Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1873-08-15
FRIGHTFUL DISASTER.
BURNING OF A PoToMAc STEAMER.
FORTY OR FIFTY LIVES LOST.
HEnoIc CosDUcr or THE orricxss.


N '''.f'.' - "'H r'
FREDERICKSBURG, VA, August S. The
steamer Wawasset, running on the Potomac
river, between Washington and Curriman,
took fire about II O'Clock to-day at Chata-
lon Landing and was destroyed. She had
about l50 passengers on board, and be-
tween forty and fifty lives are lost. Six
bodies were found up to two o'clock--three
white ladies, one child and two colored
children. Miss Virginia Warburg Of ely
mont, Miss Nette Saunders and a child
from Curriman, are among the dead the
others have not been recognized. Geo. w.
Cook, of Warsaw, Va, Is missing. Capt.
Wood did not leave the boat until forced
to do so by the flames.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., August S-The
reporter of the Associated Press at mid
night had an interview with Doc Kenney,
barkeeper of the Wawasset, who is the only
one of the passengers or crew of that ves-
sci that reached Washington tonight. He
came up to this city on the steamer Ex-
press, with an excursion party from Piney
Point. The latter vessel sighted the wreck
about four O'Clock this afternoon, and
picked up kenney, who had been sent out
in small boat to come up to Washington.
| The passengers and crew of the Wawassct
were at that time all cared for at Stewards
wharf, near the scene of the disaster.
Kenney states that the Wawasset left here
at six O'Clock this morning on her regular
weekly trip to Cone river with / II register
ed passengers and quite large cargo Of
freight for the river landings just before
reaching Chatterton's landing, on the Vir-
gnia side of the Potomac, about live miles
below Aqua Creek, and after the whistle
of the boal had been blown as the sicnal of
her approach to lhat landing the steamer
at that time being about n third of n mile
| from shore. fire was discoved in the hold
| and hose was attached Immediately but
before the men could reach IL the conlla-
grafton became general ms the fire had
! been burning for some time. The fire had
| been smoulderinp. il il s,nnoscd for some
hours. and upon The opeuins of the matches
| IL hurst forth with oreat furv drivino the
men from the hold and conpletclv bailiinu
ali ottemnts To subdue il I'm an Instant
/ the widest confusion prevniled ON the YES.
sci. the passenoers beconing nanic-stricken
! and frantic With fear. yerv few having
presence of mind sufficient TO take care of
/ themselves. The steamer was without n
/ seconds delay. headed for the shore on the
! VIRGINIA side and in n few minutes ran
aground about two hundred wards from the
/ VIRGINIA shore. At This time the flames
! Snrpa6
! the excitement many iumped overheard.
Several of them iumped into the water be
fore the steamer struck bottom. She was
provided with but two small boats, and i'm
the frenzy of the moment one ofthese boats
was thrown overheard and lost by the pas.
sepgers, who. uncontrolled. were endeayor.
ing to launch her. Capt. wood, of the i'll
fated steamer, and his assistants, are said
to have used every effort TO control the
messengers. but without avail. and but
for the disobedience of orders MANY who
where lost would have been saved. The
vessel was we'll provided with life preser.
yers, but in the manic il seems that none
of the passengers secured them and this
fact also added to the lamentable loss OF
life. Over forty passengers were drowned
among whom were Messrs. Reed and three
children, the wife and children of police
man Reed, of this city and his niece, whose
name has not vet been ascertained Ade.
line jenkins, chambermaid, and a deck
hand, name unknown; Mrs. Virginia
Marbury, of Glynmont; Miss Bertie San
ders and a child, of Currioman, Virginia
Up to the time that the EXPRESS. in which
the narrator of this statement arrived. lef
the scene of the wreck. but five or 81,
bodies had been recovered and the confu
sion was so great that a further list O
names of those lost could not be obtained
Among the saved was a Mr.. Wise, of thi
CITY, and ]. Wilkin Massey. Kenpe,
states that Captain Wood was the last mai
to leave the steamer, and the pilot, Mr.
. Boswell was surrounded bv the flames be
fore he left the pilot box. which was not unit
afther he had run the steamer aground
The flames spread with such rapidity tina
the tiller ropes were on fire before the vesse
struck the ground. An of those lost were,
, is supposed, drowned, having Jumped over
board to escape the flames. The fire was frs
t, discovered abouttwenty minutes before ele
ven O'Clock, and Kenney states that In les
than ten minutes the vessel was enyeloped h
flames, and now lies where she was ru
aground, burned to the waters edge. Chat
Polnt anu tne Survivors OF Tue aisasoef nav