Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-08-14

!
that the loss Of human life
by the burning Of the Steamer Wawaset
on the waters of the Potomac on Friday
last viii prove much heavier than was at
6rst ansieibkted. several apparently relia-
bic accounts placing the number Of lost
lives as high as seventy. All accounts
agree that The officers Of the boat used ev-
cry possible effort to save the passengers. |
but it Is nevsrthe,ess demonstrated, that
the steamer vas deicien. in appliances to
save humar life in case of accident. There
were nunber of life-preservers on board
but they sere found to be unavailable
when wanied. The life-boats could not
be launched and it was discovered when
too late that the FIRE apparatus could not
be brought INTO action. There were about
twenty children on board, exclusive of III
registered passengers.
We appeid the statement Ofthe Cap
tain Of the Goat. John r. Woods, with a
sketch Of pc wawasc., her officers. origin
Of the irqstc., etc.
"The 1Es broke ont ut twenty minutes
past twelve o'clock, between Thoms Gu,
aud Chatterton. l vas in the pilo. house
at the time. 4 fireman came in aud told
me that tho boat was on fire below. when
l Immediately came out aud found the
flames had reached quite 20 the hurricane
deck. along the walking beam then saw
that it was impossible to get to the life
boats, which were on the after quarters on
each side, TO lower them although they
were full Of passengers. threw water
on the wheel ropes 50 US to keep the steer
age all right. and passed buckets Of water
| from below to the hurricane deck for the
purpose. as became satisfied that there
was no hoIe of saving the vessel and that
the only Glance to save the passengers
was to keep her going The boat reached
the beach j, about twelve or thirteen min
u,es after tie alarm was given. La less
than FIVE minutes after the alarm was Civ
en- the fire vas in the rear of the pil"t-
house. TIE engine refused to work about
half miuue before she struck the shore
and the bon ran length aud grounded
in less t han FIVE feet of water at the bow.
| renal On the hurricane deck until
the fam Ind burnt the window curtains
in my I'd I'M and the saloon windows below
were shooting forth fiery darts. then
came down IN the forSard deck and did
what coull to save the passengers. A
great many were afraid to jump overheard
until ASSURED them that they could safe
ly do so, asthe water from the bow was
not over thir heads Upon this assur-
ance one ortwo made leap, and many
others seeirg that the water was shallow
followed thdr example and we're saved -
1t was with difficulty that checked them
from jumping over in large numbers and
drowning each other am satisfied that
nearly all loss of life occurred in the stern
of the boat, the flames driving that way
and forcing the passengers to jump over
board or be burnt Just before | left the
boat heard lady, Mrs Taylor. of Al
cxandria. crying for help from the rear
Of the vessel saw her hanging TO the
middle chains. and sent a boat to her res
! cue and saved her. I am satisfied the
excitement caused undue loss "f life. and
that every passenger was saved who dumped
overheard forward
, a great many lives were lost in the life
boats by bGng overcrowded. Before thu
boat stopped one ofthem was crowded with
colored passengers. and when she was cu
/. loose the stern bulsed out and swamned
J the craft. About dozen small children
were aboard. and think FIVE or six were
lost. The fire caught in the hold. bu, j
, is impossible to tell just where. The boa
,, was very dry. almost like finder. and thu
flames when they struck the oiled machi
a merry SPREAD Xix torch The cargo wa
e Of miscellaneous nature, and coataine'
a nothing infammable except two barrels o
whiskey, which were in the forward hol'
D and amQng the last things burned TIL
J. mantle of the vessel vas lost. it bein!
: imposs e for the clerk to reach the oftic
to obta it. At the time of the accden
but few Of the passengers were asleep, ant
none we've in the state-rooms. Some wer
lying down on the sofas. The Georgian
came along or her way from Baltimor
and brought up few of the passengers
!. Many went down through the country
y and othcrs are awaiting other boats to com
E home. All are we'll taken care of. | cs
innate the value of the boat at about $40,
600"
: The Wawaset is total wreck Sh
4 lies in about l. feet Of water at high tide
r with her bow stuck fast on the gravel DO,
tom. Mt about four or FIVE feet low tide
The Wawaset was 100 feet long. 90 fee
wide, 9 feet depth of hold. and was 32S 9
: tons. custom-house measurement. Sh
= was fitted up to suit both freight and pas
i, sencers. She was built in 1868 at Wi
mipgton. Del, for the purpose of runnin
fruit from Duck Creek aud Smyrna
s Philadelphia, but was chartered BY th
:. Government and brought to this river |
e be used rs q transport for troops.
The Ferry Company purchased he
. from the Government. and she had bee
!. used on The line between Washington an
o Cone river for freight and passenger. =
). Last spring she was completely overhaule
: on the ways a, Baltimore, a saloon cabi
: put on her upper deck aft. newly fur
nished and newly upholstered and paintc
e throughout, making her one of the mo-
convenient as well rs siaunch boats on il
!, river. Captain Wood is an experience
a seaman, and the full corps. Of officers an
!. men are old aud careful hands at steam
e boating.
e No one can give any information as
: how the FIRE originated. bu, all agree tn