The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-08-11
The Potomac Steamer Disaster.
Statement of Captain Woods.

WAsHINGToN, Aug 9l,-The coroner's jury,
called at Stewards wharf, rendered q verdict
generating the officers of the boat from all
blame.
Captain John B. Woods, commander of the
Wawassett. is burned around the neck and ears
slightly. His account is substantially that the
fire broke out at twenty minutes past II o'clock
between Thorn's Gut and Chatterton. / was
in the pilot house at the time. A fireman
came in and told me the boat was on fire below,
when Immediately came out and found the
flames had reached quite to the hurricane deck
along the walking beam.
then saw that it was impossible to get to
the life boats, which were in the after quarters
on each side threw water on the wheel
ropes SO as to keep the Storage all right and
passed buckets of water from below to the hur
ricane deck for that purpose, as became salts
lied that there was no hope of saving the YES
sci, and that the only chance to save the pas
sengers was to keep her going. The boat
reached the beach in about twelve or thirteen
minutes after the alarm was given.
In less than five minutes after the alarm
was given the fire was in the rear of the pilot
house. The engine refused to work about half
a minute before she struck the shore, and the
boat ran length and grounded in less than five
feet OF water at the bow; went down on the
forward deck and did what could to save the
passengers. A great many were afraid to
jump overheard until assured them that they
could safely do so as the water from the bow
was not over their heads. Upon this assurance
one or two made leap, and many others see.
ing that the water was shallow followed their
example and were saved.
1t was with difficulty that I checked them
from jumping over in large numbers and
drowning each other. L am satisfied that
nearly all the loss of life occurred in the stearn
of the boat The flames drove that way fore
ing the passengers to jump overheard or be
burned just before left the boat heard a
lady crying for help from the rear of the YES
sci; saw her clinging to the middle chains
and sent a boat to her rescue and saved Der.
am satisfied that excitement caused undue
loss of life, and that every passenger was saved
who jumped overheard forward. A great
many lives were lost in boats by being over
crowded. s+y
Before the boat stopped one of them were
crowded with colored passengers and when she
was cut loose the stern bulged out and swamped
the craft. n# En-
About dozen small children were ON board,
and think five or siz were lost: the fire caught
in the hold, but it is impossible to tell just
where. |tttH ift
The boat was very dry, almost like finder,
and the flames when they struck the oiled ma
chinery, spread like q torch; the cargo was of
a miscellaneous nature and contained nothing
infiamable, except two barrels of whiskey,
which were in the forward hold, and were
among the last things burned.
The manifest of the vessel was lost, it being
impossible for the clerk to reach the office to
obtain it, a-- t.rl.t-.G 8
At the time of the accident but few Of the
passengers were asleep, and none were in the
stater0Oms, though some were lying down on
sofas.
The Georgana came along on her way from
Baltimore and brought up a few of the passen-
gers estimate the value of the boat at
about $40, 0OO