The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-08-21
Letter from Washington.


Wawaset on the Potomac river a short
distance below Aqua Creek. AT that
time the reports concerning the terrible
disaster we're greatly confused and it
was next to impossible to CLEAN any re-
liable facts further than that tie vessel
was q total wreck and that there had
been quite a heavy loss of life. At that
time it vas supposed that about forty
persons we're lost. Some placed it as
high as fifty, bat most of us expected
that, as is usually the case, these first
reports would turn out to be consider
ably exaggerated, and that many of the
missing would yet be found. This case,
however, proves to be an exception to
the general rule. UP to yesterday there
had been eighty-two bodies recovered
and it is not considered at all probable
that all have, or ever will be, found.
The officers Of the boat testify that there
we're not more than hundred and fifty
(some place the number at a hundred
and twenty.iive) passengers on board at
the time of the disaster. The passen-
ger-list was destroyed and the exact
number cannot be known, but it is quite
evident that the proportion of lives lost
to the number of souls on board was
unusually great. This seems very re-
markable when we consider that the
river was unusually still, there being no
wind and consequently no rough water:
that the steamer was but a short dis
tance from shore, an6 that she had been
inspected but short time ago and pro-
nounced in excellent condition.
Some of the incidents related by the
survivors are horritying. A MIR. Reed,
brother of Officer Reed of the Metro
politan Police force whose entire family.
consisting Of his wife, his three children,
an aunt and niece, were lost, is among
the survivors. From his own testimony
it seems he was SO stupefed with fright
that he made no effort whatever to save
his friends and scarcely any to save him.
self. He says there we're auy number
of life preservers that he might have
reached at any time, but that he never
once thou ght of them.
4 gentleman, resident of this city
and connected with one of our morning
dailies, was passenger on board the ill
fated vessel aud had in his charge a
young lady, also resident Of Washing
ton. When the alarm was given he was
with her, but a moment aiterward the
clerk of the boat saw him, carpet-bag
in hand and alone, trying to save him
self, having deserted his protege to her
fate. According to his statement her
clothes caught fire and he was CON-
PEELED to leave her." which be did and
saved himself by swimming to shore.
One would think the fact OF her clothing
having been in flames was an additional
reason why he should have taken her
and jumped into the water where the
fire would have been extiDeuished, and
he would have had an opportunity to
save life by swimming with her
to shore, Either he was scared out of
his wits, or he didn't want to burn his
dainty fingers, or he was too cowardly to
risk himsel: in the water with such a
burden. He evidently valued his own
lite higher than that of the lady.
One negro man saved the lives OF
several ladies by swimming with them
to shore, but becoming exhausted and
having been clutched by several drown
ing persons he was dragged beneath the
waves and lost in his heroic efforts to
save the lives of others. This is about
the only instance of real, genuine hero
ism that occurred, Though his skin
was black, though he was of despised
race of men, he showed himself to be
the greatest, and noblest, and truest man
on board the unfortunate steamer.
Though there were between four and
FIVE hundred liie-preservers on board
only two we're used. A gentleman liv-
ing in Alexandria was on board with
his niece. He secured two ife-p
servers, fastened one upon the little girl
aud the other upon himself, sprang into
the water and both we're saved.
The steamer was provided with two
substantial boats. one a large wooden
yawl capable Of carrying fifty or sixty
persons, the other metallic life-boat no,
so large. The yawl was already in posi-.
tion Tor being lowered. When the
alarm was given it was Immediately filled
with the excited passengers, and none Of
the crew being present to superintcnd
the operation OF letting it down to the
water, a colored man drew a knife and
cut the rope at the bow, piunging all
into the water and snatching the stern
out of the yawl.
An investigation has been in progress
at the Treasury yesterday and to-day
conducted by Commodore w. K. Rose,
inspector of hulls, of Savannah, Ga, and
Mr.. John E. Edgar, inspector Of boilers
of Norfolk, Va. The services of two Of
the most capable stenographers have
been engaged and the testimony is being
taken verbatim.
The evidence so far taken throws nc
light on the question of the origin Of
the fire. 1t appears, however, that
neither Captain Woods, the commander,
nor Mr.. Gravatt, the mate, were licensed
to act in their respective capacities
The vessel seems to have been provided
with steam pumps, hand pumps, hose,
buckets, axes and everything of the kind
needed in such an emergency; aud it
seems that all the officers aud crew were
at their proper posts Of duty; yet such
was the rapidity with which the flames