The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1873-08-10
APPALLING DISASTER
Burning Of The River Steamer WanaSutta
Fifty Passengers Lost

WAsHINGToN, August 0,---The Wam-
asutta horror Is fully confirmed. Most
of the passengers persisted, She left
Washington on the regular passenger
trip down the river, and was burned
of Chatterton landing, where there Is
no wharf passengers and freight being
landed in small boats. A boat had
been lowered, when the flames burst
out. The vessel was two hundred yards
from shore. Nothing remains but
the broken shaft and smoke stack.
There were one hundred and ten pas
sengers registered when she left Wash
ington, but some were received and
discharged Mt various landings, of
whom no record was kept
, Her crew consisted of twelve. Prob
ably fifty passengers lost, and two Of
the crew. She was headed for the Viz
ginia shore. Many ladies and children
were on board, visiting friends sojourn-
ing at places of resort along the river
also many colored persons. Ten bodies
reached the wharf, five unknown. All
accounts applaud the gallantry of the
Captain and crew.
Captain Woods is burned around the
neck and ears slightly. He says: the
fire broke out twenty-five minutes past
II o'clock. was in the pilot house,
fireman told me the boat was on
fire below. | Immediately came out
and found the flames had reached to
the hurricane deck, and saw il was inn
possible to get to the life boats, which
were on the after quarters on each side,
to lower them.
81 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.
Saw there was no hope of saving the
vessel and the only chance to save the
passengers was to keep her going head
ing for the beach. She was beached in
ten minutes after the alarm was given.
In less than five minutes after the first
alarm the fire reached the pilothouse.
The engines stopped working about
half a minute before she struck the
shore, and the boat ran n length and
came to a dead stop and grounded in
less than five feet Of water at the bow.
~ remained on the hurricane deck
until the curtains in my room and the
saloon were burnt. Then came down
on the forward deck and did what l
could to save the passengers. All Of
them were afraid to jump overheard,
though / assured them the water was
not over their heads. One or two
made the leap, and the rest seeing the
water was shallow followed and were
saved. 1t was with difficulty that |
prevented their jumping over in large
bodies, and drowning each other dur
ing the excitement. Nearly all lost
were in the stern of the boat, the flames
driving them that way, and forcing
them to jump or be burnt. Just before
] left the boat ! saw Mrs. Swillcr,
of Alexandria, hanging to the rudder
chains, crying for help. Sent the boat
and rescued her. Am satisfied the ex-
element caused undue loss Of life.
Many were lost by the lifeboats being
overcrowded. One of them was crowd
ed with colored passengers, and when
she was cut loose the stern bulged out
and swamped her. About a dozen
small children were aboard, and | think
five or six were lost. The fire caught
in the hold but it is impossible to say
in what particular part, the flames
spread so rapidly. The boat was very
dry, almost like finder, and when the
flames struck the oiled machinery,
they spread like torch. The
cargo was miscellaneous, and was all
lost. 1t contained nothing inflammable
except two barrels of whisky, which
We're in the forward hold, and We're
about the last things burned. Thepas-
senger list and manifest were lost, it
being impossible to reach the Office to
get them. But few passengers were
in In
state rooms. Some were lying on the
sofas. The Georgiana came along ON
her way down from Baltimore, and
brought up few Of the passengers.
Many went down through the country,
and some are waiting for boats to con-
vey them to their homes. All were
taken care of The steamer was val
ued at $4,000.