Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-08-22


The steamer Wawasset, of Washington
City, was burned on the Potomac River, below
Acqula Creek, on the evening Of the 9th, and
Of the large number Of passengers on board
the boat, over forty were drowned. The fol-
lowing account of the disaster is given by
Doc. Kenney, bar-keepcr of the steamer:
just before reaching Chatterton's Landing,
on the Virginia side of the Potomac, about
Ave miles below Acquia Creek, and after the
whistle Of the boat had been blown as a signal
of her approach to that landing, the steamer
at the time being about third of a mile
from the shore, fire was discovered In the
hold and the hose was attached Immediately,
but before the men could reach 1t the contla-
grafton became general, as the fire had been
burning for some time. The fire had been
smoldering it is supposed, for some hours,
| and upon the opening Of the matches 1t burst
forth with great fury, driving the men from
the hold, and completely battling all attempts
to subdue 1t.
In an instant great confusion prevailed on
the vessel, the passengers becoming panic
stricken and frantic with fear, and very few
having presence of mind sufficient to take care
| of themselves.
The steamer was, without a seconds delay,
headed for the shore on the Virginia side, and
in few minutes ran aground about two hun
dred yards from the Virginia side.
At this time the flames had spread with fear
| full rapidity, and in the excitement many
| jumped overheard. Several of them jumped
into the water before the steamer struck bot
! tom. She was provided with but two small
| boats, and in the frenzy of the moment one of
| these boats was thrown overheard and lost by
passengers who, uncontrolled, were endeavor
| ing to launch her.
| Captain Wood was the last man to leave the
| steamer, and the pilot, Mr. Boswell, was sur
rounded by flames before he left the pilot box
which was not until after he had run the steam
er aground. The flames spread with such rapid
ty that the tiller ropes were on fire before the
vessel struck the ground.
Over forty passengers were drowned, of
| whom only six bodies had been recovered at
the time Kenney left the scene of the wreck.
About one-half the passengers on the Wa
| wasset were women and children, many of
whom were en- route to country places along
the Potomac to spend a short time with their
| friends. There was quite number OF colored
people among the passengers.
| Private kilograms from Havana, received in
New York on the Sth, state that General Por-
tello, at the head of 5000 men, had routed
and captured Cienfuegos without a shot being
fired, and proclaimed Don Carlos King of
| Spain.
The Agricultural Department reports that
the probable wheat yield for 1878 will be 220-
100000 bushels. The largest absolute falling
off in corn is in Illinois, where there is re-
duction of fifteen per cent. The Depart
ment reports that the fax culture is greatly
| on the increase in Iowa.
| A fire at Portland, Maine, on the 9th burned
up three steamers, one grain elevator, with
contents, several freight sheds, a large guam
tity Of wharf property, etc. Five lives were
reported lost. Value of property destroyed
estimated at 100000.
A call signed by large number of prom
inent citizens in all parts of Kansas has been
issued for a State Convention of soldiers of
the late war, to be held at Topeka, September
%, the object being to memoriaize Congress
for the equalization Of soldiers bounties.
The Mayor of Mount Vernon, Ind, for
mally announced on the Sth that the cholera
had entirely disappeared from the town, and
that there had not been case for forty-eight
hours. One fatal case of cholera occurred at
Terrc Haute, Ind, the sth Jackson
vile Qll.) dispatch Of the 9th says that at Exc
ter, in a population of about one hundred,
there had been some twenty cases and twelve
deaths during the previous week. During the
same week there were eighteen cholera deaths
in st. Louis.
Hardy Jones, over eighty years old was re-
Gently hanged at Newbern, n. c., for the mur
der of Robert Miller, a constable, February /,
1872, while Miller, with two others, was carry
ing Jones to prison on a charge of larceny.
Ten new cases of cholera were reported in
Chattanooga, Tenn, on the Sth, three of which
were fatal.
1t is said there were one hundred and fifty
passengers ON board the Wawasset at the time
of its burning. A Washington dispatch of
the 10th says the latest estimate of the loss of
life puts the number at about seventy; ffty-six
bodies had so far been recovered, though not
over twenty had been identified
The Governor of Minnesota and the Mayor
of Minneapolis have recently had conference
with President Grant, and he is reported as
having promised to make demand upon the
Government of Great Britain for the release of
the Minneapolis citizens imprisoned at Mani
toba, if they were not released by the Manito-
ba authorities within a reasonable time.
ce-President Wilson was in Boston on the
18th, and it is said his improved appearance
indicated steady progress towards restored
health.
AT the recent reorganization of the Directo-
ry of the Atlantic and Pacific railroad Com
pany, Thomas A. Scott was elected President;
Andrew Pierce Jr., Vice President and Gener-
al Manager, and Gen. Clinton B. Fish, Treas
urer.
A few evenings ago at Long Branch a team
attached to a carriage in which was seated a
lady, ran away and became utterly unmanage-
able, when the affair was witnessed by Presi-
dent Grant, who at once put his horses at full
speed across an intervening open space, and
arrived in time to seize the runaways by the
head and stop them, thus preventing serious,
and perhaps fatal accident.
County reports to the Kansas State Agricul-
tural Department for June and July show that
the yield of wheat and oats is largely in excess
of lastyear The corn crop was in good con-
dition and promising finely.
A Topeka dispatch of the 18th says the
Grangers will meet in that city about the 1st
of September, for grand counsel and con-
sultation affecting the interests of the State,
1t is estimated that 1900 farmers will be pres
ent
John G. Taylor, Vice-Presdent of the nli-
nois State Agricultural Society, was killed at
Toledo, Ohio, u few days ago. He was on his
way to Buffalo with some hogs, and in cross
ing the track in the yard at Toledo, was
knocked down by switch engine, striking
his head against tie, and also breaking his
leg. He lived about four hours.
An Oshkosh (Wis.) dispatch of the 9th says:
The nineteen Oranges in Winnebago County
held a council In this city to-day, and re-
solved to keep their wheat from the market
until buyers come to their terms. A call will
be issued to all County Councils in the State
to cooperate in the movement. 1t is also
generally understood among the Patrons
here that this movement will be cooperative
with that of the fraternity in Iowa, Minnesota
and Illinois. The Patrons here are fully de-
termined to carry out this policy to the very
letter.
A special dispatch from st. Paul, Mimi, on
the 11th, says Grand Master Parsons, head of
the Patrons of the State, had called upon the
Oranges which had selected delegates to the
Owatonna and other political conventions to
. withdraw their appointments. He claims that
the Oranges are prohibited by the rules of the