Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-08-15

i've feet OF water from the bow. | remain
ed on the hurricane deck until the flames
had burnt the window curtain in my room
and the saloon windows, below were shoot
ing forth drery darts. then came down
on the forward deck and did what I could
to save the passengers. A great many were
afraid to jump overheard. I 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
leap, and many other seeing that the wa
ter was shallow followed their example
and were saved. It was with difficulty
checked them jumping over in large bod
les, and drowning each other during the
excitement. / am satisfied that nearly all
lives lost were lost in the stern of the boat,
the flames driving that way, and forcing
the passengers to jump OF be burnt Just
before left the boat heard lady Olrs
Taylor, of Alexandria, crying for help from
the rear Of the vessel. l saw her hanging
to the middle chains, and sent boat to
her rescue and saved her. / am satisfied
the excitement caused undue loss of life
and that every passenger was saved who
jumped overheard forward. A great meny
lives were lost on the life-boats by being
overcrowded. Before the boat stopped
one them was crowded with colored pas
sengers, and when she was cut loose the
stern bulged out and swamped the craft
About dozen small children were aboard
and think five or six were lost. The fire
caught in the hold, but it is impossible to
tell just where. The boat was very dry al
most like finder, and the flames, when they
struck the oiled machinery, spread like d
torch. The cargo was Of miscellaneous
nature, and contained nothing infiamIna-
bic except two barrels of whisky, which
were in the forward hold, and were among
the last things burned. It was entirely
lost. The passenger list and manifest OF
the vessel was los it being impossible for
the clerk to reachthe Office to obtain it
Al the time of the accident but few Of the
passengers were asleep, and, none i'll the
state rooms. Some were lying down on
sofas. The Georgeanna came along, on
her way from Baltimore, and brought up q
few of the passengers. Many went down
through the country, and others are await
ing other boats to conc home. All We're
well taken care OF. The steamers value I
estimate at $4,000.
The testimony of the other officers of the
boat does not differ from that of the Capt,
only still further corroborating the horror
RI. j. w. Reeds Statement.
We give in addition the statement OF
Dir. J. W. Reed, who was passen ger. He
says: .....
Got on in Washington for Currioman.
The fire, think, broke out about fire or
ten minutes before twelve O'clock After
the excitement became general advised
passengers to keep cool, as the boat I knew
would ground in low water. Many jump
ed overheard before she struck, and I
threw planks to them. II don't think a
single person was drowned off the forward
deck after the boat struck" Capt. Wood
was the last man that left the boat.
don't think there was live passenger a.
float when Capt. Wood left the boat. I
the officers TO sava ss9es and the boat. I
told many of the passengers, "For Gods
sake, don't jump overheard we will be a.
ground in low water soon, and you can
wade ashore" They would not heed me-
but jumpfd excitedly into the water. I
had q cousin who jumped overheard before
the boat stopped, who was lost. If we
could have got al, the pIanhs overheard
many would have been saved. The sllrieks
OF the women and children were enough
to appal the stoutest heart.
Rar. VIM. z. Esrncrsen's Statement.
Mr.. VIM. E. Emerson, of Alexandria,
makes the following unvarnishcd state
ment to the editor of the Gazette Of that
city. 1t shows how cool presence Of mind
was fully equal to the preservation of life
in the awful emergency, and reproduces
with the fidelity of a photograph the hor-
rid incidents of the disaster. Mr. Elmer
sons statement is the only statement, SO
far published, of the scene in the after
part OF the Inflated steamer, from whence
occurred nearly all the loss Of life.
AS the boat neared Chatterton was sit
ting on the port side Of the upper deck,
my back against the framework around
the s1noke-stack, and had just taken the
Alexandria Gazette Of Thursday afternoon
from my pocket and was about to read,
when smelt something burning. Hook
ed down the aperture where the beam
works and saw the space below filled with
smoke. | said, Quietly, to a gentleman at
my side, ''The boat is on fire." and then
went aft to look after my little neice, who
was with Mrs. Taylor, The alarm had not
been given at this time, and [ started to
look for preserves. These found stow
ed in the frames Of the ceiling ID the pas
sageway between the wheel-house and the
engine. They were packed so tight that
it was about three minutes before got one
lose. During that time the fire was burst
ing up from the engine hole alongside,
and my hat was somewhat burned, and [
had to get back into the aft saloon on my
hands and knees. I went up by the stair
way over the boiler TO the upper saloon,
took my little neice by the hand and made
her sit beside me on the life-pTeservers
while took off my coat, shoes, socks, cuffs,
&c. At this time crowd Of colOred peo-
pie had filed a wooden boat that hung by
the davits even with the freight deck
Some one cut the bow rope, and the bow
fe,l, her stern hanging in the air, and the
load fell in the water. [ could see them
graphing with each other. believe al
Of them were drowned. The bow was then
lowered and crowd again got in the boat,
but the steamer went forward so fast that
the stern of the boat was torn out and she
sunk, and drowned her freight. BY this
time, The fire was beginning to come aft,
and some of the ladieg dresses caught fire.
A man (the only man I saw in the stern
saloons except MYSELF attempted to take
my life reservers from me, but I resisted
him and he waa unable to do SO, 1 then