New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-11


men was Is She was required 70 nave 70
ufe-prescrvers on board, but was furnished
with larger number for excursion parues' QUO
was fitted with two re-extinguishers. and one oouoe
acting frepump with IT'S feet OF hose % nreoueke's
with the necessary couplings nozzles, &c Inc primer
pal nrc.pmnp was worked by steam. she was also Iur
nished with one metallic hfeboat aud small wooden
BOAT The steamer only four feet of water aud
Few weeks ago thoroughly overhauied ana repareu
she was regarded excellent river boat anu her
boilers and machinery in frstass order ehe was
owned by the Potomac Ferry Company. and has been
diving on the Potomac River excursion passenger
and reight steamer for the past FIVE six years. She
was valued at $4,000 and insured for s26 600 as follows
insurance Company Of North America, philadelphia,
1850; Ph@uix Of Richmond, 5000; Virginia Fire ana
Marine Insurance Company OF Hartford, $4,000; Atna
Of Hartford s. OO0 Atlantic OF YORK. SoOOo; Foto-
mac of Georgetown, S50oe.
The officers and crew the Wawaset endeavor to clear
themselves Of responsibility and to prove that they did
their entire duty, but it is plain that some one was
greatly 10 blame. Capt John r. Wood says he headed
the steamer toward the shore as soon as the flames
shaft fell and the engine stopped The falling OF the
shnft gave the passengers the impression that the
eep %aer a aud several women were Drowned Every
thing movable was thrown to the women IN the water
but few had enough OF mind 10 avail themselves
d this assistance.
GAIT. wooDs's STORY
Capt Woods has given the following account Of the
disaster:
Tho fire broke at 1928 O'Clock. between Thom's Gut
and Chattcrton. l IN the piotb0use at the time
fireman IN and told me that the boat was on re
below. Immediately came out. and found the flames
reached quite the hurricane deck along the walking
beam Ithon saw that II impossible to get TO the
dieboats which on the after on each soe
Of the TO lower them, although they were fu
Of passengers. threw water on the wheel ropes so as
10 keep her storage all right and passed buckets OF
from below 10 the hurricane deck for the purpose
as became satisfied there was no nope OF SSS 1Se
vessel and that the only chance 10 save tne &
10 keep her going she heading Tor the oeaS' Inc
S DScs after the alarm was giyen-iu less than
five minutes after the alarm was gwen tne nIe was ~
about half minute struck the shore and the
boat run a length before she came to dead STOP ana
remained on the hurricane deck until the names hau
burned the window curtain In my room ana me Saloon
windows below, shooting forth hery darts tnen
came the forward deck ana DID what could 10
ave the great many were s,se %
As the from the bow was not over thelr hea1s ana
ao1 .n sse5g that the water was shallow followed
their example and were saved. 1t was Win alncuy
iTownine each other during the excitement am salts
acd ha nearly all the lives lost were lost in the stern OF
boat, the flames driving that way ana IoIciE ,o
passengers 70 jump be burned just before lett the
BOAT heard lady tdrs Taylor OF AIexan9rlsl CIying
FOR helm from the of the vessel saw her hanging
10 the middle chains and sent boat to her rescue ana
saved her am satisfied the excitement eausTo S
Of life. and that every passenger Mas saNeu Wiz
jumped overheard forward A great many nves were
cat Stoned one Of them Was crowded with cOored
aseDgers and when she cut loose the stern plugged
iFe5 were aboard aud think five were lost The
Dire caught the hold but It is Impossible 70 ten Just
where. The boat very dry, almost IKE Under ana
The flames, when they struck the oiled machinery,
spread like torch The cargo was OF , %
barrels of whisky, which in the forward hold, and
sero among the last things burned
THE PILOTS ACCOUNT.
The pilot OF the wawaset has been in service on the
Potomac for more than years he makes the fol-
owing statement:
The fireman at O'Clock came to the wheel. house
sandpq outside Of the pOt-hOuse at the time said,
Captain the best thing do is TO run her ashore
ne fy ss sboT and se struck in ve feet Of Water
remained in the llothouse until the wheeropes broke
then jumped overheard, and swan ashore with two
aides whom saved. then brought o9t ana landed
boat and took in three coored women and child who
were hanging TO the rudder, aud landed them safely
attempts To officer Reeds wife, but she twisted
sst sbe Was doing through excitement When came
back to the stern Of the boat for the last time three
to get at them but the flames PrevenSa me ana tns
children. then went astern and bailed out the life
boat aud dead bodies TO Stewards wharf four
ana placed the bodies the steamer National which
brought them Washington. came up in the Georgl
wheel ropes until the fire drove them % deck The IRE
told me the first pace he saw the nre was IN me
Bessie Reed lost jumping of the bow OF the boat
Sue jumped before the boat struck, and was lost.
THE CoPoNERs VERDICT.
The tug Mary Lewis returned from the wreck at Z
O'Clock this evening" having recovered only three bodies
They were those Of Miss Bette Reed child Of Joseph
Reed and a cOlored child whose parents reside on
Madison-st None OF the bodies recovered give any
signs of injuries by fire. Several bodies still remain
unidentified. Some supposed to have been carried
down the river. Miss Jennie Marbury, Treasury clerk,
at first reported lost, is saved.
Yesterday afternoon Coroner Price OF King George
County Va held an inquest on the bodies of five I'M
known victims Of the disaster. The following verdict
was rendered.
We the jury OF inquest called TO view the dead bodies
lost on the steamer Wawaset this day. aud TO inquire
into the cause of the disaster TO the said steamer ind
that knowing the condition Of the steamer we cannot
saw "a TO the cause but from the examination, we ex
ouerate the officers Of the said boat from all blame,
az all the passengers saved testify that they did their
duty.