Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-08-15

The steamer Wawaset, on her way to
Washington City from Currioman, on the
Potomac, Friday, was steaming in to touch
at the wharf at Chatterton, King George
County, Va, when it was discovered that
the hold was on fire. The widest panic
ensued among its $50 passengers, and
though there was 500 life-preservers on
board, and the steamer was not 100 yards
from land, over 80 lives were lost There
we're not many men on board, the passen-
gers being chiefly ladies and children, with
colored nurses, returning from summer
visits to the country. Among the lost
Virginians are, Miss Virginia Marbury, Of
Petersburg, Mrs. Esther Griffin and two
children from Alexandria and Miss Patsey
Sandy, of Westmoreland. The Baltimore
"Sun" has the following account of the dis
aster, from its Washington correspon-
dent
The steamer was nearing Chatterton, King
George county, about 81 miles below
Washington, when the fremen discovered
flames coming into the engineroom from thee
hold some of the force ran to the hose,
and one ran to the pill house for Captain
Wood The flames were speedier than he,
and reached the upper deck before he did
and when Captain Wood came out Of the
pilot.house, fame and smoke was rushing
up through the aperture in which the walk
ing beam works. The wood work in the
neighborhood of the engine, dried to finder
by constant exposure to heat and saturated
with oil, caughtalmo as readily as match,
and burned with exceeding ferceness, sur
rounding the engine and dividing the boat
amidships The boat was at once headed
for shore, while vain attempts were made to
fight the leaping flames with the usual ap-
planes.
The upper deck of the boat was one long
saloon Of nearly the entire length of the
deck. On the second deck there were TIVE
saloons aft, the engine amidships, with
passage on each side, leading fore and aft,
between the warehouses and the engine,
| and che usual open deck at the bow below
The ladies' cabin was aft of the engine
room, and the hold forward, extending to
the boilers. Nearly all the passengers, in.
GLIDING all the ladies, were in the saloons
towards the stern Of the DO It, while all the
officers Of the boat were engaged in their
duties, either amidships, at the engine-room
or forward
The first outset of the fame drove the
binding smoke into these saloons with the
suddenness of an explosion, and tie transit
ton from
PERFECT PEACE TO PROFOUND HORROR AND
IMMINENT PERIL
was moments work. Panic reigned. -
The Captain rushed aft and urged all to
come to the forward part of the boat, but
before bis orders were made knomn the
flames divided the boat into two parts. and
rendered it perilous, if not impossible, to pass
from the rear to the bow of the boat The
clerk was driven back by the flames in at
tempting to pass Thus left asterD, with
no guiding spirit, the flames quickened BY
the increasing wind as the boat, the flames
roaring around the boiler, dashed towards
the shore with full head of steam on, drove
smoke, cinders, fame and binding heat in.
to the rear saloons. Here occurred the IN
exampled fatality There was
NO COMMANDING VOICE.
The flames shut off the officers in the for
ward parts of the boat, and there were none to
give example of GOODNESS, to urge the use of
life-preservers, or give those simple direc-
tions that on such occasions may save SO ma
ny lives. One of the boats hung on the da-
wits, and filed with passengers, was cut
loose by colored man ct one end, while
the other still remained fastened, and the
boat load was thus thrcvn into the river,
and when the other end was cut the boat fell
half filed with water, and became useless
The
METALLIC LIFE-BOAT
was thrown over, but being without attach
ment to the steamer, foated off from the
side, and the only hope of reaching it was
by leaping into the water. Some who at
tempted this were drowned Meanwhile with
the bow Of the boat crowded with human
beings, and the extreme rear eud also alive
with shriekiug women and children whose
only chance seemed to be between burning
and drowning the boat held her course to the
shore, not half mile distant when the
alarm was given, and growing nearer every
second. Capt. Wood stood amid
THE SMOKE AND cJNDERs
at the wheel. and the hands poured water
on the tiller ropes, which smoked and
threatened to catch on fire. Less than sew
en- minutes after the alarm was given the
steamer was beached, her bow in five feet
water and her stern 10 eight feet water
Here she continued to burn until every par
ticle OF woodwork above the waters edge
was consumed, some iron frames and the
smokestack alone lifting themselves above
the water. gloomy monuments Of the terri.
Bile horror that swalketh at MONDAY "
WHY so MANY WOMEN AND CHILDREN WERE
1t may seem strange that so many women
and children were upon the steamer Wa
waset, as she was not running as an excur-
sion boat, and was making only her regular
trip to Cone river and intermediate land.
ings but it seems that quite number of
families were seeking country resorts for
the heated and sickly term during the pres
ent month. There were therefore com para
lively few male passengers on board, and
the females, without experience to guide
them, and not knowing what to do in the
emergency, were capable Of little more than
frantic but useless efforts to save the lives
of the children