New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-11
THE WAWASET DISASTER.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS OF THE CATAS-
TROPHE.

[PRoM A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE lhibuShi.
| WASHINGTON. Aug. 9.-Since the ASSASSINATION oh
| President Lincoln, Washington has not seen daV
so full of excitement as this The of the loss
| of the Wawaset not generally known unti thiS
morning the dispatches announcing the disaster
| not having been received till nearly midnight yes~
| terday During to-day the newspapers OF the CITY
have issued extras at frequent intervals containing
the latest lists of the lost and saved The hope tbae
the first estimates of the number of persons Iosa
might prove too large Is disappearing since IL Is
| already known that more than 90 lives were lost.
The first arrival from the scene of the
disaster was the steamer National, when
| landed about half-past o'clock this morn-
ing, having brought up 10 bodies. She
was followed by the Georgiana, about o'clock,
with Capt. Wood and number Of the officers and
crew of the Wawaset on board. The tug Lewis Went
down the river early this morning, fully equipped
with graphing irons and all necessary means of re-
| covering the bodies of the drowned. No accurate
| list of the passengers was made board tho
| Wawaset and as the tally-sheet of the clerk WAS
| lost with the steamer it will be impossible for
several days TO determine accurately the number of
lives lost. Nearly all of the lost were residents %
the "Island' district of this city, and so far as is 1t
present known none belonged to prominent families
in Washington The Wawaset was the most popular
| excursion boat on the Potomac, and was Kept IN
constant service by pleasure parties during the SUM
mer. Her regular trip was to Cove River, about 10
miles from Washington, and many persons yester-
day, as is always the case took advantage OF the
| opportunity to spend day on the river.
No satisfactory statement of the origin Of the fra
has vet been given and the opinions of the passen-
! gers and crew of the Wawaset differ. The most
probable explanation appears to be that the fire rss
| caught in the overheated woodwork about the
boiler. The captain thinks it began IN the forward
part of the bow, sparks from the smoke-box having
been blown into the hold and ignited the tinder-
like wood From all that can be learned, it would
seem that the tire broke out amdships, and spread
rapidly all over the steamer, the wood being almost
! as dry as finder.
| LIST OF THE SAVED AND LOST.
The following is as full list of the passens
gers of the wswaset lost aud saved az could be OBJ
tanned by the officers Of the boat after the accident:
| THE sAvED-wHITE
JB North J. H. Wise, f. Nash, Robert Olive, o. Edd0
Guygan, Thomas Massey Thomas Owens W. o. liner
Joh RSeG E% v s ko feaf S M
Belle Price, Miss Marbnry, and child
R. D. Breckley J. TAFT, WIN. Sanders. NJ c. Ashton.
Jas Brooks, Henry street, George Parker D. b. Kesa
Croxton, Lemuel scott Robert Castor, II. Taylor WIN!
Herring, Moses Gordon, Edwin Hawkins, j. ChrstopheT
! NJ Walker, Andrew Stand. james III. Wood, boy, 4.
Rich, r. Rockwell, VIM. johnson. VIM. Brooks tburned
slightly Levi Woody James SsS%Sn L eSS Es
Mathews, Lavlnia Bernard lchildl, julia ,Chrstoghs3
Norman, Julia shankin, Sarah Jackson Nancy bayhst
| THE LosT-wHITE.
Miss Patsy Sandy, Alexandria; Miss Jdia Kelley
arJ oSeT Reed Ss ana bree ehdren
Washington, d. c.. Miss Bessie Reed Washington d. Cf
Miss Cordela Hobbs, washington, ID. C.
Laura A. Rich and child, washington, o, C.; julia
Was1lns,Sn one child u9kaown S wash Gas S D.
| Adelne jenkins, chambernald.
| INCIDENTS OF THE DISASTER.
Capt. Gregg. Of the steamer National states that upou
| receiving the news of the disaster he Immediately
steamed to the spot aud arrived at about p. M Ha
found the wawaset living Of coal burned TO TIA
waters edge The and passengers had long since
been removed TO place Of safety had found sudden
graves TIE survivors and the dead scattered
along the river at Stewards wharf Chd's, Liverpool
aud other landings. The wreck had burned low at
O'Clock the rushed in and it sunk In about
ten feet OF All that Is visible now is the smoke
stack officers Of the wawaset state that many Of
the passengers for the landings along the river
| we're saved and started at once for their
destinations by land Henry Lewis colored one OF the
| deck-hands OF the Wawaset came up on the steamer
Georgana this morning, 10 Alexandria and took the
first ferry boat this city, He that two colored
women, Mrs. shanklin and Mrs. MahaG Fleet came up
as far as Alexandria from Taylors Landing and that
each Of them child and bound up to try aud
recognize the bodies The ferryboat City OF Washing
ton arrived at 1880 from Alexandria, and brought up
| Susan Parker, Mary Blackwell, and Hiram BLACKWELL
(colored) who belong In Westmoreland County, Virs
gnla They were board the Wawaset, and all three
| were badly burned Mr. John Reed has also reached
| the city, He was on the Wawaset, and got badly
| burned in the face and head. He states shat no
was busy throwing overheard some planks for
the women TO catch hold Of when the flames burst up
the gangway and nearly smothered him. whereupou he
Jumped overheard and swan ashore. His clothing was
| burned and he had narrow escape with his life. He
also states that when the fire discovered the women
and children were In the deck saloon and 1t was not
above three minutes before all communication was cut Oh
between the bow and stern OF the boat Ihere were
about twenty children board exclusive OF 1T regis
| tered nassengers An old man named Hazard is sup
noed 70 have been lost Robert Nash the engineer OF the
| Wawaset came up this morning He was saved Dy Ms
SON. Samuel Nash. who assistant engineer ana VINO
| iumped overheard aud swan ashore with his father
Az soop az the fire had gained Roadway, the life
boat at the stern Of the Wawaset was crowded WIN
excited men, women. and children, and 1t was Impossible
FOR the officers 10 reach it lower 1t to the water The
boat finally broke away under the weight OF those who
had crowded into 1t. The stern was damaged by ina
fall and the boat was soon swanped nearly all who had
taken refuge in It being lost Another boat almost as
largo IA the feboa thrown overheard by the pas
sengers while the steamer was making her way TO tho
| landing and but few persons able TO reach it.
| Same Jumped into IL from the Wawaset; others were
drawn into it from out the river. One passenger, in
attempting to Jump into the boat from the steamer. was
struck by latters wheel and received some slight
INJURIES There were nearly 500 lfe-preservers on
board, but only two are said TO have been used.
They were In the gangway, and could not
be reached because of the flames Disorder aud con-
fusion prevailed board the women were wild with
fright and the scene was simply Understandable MIS-
! anulA no