Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-08-15
THE FIRE FIEND.
ANOTHER MARINE HORROR

II Ole->IIII.
OVER FIFTY LIVES LOST.
TO THE WATERS
EDGE.
FULL DETAILS OF THE DIS
FIERCE FIRE IN PORTLAND,
MAINE.
TRHEE STEAMERS BURNED.
WHARF PROPERTY
IN FLAMES.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 9-Noon.-The
Wawasset horror is fully confirmed.
The most OF the passengers persisted.
She left Washington, on her regular
passenger mip, for Cove River. She
was burned off Chatterton. Landing
where there IS no wharf, the passen-
gers and freight for that point being
discharged by small boats, one boat
had been lowered, when the flames
burst out. The vessel was two hun
bred yards from shore. Nothing re-
mains but the broken shaft and the
smoke-stack The passengers regis
tered when she left Washington num-
bered one hundred and ten, bat she
received and discharged passengers at
the various landings, of whom there IS
no record. The crew consisted OF
twelve. Tie loss is probably fifty
s,,,1 two If tho TIeyy The
cause of the fire is unknown. AS soon
as the flames were discovered she was
headed shoraward, but struck on the
bar on the Virginia side. Many of the
ladies and children on board We're Wis
iting friends sOjourning ut places of
resort down the river. There were
also many colored people on board.
Ten bodies have reached the wharf,
five Of whoa are unknown. Al ac-
counts applaud the gallantry OF the
Captain and crew.
Capt .,ohn Il. Woods, commander
OF the Wawasset, Is burned ronnd tine
neck and cans slightly. His account Is
substantially us follows: 'Thc fire
broke out at twenty-five minutes past
twelve o'clock, between Tholn's Gut
and Chattelton. I was i'll the pilot
house a. the time, and the fireman
came i'll and told me that there was
fire below | Immediately came out
and found the flames had reached quite
to the hurricane deck, along the
walking beam then saw that it was
impossible to get the Hfe-boats, which
were already full of passengers. L
threw water on the wheel ropes so as
to keep her steerage all right, and
passed buckets of water from below to
the hurricane deck for the purpose.
As became satisfied there was no hope
of saving the vessel, and that the only
chance to save the passengers was to
keep her going, she was headed for
the beach The boat reached the
beach in about twelve or thirteen
minutes after the alarm was given.
In less than five minutes after the
alarm was given the fire was III the
rear Of the pilot house. The engine
refused to work about Il minute before
she struck the shore, and the boat ran
Il length before she came to dead
stop, and grounded i'll less
than five feet Of water from
the bow. [ remained on the hur-
ricane deck until the flames had burn
ed the window curtain in my room and
the saloon windows below were shoot
ing forth fierce darts. | then came
down on the forward deck and did
what I could to save the passengers.
\ great many were afraid to jump
overheard, but ! assured them they
were safe in jumping. as the water
from the bow was not over their heads
and upon this assurance one or two
made Il leap, and many others seeing
that the water was shallow followed
their example and We're saved. 1t was
with difficulty | checked them in Jump
ing ever in large bodies and drowning
each other during the excitement.
am satisfied that nearly all the lives
were lost III the stern OF the boat, the
flames driving that way forcing the
passengers to jump or be burned. inst
. before I left the boat l heard Il lady,
Mrs. Taylor, OF Alexandria, crying fol
help from the rear of the vessel.
saw her hanging to the middle chains
and sent q boat to her rescue and saved
her. I am satisfied that the excite
ment caused undue loss of life, and
that every passenger was saved who
jumped overheard. y great many
lives were lost on the life boats by
being overcrowded. One boat was
crowded with colored passengers,
and when she was cut loose she bulGed
ont and swamped the boat. There
were about twelve children aboard,
and it is thought five or six are
lost. The fire caught in the hold but
it Is, impossible to tell just where.
The boat was very dry, almost like
finder, and the flames. when they
reached the oiled machinery, spread
like u torch. The cargo WAS OF Il
miscellaneous .naturc and contained
nothing intiammablc, except > barrels
of whiskey, which were i'll the forward
hold and among the last things burn
ed. The passenger list and manifest
OF the vessel were lost, 1t being i'm
possible for the clerk to reach the
office to obtain them. At the time of
the accident but few of the passengers
were asleep. and none were III their
STATE rooms; some were lying down on
sofas. The "Geor9ianna' came along
on her way from Baltimore, and pick
eel up a few of the passengers. Many
went down through the country and
others are waiting an opportunity on
other boats to come home. All were
we'll taken care Of. The steamer S
value is estimated at $40, 900.
Portland, Me-. August 9 Night
\ large fire is now raging on Galrze' S
wharf The steamer Derigo has been
burned to the waters edge. The
Boston boats and the steamer Chase
are in great DANGER The sheds of the
New York Steamers are all burned.
LArER-2:15 L. NJ. 1t is said that
the steamer Montreal IS burned.
23O p M-The fire is spreading
rapidly. All the sheds OF the Galtz
and Atlantic wharf are burned The
wind is from the west and the fire may
keep off the shore. Three steamers
are now burning in the stream-the
Dirego, Montreal and Chase
L,TEsT-6 +. M-The fire is now
under control. The Grand Trunk r..
Il. Depot is safe.
a New Cave at Niagara Falls.
A recent number of the Suspension
Bridge .JOuyuuI contains the following
''Two men named James MumfOrd
and Thomas Conroy. who have for