Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-09-01

fire department, as required by law to be done
at least once in each month, and in many other
| respects failed to meet the requirements Of the
law in his capacity as master or acting master
OF passenger steamer.
| Robert W. Gravitt, who was acting in the ca
pacity OF mate on the Wawaset at the time Of
| the disaster, was, like her captain, without a
United States certificate of license, and equally
| as Ignorant of the requirement of the laws
4 rules and regulations governing the steamboat
| inspection service.
In his own testimony the chief engineer of the
| steamer Wawaset, Robert Nash, admitted the
| fact of his trading in truck produce, &C., at
| different landings when the steamer was run
| ming on her regular trips. and particularly on
the day OF the disaster: the evidence adduced
also proved that he was at different times in at
| tendance at the bar on the steamer, dur ing his
watch, and when the law positively demanded
| his presence at his post OF duty in the engine
room. 1t was also shown that the hose was not
| the alarm of fire was given Mr.. Nash became
perfectly paralyzed, and made little or no
| effort to eXtinguish the fire, and none to save
the lives of the passengers. II the hose had been
attached to either of the pumps, and one or
both OF these pumps used in connection with the
fire eXtnguisher, and the steam smotherinc
| piipe-the latter OF which was under the entire
charge of the eDgneer-we firmly believe the
fire on the Wawaset would have been put on I
and the dreadful calamity avoided.
The negligence and misconduct of the chief
engineer of the steamer Wawaset prior to the
burning of the steamer, well as his unofic GER
like conduct after the fire occurred, are, in our
opinion, deserving OF the seyerest condemnation
We have therefore no alternative than to re-
woke the license of Robert Nash as an engineer
on steam vessels navigating waters within the
dered.
The fire on the steamer wawaset occurred, as
will be seen by the evidence, at muddy, when
all the officers and crew were supposed to be on
duty, and at time when the chances for ex-
tinguishing the fire and saving the passengers
were far better than if the fire had occurred at
,sfIA 10 I,,%..
the sacrifice of some eighty odd souls by that
appalling calamity.
AS further safeguard against the recurrence
of similar disasters to steam vessels we respect
fully recommend the necessity for inspectors in
the various districts, making 1t special duty to
visit steamers from time to time, and without
call all hands to quarters, and in this way as
certain and correct defects in the organizatio
and equipment of such steamers.
We are of the opinion that if the fire depart
ment on the steamer Wawaset had been organ
lied in accordance with the steamboat act, and
the officers and crew instructed in their respec-
tive duties, that the lite-preservers could have
been distributed among the passengers, the
boats safely lowered, and the greater portion if
not all the passengers saved.
SO far as the general equipment Of the steam
er Wawase at the time of her last inspection
(March oath, 1879, is concerned, it is In evil
dence that she was fully up to standard re-
quired by the laws and rules relating to steam
vessels, and therefore can discover no derelic-
whose jurisdiction the steamer belonged; we be
lieve they performed their duty impartially and
efficiently.
James l. Lowry, inspector of hulls test fed
positively to preparing the original certificate
OF the steamer so as to admit of the carriage of
but fifty passengers and fifteen officers and
crew, making total of sixty-five in all, and
this evidence was fully confirmed by the subse-
9uent production of the original certificate itself
from the files Of the Georgetown custom house
He therefore has no hesitation in declaring that
the Potomac Ferry company was running the
steamer Wawaset, on the Sth day of August
1873, in open violation of the law, not only as
regards the carriage of an excessive number of
passengers, but also in employing unlicensed
ofncers, and We earnestly recommend that steps
be promptly taken by the proper officers OF the
government to impose upon said company the
extreme penalties OF the law for such violations
as also upon John Il. Wood, the master and
Robert w. Gravatt, mate of the Wawaset, for
plying their respective vOcations without United
States licenses, in defiance OF the law.
In submitting this report, sir, we can truth
fully say that We have endeavored to discharge
the responsible duty imposed upon us with en-
principal object of the law under which the in
yestgation was conducted, viz: the preserva-
ton OF human life on steam vessels; and we are
led to believe that hereafter steamboat owners
Will make themselves fully and thoroughly &C
quainted with the act of Congress relating to
steam vessels, and then yield full and ready
compliance thereto, equipping them with all
command of men who know and possess the
courage to perform their whole duty in any
emergency that may arise.
WILLIAM ROSE,
JOHN f. EDGAR,
Board of Investigation.