Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-08-15
BURNING OF THE WAWASET.
Official Investigation of the Disaster.
Testimony before The Treasury Beard To-day.
Important Evidence Of Capt. Wood and others.

The official investigation into the causes lead
ing to the wawaset disaster was commenced at
noon to-day, in the rooms of the supervising
inspector general of steamboats,, in the Treas
ury department, being conducted by Commo-
dore Rose, of Savannah, and John f. Edgar,
inspector of boilers at Norfolk. The proceed
ings are conducted publicly, and it is the desire
of the acting supervising inspector general of
steamboats, that all interested therein should be
present. In the room were Captain Woods, Mr..
Nash and son, engineer and assistant; Mr..
Wheeler, clerk; the steward, fireman and other
officers of the boat.
THE FIRST WITNESS
examined was james ID. Lowry, inspector of
hulls at Baltimore, Md. The certificate of in
spection of the last inspection was shown wit
ness, which he recognized. On the 9th of
March last the Wawaset was inspected; COM
piled with the law in every respect; had two
good boats, which would carry sixty passengers
each; asked the captain when inspection was
made how many passengers he would like to
carry; he said thirty, and we placed that num-
Der in the certificate; found life preservers in
abundance; the pumps and hose we're in good
order; there were fire extinguishers aboard the
boat; the life preservers were distributed all
over the boat under the promenade deck; con-
ly overhauled her hull last spring in Baltimore
and found everything all right; the boiler hatch
was open; perfectly safe and thoroughly
smoke stack last spring in Baltimore.
TESTIMONY OF W. o. sAvILLE.
Am inspector of boilers for the district of
Baltimore; can only say what Mr.. Lowry has
said about her; three weeks ago 1 called the at
tention of Mr.. Lowry to the distribution of life
preservers on the boat; they were in abundance
and admirably placed; have been in the back
connection of the boiler several times; don't
think it possible for fire to have gotten out
of there; there was a pIently of room to get
around the bOiiars. tha heller w fbnrnu oh u
overhauled in Baltimore last March and WAS
perfect; L considered her as safe as any steam
always complied with my orders, and have
put them to considerable trouble in my Official
capacity.
TESTIMONY OF CAPT. J. r. WOODS.
Was captain of steamer Wawaset was IN the
pilot-hOuse At the time of the alarm; my papers
as master of the vessel were destroyed by fire;
the fireman gave me the alarm; he stopped me
and said, Captain, the boat is on fire;" said,
''keep cool; don't raise any excitement" /
thought could get down into the hold and put
1t out without raising any excitement, but in a
very few minutes the flames reached the hurri-
cane deck; / saw there no chance to save
her, and ordered her to be beached at Chatter
ton landing; the machinery refused to work
just before she struck; am satisfied no souls
were lost forward after she struck; If the bow
ropes of the Gfe-boat had not been cut, am
satisfied none in that boat, which was crowded,
would have been lost; had pilot license when
/ took command of the boat; IL run out last
July; did not get it renewed because was a
licensed pilot; had no United States license as
master; 1 was ignorant that it was Necessary;
am registered as a master at the Alexandria
custom house; In case of fire, under the same
with the Wawaset; think the fire originated in
the fireman's room, and when the door was open
it burst out in flames; don't think stopping the
boat would have checked the fire; think il
could have stopped the boat less lives would
have been lost, but IL was impossible, as the en-
gineer was driven from his post in an instant;
there was no possible way to get to the att part
OF the boat to instruct the passengers in the
Of the life preservers; no officer was in attend
ance upon the small boats; the boat was not
over six seven minutes Bleaching; the boat
beached in about $50 yards from shore; there
was not over \ feet of water; think she struck
on a lump, for when L left she began to swing
passengers was forward; 1 assisted a lady who
fell on the wheel-hOuse who ran through the
blaze; passed her below to the clerk to the for
ward deck: 1 think that it was Miss Reed;
she was lost; have no idea as to the cause of
the fire, unless there was matches in the fire.
mans room, or some smoking, or a lamp; j
don't think any lamps were kept burning there;
all the freight was on the main deck; we car
ried no freight in the hold; there is a door
leading from the freman's room to the boiler
room; the communicating hatch and door was
closed; don't know who opened that door;
don't think we had over one hundred and
twenty-five passengers aboard; there was a
them; think our certificate allowed us 70 carry
one hundred and fifty passengers. Here wit
ness was shown certificate of inspection.]
Q. Did you not know that your certificate
only allowed you to carry fifty passengers and
fifteen crew?
A. 1 was under the impression that we could
carry $50 passengers; If we only carried fifty, it
wouldn't pay for coal; am satisfied there is
mistake somewhere.
The certificate was shown Mr.. Lowry, who
recognized IL as q true transcript, but stated to
the Investigating board that Capt. Foulke(since
dead) was captain of the boat at the time the
inspection was made.
Capt. Woods.-I am pretty sure our certif-
cate allows us to carry $50 passengers; exam
ined the boat before she left port am satisfied
that she complied with all requirements OF the
law; could not use the pumps during the fire;
the fire extinguishers were double cylinder;
never had occasion TO use them, and they were
charged when put on the boat; my orders
were TO the crew in case of fire to do their best;
had no fire organization on board the boat; the
axes of the boat were in their place; there were
no printed instructions on the boat to the
use of the life preservers; that is something new
to me; L never knew it was required; the
life preservers were easily accessible to the
reach OF any grown person; we had between
weighed six pounds, and would float the hesyi,
est persons; the life-bOat was attached TO the
davits and in readiness for use; 1t was thrown
ger; he cut the bow fan; the moment She was
cut she tipped, and the bow falling brought the
stern up with snatch and jerked it right out;
no one would have been lost in the yawl, had
the passenger who cut the bow line left the boat
alone until the steamer beac hed: have wit
ness to the cutting Of this rope; he is a colored
man who was in 1t and saved, and he will
testify to this effect; only two life preseryers
were used; a man named Emerson got one, and
put one ON his little girl both were saved; all
the lives were lost aft; there was probably eight
or ten feet Of water aft; won't be positive,
however; the tiller of the boat was made Of
chain and rod with the exception OF about ten
feet, which was rope; threw water on the rope
during the burning; when / saw the engineer
he was on the forward deck; 1 don't think he
was absent from his post at the time the alarm
was given; have known him q long while, and
always found him faithful.
WIN. o. SEVILLE RECALLED.
Have been acquainted with Mr.. Nash four
years; his character Is as good Is any engineer
have in my district; he did not drink or dissi-
pate; he is q strictly sober man; never knew
him to be under the influence OF liquor; never
heard Of him drinking any; ! consider HIM one
Of the best engineers In the district.
TESTIMONY OF J. W. WHEELER.
Was clerk Of steamer Wawaset; was on board
during the fre. The first indication 1 had any
thing was wrong, was sitting on the promenade
deck when q dense volume of smoke came into
the saloon; had heard no alarm up till this time;
the ladies became excited; told them TO be
calm, as we could put the fire out or beach the
boat in shallow water, ladies ATTEMPT To 90