and their own real danger Fortunately
there were comparatively few ladies on board, and
these were promptly cared for by the gentlemen.
Some Of the most excited Of both sexes ran at once
to secure life preservers and IN the midst OF the
confusion crash was heard, and the large mirror
standing at the end OF
and the saloon deck was forced apart by the steam,
giant, who sought this way Of escape for himself
Having secured the lie preservers it was with
men could restrain and persuade them not to Jump
overheard. 1t s said that In the excitement some
deck, and many gentlemen lost their hats and
satchels overheard. Two or three elderly gentle
and one bewildered passenger. deliberately de:
tached valuable gold watch nom Its chain and
The The engineer Mr.. Edward Meeks and Mr. Ben.
amin Hicks, one Of the directors Of the steamboat
company, we're sitting In the engine inc room at tho
enty through the door upon the deck OF the vessel
by the shock of the falling piston.
came conscious Of the imminent danger of all ex.
poson, and with great presence OF mind rushed
the steam to escape. by this timely precaution
| terrible disaster was averted Mr.. Meeks fmme.
dately thereafter ran on deck and assured the pas
SenQerS that there further cause for alarm.
as an explosion was impossible.
CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
Inquiries were then set on foot to account for tho
accident. when 1t was ascertained that 1t was
BY the ereasn Of the betting S which the
thereby letting the piston rod fall with great force
upon the cylinder crushing 1t badly, and so allow
persons who were on board that the piston rod
Snapped of also. The main crank was also torn
places The damage to the vessel was confined
principally to the machinery and the upper saloon
n% s as fa sght er
fortunately for the passengers they had not long
Martin, which runs daily between New York and
Bayville, was passing at the time, and her captain
| wanakas passengers and brought them in safety
to this city and landed them at the Seawanasa's
pier, foot Of Peck slip Not was in the least de-
gree injured, SO far as could be ascertained.
Among the prominent and
| WELL KNOWN GENTLEMEN ON BOARD
| the Seawanaka at the time of the accident were
Senior Roberts, the Spanish Minister, who Is resld-
ing at Great Neck; Mr. Pouyert, Of the same place;
| Charles A. Dana, from Sands Point; Mr.. Barbour,
son, Mr. Mr. Ed Morgan and Mr. ci Mitchell and
sengers, thankful for the deverance, and ap-
preciating the presence Of mind and prompt action
escaped terrible DEATH made up purse of $500 or
him. 1t is said that had he delayed but halt min
the boiler would have burst a., and the p
| water, and most OF them undoubtedly would have
| persisted. The steamer. NevesInk has taken the
Seawanaka's place for, the balance OF the season.
The latter will go into the dry dock for thorough
overhaulng and repairing, and next Spring will be
ready to resume her place on this line.
ARRIVAL OF THE STEAMER.
About five minutes after the explosion the j. D.
Martin came up with the Injured vessel on the port
side, and in less than FIVE minutes all the passen-
gers were transferred, and the Seawanhaka shortly
after ten was taken in tow by tug. She arrived
at eleven O'Clock at the foot or Tenth street, and
occupied berth on the south side of the dock OUT
side the Goasting steamer Perry. AS soon as pracr
CLEAR AWAY THE WRECK,
and hosting tackle was soon placed In position.
The reporter found large vacuum in the cylinder,
broken pieces. OF the piston rod head and 3
bottom. 1t seems that the strap Of the
connecting rod had snapped on the forward
against the panelling Of the engine room, SKATER.
Ing q large mirror on the reverse side and scat
lance of several feet The broken strap rebounded
from the panelling and lay on the upper Irame-
work between the deck and the walking beam.
Proceeding further forward the reporter found the
AIR PUMPS
In a completely wrecked condition, the two links
being broken and the fire plate smashed In several
places in fact, all the castings were broken with
the exception Of the fire plate, and were
II not for the presence Of mind OF
the chief engineer who let on steam
from the safety valves at imminent risk and
threw the engine out of gear, the piston rod acting
under the momentum Of speed OF eighteen knots
| an hour, might have crashed through into tho
| boiler and caused an escape OF scalding steam.
THE DAMAGE
done could not be cac ilated ut present with much
certainty, but as all che valuable castings are 80
damaged as to be worth nothing more than their
weight In Old iron at least $4,000 must be expend
| cd to put this splendid and powerful vessel In
| working ORDER
THE CAUSE
prrOneOuslv hut the first tntel1i.