Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-08-09
THE WAWASET
HORRORS!
FIFTY PERSONS BURNED TO
DEATH OR DROWNED!
THE TERRIBLE STORY OF THE
DlSASTERI!
SCENES AT THE POINT OF THE
TRAGEDY.
DISTRESSING SCENES IN THIS
CITY ON THE ARRIVAL
OF THE BODIES.

Last night about half past eleven O'Clock
great excitement was produced by the report
| that the well-known Potomac steamer wawasst
| had been burned down the river, and that most
of the passengers on board had persisted. As
the news flew from point to point in the city the
| excitement increased, and many fastened to
the foot of 9TH street to ascertain the particulars
| The report was subsequently confirmed by a.
Associated Press dispatch from Fredericksburg
stating that the wswaset took fire about IL
O'Clock yesterday morning at Chatterson's land
! ing. Prince George county, and was entirely
| destroyed. The dispatch also stated that "she
had about one hundred and fifty passengers on
board, and between forty and fifty lives are
lost. Six bodies were found up to O'Clock YES
ternay afternoon-three white ladies' one white
child, and two colored children. Miss Virginia
Marbury, of Glymont; Miss Bette Saunders.
and child from CQrrioman are among the
dead. Others have n9sR been recognized. Geo
W. Cooke, OF warsaw, Va, Is missing. Captain
Wood did not leave the boat until forced to do
50 by the flames. The>fre was first discovered
| i'll the engine ROOM"
AT about midnight several of the surviving
passengers of the unfortunate wawaset arrived
III TINS city on the steamer Express, and from
| them 1t was learned that she left Washington
on her regular trip 70 Cone river, and that all
| was wei until near her arrival at Chatterton
landing. When about to land for passengers
| flames were seen issuing from the hold of the
vessel, and before anything could be done To
| eNtinguish them the entire steamer was con-
sUmed, and nothing remained of her but a
broken SHAFT and smOke-stack to mark the place
| where she went down, about two hundred wards
| from shore.
The number of passengers registered on
board IL estimated when she left Washington at
| one hundred and ten, and she took on others
at various landings on the Potomac. The crew
numbered twelve. Out of this number prob
ably fifty passengers and two members of the
crew persisted by water and fire.
Messrs. Dummer and McGuiggan, employees
at the Chronicle Office, Mr.. Massey, Doc. Nc
Kenna, barkeeper on the wawaset, son of
Mr. Wise, No. 22t AZ street, Engineer Nash
and son, and Clerk Watson Wheeler were
| among the saved. The survivors report the
| scene as heartrending in the extreme during
| the burning of the vessel The air was filled
with the piercing shrieks of women rand chill
dren, while strong men stood aghast at the
| hopelessness OF their situation. Most of those
who were lost met their deaths by water, leap
ing into the river as the flames became unen-
| durable. Capt. John Wood, the commander of
the Wawaset, behaved with commendable cool
ness throughout, and was the last to leave the
burning steamer.
The Wawaset took fire from some unknown
| cause. As soon as she was discovered to be on
| fire she was headed for the shore, and struck on
the Virginia side about two hundred yards from
the shore, the pilot remaining in the pilot-box
until completely enveloped by the flames
There were many colored people on board, and
| many ladies and children who were en- route To
visit their friends at the different landings on
the river. There were two boats belonging to
| the Wawaset, but in the excitement one of them
was pitched overheard and lost, and of the life
| preservers with which the boat was provided
none seemed to have been secured in the panic
| and excitement.
The burning steamer was discovered at a lit
tie after IL O'Clock yesterday morning by the
| steamer Express, Capt. JAS. 7. Barker who
| was returning from Point Lookout to Washing
ton, with party of excursionists, composed of
| the "Painter's Union" and their friends. A
short time after, the steamer National, which
had gone to the relief Of the fated vessel, came
| alongside with the rescued passengers from the
/ Wawasset.
The Wawasset was built at Wilmington in
1868, bought by the Potomac Ferry Company in
/ 1854, and was brought to these waters, and ever
Il
river She was insured in several companies
for $4,000. She was considered. the finest ex-
eursion boat ever placed upon the Potomac.
A SOrrowfaI Burden.
| About $50 O'Clock this morning the stern
| wheel boat &C. National, !" Captain Gregg, brought
| up ten bodies, i've women and five children;
| four cOlored children and one white child, the
latter little son OF Jose PHI Reed, policeman;
| Mrs. Muse, whose husband lives on the corner
| OF 9TH and G streets southwest; Mrs. Julia KEEL
| ly, an aunt of policeman Reeds who had been
| visiting his family and was on her return to her
home at CurriOman. Three of the white women
and the four colored infants were not recog-
| nized. On arriving at the wharf
The CROWD RUSHED AROUND THE BOAT,
but were kept back, while some wharf hands
brought them to the landing, and their bodies
were ranged size by side in the warehouse Of
the ferry company. The features of the chill
dren and some Of the women presented a calm
and natural appearance, but in others there
were signs of pain. Most all were somewhat
bloody about the face, and on some were spots
| resembling bruises. The bodies were laid c..
some planks in the warehouse and the police
! guarded the door.
THESE BODIES WERE PICKED ur
at Chatterton and carried to Stewards wharf,
about one and q half miles below, and the
National took them aboard at that wharf. These
were all that had been recovered at $50 last
night, the time the National left. Captain
Reed, from Police headquarters, arrived at the
wharf about 6 O'Clock and at once recognized
the little son or Joseph Reed, his nephew;
also, his aunt, Mrs. Kelly.
About this time Mr.. j. W. Barker, under
taker, came and took the bodies of the two last
named away in cases, to prepare them for
burial. The bodies of the adults were quite
rigid, but those Of the children were pliable, a.
IL just dead.
About $50 O'Clock Mr.. Cobaugh and his wife
came to the wharf. and recognized one Of the
dead bodies OF the women as
THE SISTER OF HIS WIPE AND HER NIECE,
their names Mrs. Cora Walker and Miss In
diana Wills. whose family reside at the corner
| of sth and streets.
The sobs and lamentations Of Mrs Cobaugh
| cOuld heard for diStan md fualfv