Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-08-19

tie more exertion I might have got one; neither
the captain nor any officer two minutes ar II
without running through flame; there was alb out
leo passengers aboard, the majority being col
ored, women and children; did not see the
steamers boats until they were brought ashore;
one had its stern broken out.
@. Do you think anything could have been
done, more than was done by the officers, 10
save life?
A. To the best of my judgment and belief I
do not.
Q. Did you see any of the officers attempt to
save pas engers?
A. Yes; 1 saw the captain lower a lady from
the upper to the lower deck; also saw the cook
making efforts 10 save two colored women.
Q. Did you attempt 10 save anybody?
A. No sir; for the reason / couldn't swim
MYSELF; l was satisfied had to either be burned
up OF drowned, and therefore made all efforts to
save myself.
TESTIMONY OF JAMES NEWMAN, CoLoREe.
Reside in this city; YVES a passenger on the
Wawaset; was asleep when the boat caught fire;
1 was awoke by the noise and excitement; was
ait and could not get forward, so 1 jumped
overheard and swan ashore; met three colored
women in the water and took them to waiins
watsI; / jumped overload before the boat
of ladies; they were jumping over all the time;
was aft, near the water cask, when | heard the
alarm, outside of the ladies saloon; dou't think
il possible for the officers of the boat to get
aft; tried to get forward and could not; saw
two white ledies after got on shore, who went
forward, from the saloon, over the wheel house
and thus saved themselves; saw no officer of the
boat in the bar-room but the bar-keeper; don't
think it was possible to extinguish the fire after
it broke out; think the officers did the best
they could.
TESTIMONY OF oREIN EDDY.
Reside at the corner of It'll and H streets;
was passenger on the wawaset; was sitting on
the forward part of the saloon deck reading;
head some one say the boat is on FIRE; passed
att, and from thence went to the saloon deck
where young lady caught me by the arm and
said, do you think there is much danger; just
then the clerk came along and said we had bet
ter go forward; | took the young lady to the
wheel house, and by the as sistance of the clerI,
she was gotten forward; l fell overheard, caused
by the jar of the boat when she struck, in about
seven feet of water; j have ascertained since
that the young lady / assisted was Miss Reed;
81 was lost, believe; think If the officers
had been on rhe saloon deck when the fire broke
out, they could have ordered every one for
ward; If they were in any other portion of the
boat, they would not have had time to have
gotten there; the smoke smelt something like
lubIicating OIL
Q. Were you in the bar-room that morning
A. was down there once.
Q. Who waited on you?
A. a colored man; the bar keeper was living
down outside on sOme sacks.
Q. Do you think there was any possibility of
extnguishing the fIe after you heard the alarm?
A. Well, couldn't judge, as the fire was all
below; / think if the boat had been stopped
there would not have been one half dozen saved,
only those who could swim; l don't think any
more could have been done by the officers than
was done.
@. Had there been any more men on the sa-
loon deck besides yourself, do you think the
metallic boat could have been launched?
A. Yes, sir, / do.
Q. And by that means as many as the boa
would have held would have been saved?
\. Yes, sir; the men who we're handling the
boat were very much excited and the colorcd
enes were more SO than the white ones.
TESTIMONY OF LEWIS WOODY, CoLoReD.
Was passenger OH the Wawasset; 1 was aft
when the alarm was raised; | started TO go
through the pa ssage-way TO go forward, and be-
fore reached the engine room the smoke drove
me back; | then climbed up to tue hurricane
deck, near the wheel house; there were several
ladies there; the clerk told all 10 come forward;
have no idea OF the origin of the fire; was in
the bar-room once In the morning; the bJr-
keeper waited on me; passed the engine room
several times during the morning, and always
saw the engineer at his post.
TESTIMONY OF DANIEL WARD, CoLoRED.
Was at Chatterton's landing when the Wawa-
set was burning; got boat out and otherwise
assisted to save life; heard Captain Woods call
out from the pilot house to the boat to come out
and meet him; noticed the yawl before il fell,
and saw that il was crowded with passengers
AT one O'Clock the investigation was al
jOurned until to- morrow morning at ten O'Clock
The announcement was made by Mr.. Rose that
il was probable the investigation would be con-
cluded to- morrow.
MIR. Andrew Melville testified YESTERDAY that
he was 81 years old, not 81 years, as the types
made ii i'll last evenings STAR.l