Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-09-01
THE WAWASET TRAGEDY.
THE OFFICIAL REPORT IN FULL.

the Nawaset disaster:
WASHINGTON, ID. c., August %, 1873.
John 4eushdp, Esq, Supervising Inspector Of
Steam Vessels, Baltimore, Nd.
Sir: Pursuant to your order of the 18th inst,
directing an investigation into the cause of the
burning on the sth of August, 1873, of the
steamer Wawaset, and the consequent loss of
life occasioned thereby, we have the honor to
submit herewith the testimony taken, and with
it our report upon the case.
The investigation was commenced on Friday
morning, August 18th, 1873, in the Office of the
supervising inspector, a the United States
Treasury department, in the city of Washing
ton, and was continued from day to day and
closed on Friday, August %, 1873, having held
seven sessions, embracing in all seven DAYS
Forty-five witnesses were examined, including
the inspectors by whom the steamer was last in
spected; the otice of the vessel and several of
the surviving Passengers. The facts developed
by the testimony are briefly as follows:
The Wawaset was one of those steamers ply
ing between Washington and Gone river a dis
lance of about one hundred miles, touching at
intermediate points, and owned by the Wash
Ington Ferry Company. She was built at Will
1893, and was of 328 9O-IOO tons burthen; was
constructed of wood in a substantial manner
and was considered in all respects seaworthy;
her boiler was built at Chester, Pa, by Rearney,
Sons u Co., year not known. She was provided
with one condensing engine, and all appear
ance in accordance with law. BY her certificate
OF Inspection snc was authorized 10 carry thirty
cabin and twenty deck passengers, with fifteen
men as her complement of officers and crew
persons legally permitted to be carried on board;
her equipments consisted Of two good and eff
Gent fire extinguishers (Gardner's), one good
steam fire pump worked by steam (Woodward's
patent) with suitable pipes leading therefrom
and fitted and supplied as required by law, and
one good double acting fire pump worked by
hand, furnished with 175 feet of good hose with
nozzles and couplings complete, all being fitted
to suit both steam and hand pumps; "a fire
hua bats 70 haot IA
one of wood, all equipped complete; IS life pre-
servers, adjustable to the body, each containing
six pounds of good cork and having buoyancy
of at least % pounds; sufficient and reli able
steering apparatus, suitable arrangements for
signalling the engineer from the pilot house;
with steam whistle and signal lights complete,
all OF which the inspectors confirmed on the
stand. The steamer Wawaset left Washington
for Cone river on one of her regular trips at or
about six O'Clock on the morning of the 8th of
August, 1873; upon approaching Chatterton's
landing about sixty-fve miles below Washing
ton, between the hours of 11.30 and IL o'clock a.
m. the whistle was sounded and the boat low
cred for the conveyance of passengers to the
shore, as was usual at this landing, when smoke
was discovered issuing from the fireman's room,
under the main deck forward, and the alarm
was given that the boat was on fire. 1t is al
legged tn at the flames burst forth with such fury
as to leave but little time for any one to obtain
life preservers or utilize the life boats. From
the same cause the officers OF the boat claim to
have been unable to render assistance to the
one hundred and twenty five odd passengers on
board, hence the deplorable loss of life which
ensued, while all the officers, as also the crew
with but one exception, were saved.
We are constrained to believe that the fire
ragged with fearful rapidity, and that from the
position of the passengers they were exposed to
imminent peril; but we do not believe the state
ment of the officers that they did all that could
possibly have been done under the circum-
stances to save the lives of the passengers
which opinion is fully and clearly borne out by
the evidence in the case. 1t would appear from
the testimony that the fire originated in the
hremans room. forward of the boiler; that il
had been burning some time, and was first dis
covered by one Of the firemen when attempting
to enter the room, the opening OF the door OF
which admitted the air to the fire, and thereby
caused the vessel to be enveloped in flames and
smoke, and driving the engineer from his post;
that there were no means or getting to the after
part of the boat to assist tue passengers, and
that there was not one of the officers aft at the
time the fire was raging; that a lady, supposed
to be Miss Reed, ran over the wheei-house, and
was caught in the masters arms, who passed
her below to the clerk, but she was subsequent
ly lost.
Jonn X. Woods, master of the Wawaset at the
time OF the disaster, testified that he was in the
pilot house at the time of the alarm OF fire was
given; that he did not know where or how the
fire originated; that thinking the fire was in the
hold, he would 60 down quietly and put it out,
but that in a very short time the flames were at
the hurricane deck coming up by the walking
beam of the engine, and he ''knew that she was
gone and that 1t was impossible to save her,"
and the only chance was to "beach her as soon
as possible" This is his own unprompted state
ment Of what he saw and OF what he thought.
The saving OF the boat seemed to be uppermost
in his mind to the exclusion at that time of the
preservation Of the lives Of the passengers most
Accordingly, he says, he ordered the pilot to
head the vessel for the shore, then very near.
Instead, however, Of assuming command, and
SeT provide wS
preservers, or of ordering the crew to prepare
the life boats for use, he took some of the tire
buckets with which to throw water on the tlller
rope, leaving the passengers to crowd together
so as to cut off all chance of escape. He told
them to keep cool, and they would all be saved
just at that time the engine ceased to work.
the boat stopped, the supreme moment passed,
and with it all possibility Of saving life through
the appliances on board.
Robert Nash, the engineer, testifes that he
was at his post, and herein he is supported by
the other officers. Indeed, the evidence OF the
officers and crew of the steamer Wawaset coin
eide in all particulars; they assert there was no
time to do more than was done; no opportunity
to save life; that every man was employed in
the best manner, wherever he happened to be
on board; that boxes, planks, &C., were thrown
to those overheard. The hose was laid, but
water could not be applied; that all appreciated
their own and the danger of the passengers, and
that they only barely succeeded in escaping
were unaided in making their escape car passengers
Robert w. Gravitt, the mate; John w. l..
Boswell, the pilot; j. Wheeler, clerk, and sew
eral of the deck hands confirm the testimony of
the passengers was also of q confirmatory ma
ture, while that of other passengers of more in
teligence, perhaps, and cooler observation,
seriously contradict the statements OF the Off
GERS; these passengers assert that the officers
permitted time to be lost; that they made no
effort to save the lives of their passengers, es-
pecially the women and children; that the hose
was not in its proper place; that the metallic
life-boat had no davits or falls attached to it,
and that the other boat was seized by number
OF colored men. in the absence Of any officer to
prevent it, and thrown overheard in such a
manner as to cause the loss Of all its occupants
After a careful review Of the whole testimony
produced before US, we regret to have to ac-
knowledge that the cause of the fire on the
steamer Wawaset still remains mystery; but
We are Of the opinion that 1t originated in the
freman's room, under the forward deck, ad-
joining the forecastle, and near the back con-
nection Of the boiler, and We recommend that
inspectors require all bulkheads, boilers,
matches or other woodwork near or around the
boilers Of all steam vessels to be covered with
metal, leaving sufficient space for the air to
circulate between such metal coverings and the
woodwork as preventative against future dis
asters to steamers by fire.
Further We fiud from his own evidence that
John r. Wood was acting in the capacity OF
master Of the steamer Wawaset without having
Q United States certificate Of license as such,
and the evidence also clearly shows that he had