Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-08-10
THE WAWASSET.
Further Details Of the Potomac
H0rrer.
20 Children on the Fated Steamer,
The Captains sfaSement-Partia
Hist 0f Victims

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9.--At balfpasl
four this morning the steamer National ar.
rived here from the scene of the burning
Wawassett, having on board shout twenty
five survivors and eleven dead. The bodies
were recognized as those Of Mrs. Muze,
who It is reported had three children with
her, all lost; Mrs. Kelly OF Virginia, a child
of James Reed, Mrs. Matilda Walker OF
Washington, Miss Juliana Mills and four
coloyed children. Two are yet unrecog-
nized.
Capt. Wood, Watson Wheeler the clerk,
Mr.. Nash engineer and Mr. Reed mate OF
the steamer Wawasseti,. arrived here this
morning about O'Clock on the steamer
Georgiana. Ali Of them were more or less
injured. The passengers all agree that the
officers ofthe boat did their utmost TO save
life and property; but so sudden and fierce
was the fire that scarce anything was saved.
There are known to be lost Misses Mos
bury, Patsy Sandy, Julia Kelly, Bessie Reed,
Gambia Hobbs, Mrs. Esther Griffin and two
children, Mrs. Joseph Reed and three chill
dren, George Tibbs deck hand, chamber
maid and seven colored persons.
In the opinion of Capt. Wood there
are from ten TO twelve bodies unrecoYered.
In order to obtain them tie Superintend-
ent OF the. Potomac Ferry Company and
others started down the river this morning
in the tug Lewis, provided with graphing
irons.
The Captains Statement.
Capt. John P. Woods, commandant,
makes the following statement: The fire
broke out a. twenty minutes past II, be-
tween Thorn's cut and Chstterton's. l
was in the piloi house al the time, when l
Immediately came ont and foundthe flames
had reached to the hurricane deck along the
walking beam. / saw it was impossible to
get to the life boats which were on the afte
quarters on each side, to lower them, al
though they were full of passengers. 1
threw water on tle wheel ropes 10 keep the
steersge all right, as became satisfied there
was no hope Of saving the vessel, and the
only chance to save the passengers was to
keep her going. The boat reached the beach
in about twelve or thirteen minutes after
the alarm. In less than five minutes after
the alarm was given the fire was 10 the rear
of the pilothoule. The engine refused to
work about half minute before the boat
struck shore and grounded in less than 3
feet of water at the bow. | remained OIL
the hurricane deck until the flames had
burnt the window curtains in my room
and were issuing from the saloon windows
below. l then got on the forward deck and
did what could to save the passengers. a
great many were afraid to jump overheard
until assured them they could safely Co so.
Upon this assurance one or two made the
leap and many others, seeing the water was
shallow, followed and were saved. 1t was
with difficulty l checked them from jump
ing over in large numbers and downing
each other. am satisfied nearly all the
loss of life occurred at the stern of the boat,
the flames forcing the passengers to Jump
overheard or be burned. Just before l left
the boat heard Mrs, Taylor, of Alexsn-
dria, crying for help from the rear of The
vessel. l saw her
Hanging to tie Rudder 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 many lives were lost in the lifebost
bJ being Cvercrowdet. Before the boat
stopped one Of them was croWdet with
colored passengers, and when she was cut
loose the stern bulged out and she was
swsmped. About dozen small children
were aboard, and l think five or six were
lost. The fire caught in the hold. The
boat was very cry, and the flames when
they struck the oiled machinery spread like
a torch. At the time of the accident but
few of the passengers were asleep, and none
were in the ststerooms. The beat was val
ued at about $4,000.
Capt. Wood does not think the number
lost will reach over thirty.
The Mates Account.
John Reed states that lie wac busy throw
ing overheard some planks to the women
when the flames burst up the gsngWay,
forcing him to jump overheard and he
swan ashore. He says also it was not above
three minutes before all communication
was cut off between the bow and stern of
The boat. There were about 20 children on
board, exclusive of 1T registered psssen-
gers. Several of the saved are badly burn
ed. Robert Nash, engineer, was
Saved by His Son,
he assistant engineer, who jumped over
board and swan ashore with his father.
Capt. Wood was considerably burned about
he head.
Narrowing Story of the Pilot.
The pilot makes statement ID which he
says he remained in The pilot house until
he wheel ropes broke and the fire was
coming into the pilot house. He then swan
Ashore with two women, and then saved six
)r eight persons and made second trip
with boat, rescuing three colored women
md child who were hanging to the rudder,
,fter which he swam out again and made |
NO unsuccessful attempts to rescue officer |
Reeds wife. When lie reached the stern |
If the boat for the LAST time, three children, |
wo white and one colored, were there, |
whom he tried TO get at, but the flames |
prevented him and they we're burned. He
hen baled out the lifeboat and took dead |
,odies to the wharf, white and colored.
'ome idea may be formed of the excitement
REVEALING from the fact that of 500 life-pre-
erVeTs on board, only t%o were used.
A Cor9ner's Inquest
vas held at Slewart's wharf over the bodies
f those lost, and a verdict returned re-
ewing the officers of the boat from all
lame.
The Latest.
The bodies of three children were brought
ere this evening. Twelve bodies, all col
red, were washed ashore and buried to-
ay. The body of colored woman was
ecovered By the men engaged in graphing,
Tho will resume their lators tomorrow.
'Wenty-one bodies have been recovered so
ar. t-e |
rrT5TIY unusu |