Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-08-15

L recOltect, ABOUT one DunOre0 p4SSen-
gers were aboard, the majority of whom were
males; the males were principally in the for
ward part of the boat, and could not get aft to
render any assistance to the ladies; saw no in
stance of any male passengers attempting to
save the females, unless it was perhaps Mr..
Reed, whs threw planks overheard; saw no one
injured by throwing over planks and boxes;
saw old man ashore who said he jumped
overheard with two peach boxes in his hand,
and complained of a sore back; he thought he
had been struck by the wheel; the yawl-boat
was lowered to land passenger at Chatterton's
landing.
TESTIMONY OF ROBERT W. GRAvATT.
Was mate of the Wawaset. Was standing at
the hall when the fireman told me the boat was
afre. / Immediately stretched the hose, and
asked Mr.. Nash to turn the donkey engine on,
but there was such a dense volume of smoke he
could not do it, 1 made an attempt to get aft
by going over the hurricane deck, but the flames
drove me back. saw the clerk trying TO get
ladies forward over the wheel house. When
Jumped over, no one was aboard except the
captain; he says to me: "Jump overheard and
try and save some of the passengers" only
saw one man jump overheard when the boat
was under way and that was one of the fire.
men; he was saved. L think everything was
done that could have been done to save the
lives of the passengers. The axes were on the
gangways on each side in their places; there
were thfrty-six buckets of water on board. 1
have no license; did not think required any;
did not think boats not going outside of the Po-
tomac were required to have licensed mates
TESTIMONY OF ROBERT NASH.
1 was engineer of the Wawaset; / think she
was as well equipped as any boat l have ever
been on; my department had all the appurte-
nances requred-fre e1tinguishers, donkey
engine, hose attached, &c; everything was per-
fectly safe around the boiler; am satisfied moth
ing could have taken fire around it, was not
absent over a half a minute at any one time
from the engine room during the day the fire
occurred; was not standing over six feet from
the engine room when the alarm was given, in
sight of my steam and water guage; after
the alarm l ran out on the forward deck
to see if the hose was all right and
l could not get back again to the
donkey engine; the flames drove me away; did
not take any part in saving passengers; could
not get at those in danger they were aft,
couldn't swim; jumped overheard and caught
peach box, and my son swan ashore with me;
think under the circumstances what was done,
was the best that could be done; saw no passen-
gers that were in the water injured by throwing
anything over board saw a man that was in
iured in the back, but lac thought he was struck
by the wheel, don't suppose he knows himself;
the officers of the boat occasionally traded in
produce; did myself.
Q. Who was in charge of the engine when
you did this trading?
A. The foreman was always left in charge,
and my son an apprentice.
Q. An apprentice-nOt a licensed officer.
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Where were you when you first discovered
the fire?
A. when heard of the fre-the alarm-I
ran into the engine room and opened the water
guage. 1 then looked into the hold and saw the
flame, and opened the fire extinguisher. was
.G 49,, "a - e IN
you, extended to the hurricane deck.
TESTIMONY OF JOHN W. BOSWELL.
Was pilot of the steamer Wawaset; is thirty
three years of age; has United States license
as pilot-or had; it was burnt; the fireman was
the nrst one VINO apprlseu me OF the IRE, says
Captain, we had better run her ashore;" he
says, Yes, and went below; headed her for
shore. ana jumped overpoard from the hurrl-
cane deck and carried Two ladies with nae 70
where tbey could wsne; then got boat on
shore, ana got Two women IN IL ana landed
tnem; saw .nree chIldreh on the ruouer -cnaihs,
burned 70 death; nave no ldea as 10 the origin
OF the fire; saw the captain pass lady from the
upper TO the forward deck; saw no male pas
senEeis assIs,ihe tne !emalosi saw 10 euorE
. " sSc ono 49, v ,1 ~. uo.u, ouuu
were at the wheel house: don't think we struck
in over AZ feet of water forward; don't think
any hVes were lost forward after the boat
eHu'A' eAeop' A,'s De''io Hoou'
TESTIMONY OF J. W. REED.
Was passenger on steamer Wa~aset; reside at
No $40 18th street northwest. in this CITY: was
stanaino OF forward ,,ort aanowav on noin
r. ee"!' ~ ~
geek, wnen ! neard some one say nre, ana
iookeu aIouho anu saw siaoke issuing OUT OF the
DolS s nouse, IIusneu " tne iorwaru ueck, ana
the names imheqlatsiy aiteI e4tenoed 70 the
Turr,eahe ,br u,u ~. aa.empt get ar, as
hnem Icy wa ~ 0ns , 70 " sot tneIe,
and co1sin were there. 7 begged the 10 sSan,ers
not to Jump overheard before the boat stoned,
as | was satisfied we would beach in shallow
ws.er, i am sat h co., my cousin wouid nave
mil The hoat Stonned hut sbe inmnsT in 49,
water before the hat strnck and was Lost. SUI
the ofiicers of the hoat nassing water on the
filler rome. Mr. Roswell remained in the niiat
honse nptii the n lanes drove him u,av. Sou if
nreservers: conld have REACHED them eaSiiv. 7
never once Thought about getting one. knowino
AT the same time I conid moi sui,1. sow ",a,
tleman ashore who nsed one for himssIr and his
daughter: don,t think from the time saw the
first smoke untiI the boat heached wasoyer five
minutes. never tbonobt wood could hnrn win
the rapidity the boat was consumed; think
everything that could have been done was done
Dy sne omceTs Oh ine Doat 20 save the lives OF
aboard when the fire alarm was given wiz
rpsr,Noxv on IouS ron,,,y
W W,l
was fireman on poard Wawaset; went below
after pair of overhauls; it would have been
nv turn on watch in less than a half hour.
onenad tho 9rem.n,s door md cor sn,oLa T., 81
RAJ of the hac% connaction . .ue
the fire to the mate ami than 70 the t,epta;~.
don't know what cansed the fire. saw naptbins
in the fireman's room indicating negligence; had
not been in the room befor. that time; there
was no OIL IN the room; always wash forward;