The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-08-15
ANOTHER FRIGHTFUL DISASTER.
Burning Of steamer on the Potomac
Over Forty Passengers Jump Over
board and Drowned.

board and are Drowned.
The steamer Wawasset, of Washington. with
$50 passengers on board, was burned off Ac-
quia Creek, Va, on the evening of the Sth
inst. Doc Kenny the bar-keeper of the boat,
who arrived in Washington the same evening,
furnished the reporter of the Associated Press
with the following particulars of the disaster
Just before reaching Chatterton's Landing, on
the Virginia side of the Potomac, about five
miles below Acquia Creek. and after the whis-
tie of the boat had been blown az a signal of
her approach to that landing, the steamer at
that time being about a third of a mile from
shore, fire.was discovered in the hold, and the
hose was attached Immediately, but before the
men could reach it the confagration became
general, as the fire had been burning for some
time. The fire had been smouldcring, it liz
supposed, for some hours, and, upon opening
the matches, it burst forth with great fury
driving the men from the hold and battling all
attempts to subdue it. In an instant great
confusion prevailed on the vessel. the passen-
gers becoming panic-stricken and frantic with
fear, very few having presence of mind suffi-
cient to take care of themselves. The steamer
was without seconds delay, headed for the
shore on the Virginia side, and in few min
utes run aground about 200 yards on the Vir-
ginia side. At this time the flames had spread
many jumped overheard. Several of them
jumped into the water before the steamer
struck bottom. She was provided with but
two small boats, and in the frenzy of the mo-
ment one of these boats was thrown overheard
and lost by the passengers, who, uncontrolled,
were trying to launch her.
Capt. Wood, of the Inflated steamer. and
his assistants are said to have used every eff
fort to control the passengers. but without
avail, and but for the disobedence of his or
ders, many who were lost might have been
saved The vessel was well provided with
life-preservers but in the panic it seems that
none of the passengers secured them, and
this fact also added to the lamentable loss Of
life
Over forty passengers were drowned. Capt.
Wood WAS the last man to leave the vessel,
and the pilot, Mr.. Boswell, was surrounded by
flames before he left the piot-box, which was
not until after he had run the steamer
aground. The flames spread with such rapid
ty that the tiler-ropes were Oh fire before the
vessel struck ground.
All those lost were, it is supposed, drowned,
having jumped overheard to escape the
flames.
The fire was first discovered about twenty
minutes before III o'clock and Kenny states
that in less than ten minutes the vessel was
enveoped in flames. and now lies where it was
run aground, burned to the waters edge.
About one-half the passengers on the Wa
wasset were women and children. many of
whom were ell route to country places along
the Potamac to spend a short time with their
friends
The Wawasset was a side-wheel steamer,
about $50 tons, and was engaged in running
between Washington and the landings along
the Potomac. She was insured for 1928, 900.
A Washington dispatch of the 18th says
The Wawasset disaster was evidently to a
great extent, the result of criminal careless
ness. Although the certificate of the vessel
allowed her to carry only fifty passengers OH
regular trips, it is admitted that one hundred
and fifty passengers were on board. There
seem to have been scanty arrangements for
the safety even of fifty persons. 1t is said
there were apparently no precautions what
ever against fire. The Treasury Department
will order rigid investigation into the mat
ter. The latest estimate of the number of
those lost on the Wawasset il that it will reach
seventy at least. Many of these will, in all
not be identified particularly in
case of the colored persons who fell victims to
the disaster.
Miss Mcpherson, passenger, describes the
scene of the burning boat as most terrible to
witness. The flames burst out all around and
swept aft, driving women and children over
into the water. She saw four little children
hanging on by their hands to the bnrning
steamer and one after another drop into the
water. the flames driving them Off The col
ored people were perfectly wild, and no re-
monstrances on the part of the officers we're
needed. They jumped into the boat, piing it
full, and declared that it was the colored peo-
pies boat, refusing all whites admission.
When it went down all we're dumped into the
water together, and many others followed, be-
ing pushed overheard.
The flames burst into the main-deck. setting
fire to the clothing of women and children who
were hoping for some relief. but no one could
pass the gangway for the flames.
One of the worst features among the shore
scenes was the disposition among both white
and colored stragglers to plumber and rob the
dead.
There is no longer any doubt that the
steamer was burned because the company
overloaded the vessel and provided no means
OF escape for the passengers, and that the
owners must assume the direct and terrible
of the fearful slaughter which
attended their neglect.
A CAIRO cOrraspon1an4 of tba Dan