Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-08-11

picture very wildly the distressing scenes she
witnessed on board the steamer. She was pulled
| up out of the water some ten yards from the
| boat, just as she was sinking the last time, by
Mr.. Robert Adams aud taken ashore in an in
sensible condition, and she feels tat her escape
was almost miraculous
| Mr.. Adams, with a number of his compan-
| Ions, deserve much credit for their exertions in
| saving many from drowning.
After breakfast we returned to
BoYp's HOLE,
where crowd of persons had asse mbled, and
all along the shore, a distance of five or six
miles, groups of men and women, both white
and colored, were seen struggling along the
beach, in search of bodies.
SCENES AT CHATTBRroN.
Our party started at once for Chatterton land
ing, and on the way several bodies were passed,
which had f1oated ashore. Near Chatterton
landing was found grave containing two white
children, boy and girl. From the description
of the clothing, this girl was thought to be the
missing daughter of Mr.. Reed. Many incidents
are related by the boatmen living on the line OF
the river. They state that
THE SCREAMS OF THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN
could be heard for miles; that all the boats
available were at once brought into service,
and every effort made to extend relief. On the
way up to Chatterton several bodies of colored
men and women were passed, which had been
dragged ashore the night before.
The wreck Of
THE FArED STEAMER
lies about two hundred and fifty yards below
the landing and probably one hundred and fifty
| from shore. The boiler, smoke stack, and all
the metallic portion seem to rest firmly on the
bottom, and nearly all the machinery is exposed
to view at low water, not particle of combus-
| tible material remaining of her, and the iron
work burned to q whitish tint. The shaft seems
| to have either bent or broke in the middle.
| showing the iron work of the wheels careened
| out on each side. On arriving at Chatterton
| only tworow boats could be found. one of which
we secured, and our party proceeded to the
wreck. The tide being high, the oarsman
| thought it imprudent to attempt to board her,
fearing some iron snsg might damage the
bottom of the boat, and we made a circuit
around her, keeping at a safe distance. At this
| time two bodies were seen floating at some dis
lance northeast, but the crew of the other boat
seemtd to have got the start towards them, and
our boat returned to the shore, where Mr.
Lautreup. the artist, took sketch of the
wreck. During this time the boat landed the
| bodies of two colored men just below u.s. Their
! faces and ears were completely eaten off by
| crabs, leaving the teeth, and bones of the face
clean. In the pockets of one of these men were
FOUND memorandum book, from which il ap-
| peared that his name was Roda Rice from
Washington. He was evidently young man.
| silver watch, with gold plated chain at
tached, was found in his vest pocket; linen
| pants, black coat. The other man was SO much
| disfgured about the face that recognition would
have been impossible by his nearest friends
He was dressed in dark clothing and gaiter
boots. While sitting on a log of drift wood
where MI Lautreup was engaged in sketchiug
the wreck, the body of a colored boy drifted
ashore near by and was dragged out on the
sand.
BY this time the shore was
DOTTED FOR MILES
with people watching for bodies afoat, and all
the row and sail boats available were manned
and put out to pick them up. The wind fresh
ened up, making the water rough, which had
the tendency to bring up the bodies, and for
hours the boats we're necessarily occupied in
| graphing them and towing them in. Between
Boyd's Hole and Chatterton the shore was lined
with pieces Of the wreck, among other things
many peach boxes and hen coops, and about
halfway between the points named was the ill
fated life boat, with her entire stern out Shreds
of clothing,
HATS AND BoNNRrs, FANS AND SMALLER AR
TICLEs,
were floating promscuously about in the surf
During the morning five more bodies Of colored
women were caught and lowed in, and the
stencil from all these corpses after the sun
beamed out hot was intoierable.
At Chatterton we met Mr.. @. G. McClelland
q magistrate Of King George county, with a
corps OF laborers, who set to work burying the
bodies at the base of the river bluffs. Also,
Messrs. Robert Adams, (who saved Miss Nc
Pherson,) George 7. Lee, Price Hamilton, Ma
thaniel Burchell, and Danl Miffiin, who stated
that they had recovered nineteen bodies during
the forenoon of yesterday. These gentlemen
all have done good service, both in saving per-
sons from the wreck during the fire and since
| in recovering bodies from the water. Mr.. Nc
Clelland stated that he had been authorized by
Capt. Gedney to bury the bodies, take charge
| Of any valuables which might be found on
them; take
FULL DESCRIPTION
of the clothing, and number the graves, retain
ing full record of such description correspond
ing to each grave so that friends OF the lost can
have the bodies disinterred at their leisure.
just north OF Chatterton landing was found a
grave where, we were informed, were buried
two children, a white boy and girl. From the
description given of the girl, Mr.. Reed, one of
our party, thought it must be his little neice,
daughter of Policeman Reed and later in the
day the children were uncovered, but Mr.. Reed
ASs'SN w iSSoe"NV her anu the llttle children
were covered over again.
FATHER AND DAUGHTER SAVED.
Here We found Mr.. Chas Haburn, who lives
near the court house. This gentleman, with
his little daughter, about five years old, was on
board the Wawaset, and seeing the confusion,
he seized his little girl and jumped overheard
In deep water, and swan ashore safely. Later
in the day we came across Bir. McClelland, who
stated that he had buried twenty-five bodies:
that it was impossible to find a colored nan who
could be prevailed upon to assist him, and his
assistants were all white men. The oolored
people there all seemed to have a superstitous
horror OF
TOUCHING CORPSE.
Col. Lewis, neighborng farmer, was present,
and hailed colored man named Dan, who was
looking on while the men were at work digging
graves. Dan came up. and Col. Lewis asked
him why he did not jump in aud assist in bury
ing his own color. Dan shrugged his shoulders
and replied, 81 can't get up the heart to do it."
Said Col. Lewis, "You mean that you are afraid
to work." "No," said Dan, al never would
have any more luck If should touch one of