The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-08-12
TETEGRAI,Hrt NEWS

IEEEGtTs7kI.HrtNE =.
-. : 49, 81
Scenes; I'm the Vicinity OF the Wawaseff
Observation-Disclosures nd Buryfng:
the bodies Encsde DE. !.
Especial telegram 70 the Dispatch.
i WAsHNGToN, August 11.-The Washing.
iton Star has a letter from Chatterton's land
ling, Va, giving a description Of scenes In
1.-THE vicinity Of the Wawasett tragedy and
descriptive OF the work Of recovering and
burying the bodies. The wreck lies about
$50 yards below the landing, and probably
$50 from shore. The boiler, smokestack,
and all the metallic portion, seem to rest
firmly on the bottom, and nearly all the ma
chinery is exposed to view ct low water. not
a particle of combustible material remaining
Of her, aud the ron.work burned TO a
whitish tint. The shaft seems to have either
bent or broke in the middle, showing the
iron-work Of the wheels careened out on
each side.
On arriving at Chatterton's only two row.
boats could be found, one of which we Sc
cured, and our party proceeded to the wreck.
The tide being high, the oarsmen thoughtit
imprudent to attempt to board her, fearing
some iron snag might damage the bottom OF
the boat, and we made circuit around her,
keeping at safe distance. At this time two
bodies were seen floating at some distance
northeast, but the crew of the other boat
seemed to have got the start towards them.
and our boat returned to the shore. During
| this time the boat landed the bodies of two CO.
lored men just belowus. Their faces and ears
were completely eaten off by crabs, leaving
the teeth and bones of the face clean. In
the pockets Of one Of these men was found
a memorandum-book, from which it ap-
peared that his name was Roda Rice, from
Washington. He was evidently young
man. silver watch with geld-plated chain
attached was found in his vest pocket. He
had on linen pants and black coat. The
other man was so much disfgured about the
face that recognition would have been inl-
possible by his nearest friends He was
dressed in dark clothing and gaiter boots.
| Several bodies drifted ashore while the
party were taking view of the wreck. The
shore was dotted for miles with people watch
ling for bodies atloat, and all the row and
sail-boats available Were manned and put
out to pick them up. The wind freshened
up, making the water rough, which had the
tendency to bring up the bodies, and for
hours the boats were necessarily occupied in
graphing them and towing them in. ...
Between Boyd's Hole and Chatterton's
the shore was lined with pieces of the wreck
among other things many peach-boxes and
hen-coops, and about half way between the
points named was the. ill-fated life-boat with
her entire stern, out. Shreds of clothing
hats and bonnets, fans and smaller articles
were floating promiscuously about in the
surf. ....... ~. .''.5..,.. .,...,y ......-.,
During the morning FIVE more bodies o.
colored women were caught and lowed in
and the stencil from these corpses after the
sun beamed out hot was intolerable. !. ). - :.
AT Chatterton's we met Mr.. G. G.. McClel-
land, a magistrate ofKing George county
with corps of 1aborers, who set to worl
buryins the bodies at the base of the river
bluffs; also, Robert Adams, who saved Miss
Mcpherson George T. Lee, Price Hanil:.
ton, Nathaniel Burshell, and Daniel Mifflin
who stated that they had recovered nineteen
bodies during the forenoon of yesterday
These gentlemen all have done good SER
vice, both in saving persons from the
wreck during the fire and since in
recovering bodies from the water. Mr.. Nc
| Cleland stated that he had been authorized
by Captain Gedney to bury the bodies, take
charge of any vauables which might be
found on them, take full description of the
clothing, and number the graves, retaining a
| full record of such description correspond
| ing to each grave, SO that friends Of the lost
can have the bodies disinterred at their lei
sure. Just north of Chatterton's landing
was founda grave where we were informed
| were buried two children-a white boy
and girl. From the description given
of the girl, Mr.. Reed, one of our party,
thought it must be his little neice, daughter
of Policeman Reed, and later in the day the
children were uncovered, but Mr.. Reed
failed to recognize her, and the little chill
dren were covered over again. Here we
found Mr.. Charles Hiburn, who lives near
the courthouse. This gentleman, with his
little daughter. about five years old, was on
board the Wawasett, and seeing the confu-
sion he seized his little girl and jumped
overheard in deep water and swan ashore
safely.
Later in the day we came across MIR. Nc
Clelland, who stated that he had buried
twenty-five bodies; that it was impossible to
find colored man who could be prevailed
| upon to assist him, and his assistants were
all white men. The colored people there all
seemed to have superstitious horror Of
touching corpse. Colonel Lewis, neigh
boring farmer, was present, and hailed
| colored man name Dan, who was looking on
while the men were at work digging graves
Dan came up, and Colonel Lewis asked
him why he did not jump in and assist in
burying his own color? Dan shrugged his
shoulders, and replied, CT can't get up the
heart to do it." Said Colonel Lewis: You
mean that you are afraid to work" "No,'
said Dan, 81 never would have any more
luck if I should touch one Of them poor
corpuses." Itappears to be the general be-
lief among the colored people in this section