Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-08-22
BURNING OF THE WAWASET.
Official Investigation Of the Disaster.
TESTIMONY BEReBB IHB TREASURY BOARD TO-DAY.

The official investigation into the causes lead
| ing to the Wawaset disaster was resumed thi
| morning at the Treasury department.
LORENZO BROWN, CoLoRED FIREMAN, BE
CALLED.
Q. DO you know the nature OF An oath
| A. Yes.
| What does it mean? A. 1t means kissing
| Q.Aw many berths were there in the fire.
mans room? A. Two.
| Q. Who occupied them? A. Me and another
man.
Q. Did you sleep in the room? A. Not in the
| summer; il was too warm.
Q. Was there a lock to the room? A. Yes.
| Q. Who carried the key? A. There was nc
| key; it was never locked.
q. Any body could go in? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do you smoke? A. No, sir; the other fire.
Q. Did you ever see him smoke in that roomP
A. No, sir; he was not allowed to smoke there
Q. Did you keep matches In that room? A
No, sir; the matches were kept in the engine
Q. Were you in that room any time between
O'Clock and the disaster? A. No, sir.
Q. Was any one else in there? A. did no,
q. Are You certain no matches or lamp was
| in that room? A. Yes, sir.
Q: Didn't you carry In any waste from the
machinery? A. No, sir.
Q. How long were you on watch that morn
ing? A. Six hours.
Q. Did you stay in the fire-room all the time?
A. Not all the time; generally filled up my
fires and then went on deck about twenty min
utes.
Q. Were you off watch when the fire broke
out? A. No, sir; would not be off for halt
Q. Where were you when the fire was discoy-
cred? A. On the hurricane deck, Oiiing ma
chinery.
Q. Did the engineer usually use the fireman
on watch to Oil the machinery? A. The other
man was up.
@. Was there anything in the fremau's room
that would take fire without match being put
to it? A. Moaning but the bed.
Q. That wonld not take fire unless afiame was
put to it? A. No, sir.
Q: Did you ever go in that room after dark?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. When you went in that room after dark,
did you take lamp with you? A. No, sir.
JOHN FoRMAN (CoLoRED), FIREMAN, RE-
CALLED.
Q. Do you know the nature of an oath? A. |
do.
your watch? A. had been down about fifteen
minutes talking to the deck hands on the fore
castle; knew | would go on watch in less than
half hour, and went into the freman's room
TO get my overhauls, and discovered the fire.
q. What did you see? A. saw the smoke
and fire opposite the back connection; back
smoke box we call it.
Q. What was burning? A. Well, 1 couldn't
say; didn't stay long enough to see; went on
deck and reported it,
q. Did you see the other fireman. A. Yes, in
Q. Do you smoke? A. Yes
=. When? A. Well, when l am of watch;
never smoke on watch.
q. Do you ever use lamp in that room? A.
No, sir.
q. When you opened that room what did you
think was burning? A. The side of the room
opposite the bed and clothing; it was the board
partition.
@. Have you any idea how that got on fire ?
A. have not, unless it caught from the back
@. Did you ever feel that partition to ascer-
tain how warm 1t was? A. Well, it would
sometimes get rather warm.
WIN. o. sAvILLR RECALLED.
believe one day was about the Alexandria
boats, Captain Gedney came to me and said.
"Has the Wawaset been reduced in her certifi-
cateI' said, 81 believe not" am inspector
of boilers, and did not think he had reference
to passengers.
9. You told Capt. Gedney the certificate had
not been cut down? A. told him 1t had not
according to my knowledge.
JAMES d. LOWRY,
inspector of boilers, was recalled, and testified
as to the true copy of the certificate Of inspee.
ton in the hands Of the board Of examiners.
TESTIMONY OF LOUIS F. CLEMENTS.
Am inspector of customs in Georgetown; was
not passenger on board the wawaset; know
nothing Of the burning; was on the ferry wharf
one day and Captain Gedney called me in and
seemed to be troubled because the Wawaset had
been reduced; 1 said to him it must be a mis-
take, he had better see the inspectors and have
1t fixed; he asked me to send them down IL /
saw them; said L would; about a week after 1
was passing Captain Gedney, and said, "Did
the inspectors fix that all right?" He said
eyes," don't know whether he understood INV
question or not.
q. Do you know of your own knowledge how
the record stands in the Georgetown custom
Q. How did the record stand last year? A.
The record last year stands for one hundred and
fifty passengers.
q. Were you aware that the captain OF q
steamboat ought to have alicense9 4. Well to
tell the truth, before this disaster l really did
not. thought his being endorsed as q master
was sufficient; have read the law since and
found out my mistake.
TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH R. sPRAHeY.
Am captain Of a tug-bost. 1 heard Mr..
Clements say last Sunday afternoon that he
knew that the papers we're aboard the boat for
$50 passengers, and that they were recorded in
Georgetown for 50.
LEWIS r. CLEMENTS RECALLED.
did not see the new inspection Of the Wawa-
set since 1t has been put up. The remark made
to Captain Spransy was, that 1t was my impress
sion that the boat could carry $50 passengers,
based upon the fact of the conversation have
related OF previous interview had with Capt.
Gedney.
TESTIMONY OF SAMUEL W. COX.
On the morning after the disaster went into
the fotomac Companys ONCE, and found Mr.
Clements and MI Saville there; they were talk
ing about passengers on board steamboats,. In
the course of the conversation Mr.. Clements
said the Wawaset was limited to carry $50 pas
seDgers left the Office with the impression
that both Mr.. Saville and Mr.. Clements under
stood that the boat was allowed to cary $50 pas
sengers. Mr.. Saville did not say so, but Mr..
Clements did In his presence.
TESTIMONY OF ASA p. SNYDER.
Am book-keeper; reside in South Washing
ton; had been in the habit Of going to the
Wawaset every Sunday evening on business
with the bar-keeper; 1 went one Sunday and
couldn't find him, and while on the boat read q
certificate allowing her to carry one hundred
and fifty passengers; think read the certin-
cate since the 24th Of March last; don't think
it has been over two months since; / am
positive; it struck me forcibly that the boat
only being authorized to carry 150 passengers.
often carried on excursions ave hundred and
upwards; did not know at the time the com
pany had any permit to carry i've hundred;
cannot tell how the certificate was dated; don't
know whether It was an old certificate Of 1872 or
Q new one of 1873.
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