Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-08-16
BURNING OF THE WAWASET.
Official Investigation Of the Disaster.
TESTIMONY BEFORE The TREASURY BOARD To-Day.

the fire on board the Inflated steamer wawsset
was resumed this morning at the Treasury de-
partment. The first witness examined was
Capt. j. X. Woods.
CAPTAIN }. r. WOODS RECALLED.
Was not engaged in trading on board the Wa
waset; officer but the engineer did any
trading; l passed Miss Reed down from the
promenade deck to the clerk of the boat on the
forward deck; she was lost; do not remember
Of saying that any lady was saved who passed
from the aft to the forward part of the boat: |
may have said in ersation that L heard so,
but do not remember IL.
TESTIMONY OF JOHN H. WISE.
Reside at the corner of 10th and G streets
southwest; was passenger on board the Wa
wsSet; | was talking to the engineer when the
fire broke out; a man rushed past us and said
"the whole place is on fire down below the en-
CINE; looked and saw the flames; tried to get
ait, but could not; the flames were up to the
hurricane deck in almost a second, the captain
and myself we're the last ones who left the boat
he told me to go round the flag fpOle and jump
in the shallow water; was talking to Mr.. Nash
when the alarm sounded we were about two
feet from the engine room; no person was in
the room; the bar room is about five feet from
the engine room; the engineer went to the bar
room before the alarm with me and got cigar;
after the alarm was given the only person
saw about the boat was the captain; he told all
TO keep quiet and directed passengers where to
jump over; l threw peach boxes overheard;
don't know that l saved anybody; know that
lHc bOA Threw over myself WAS picked
by some one else; think there were some pas
seDgers saved who were aft; 1 colored
woman and two white women who were aft that
were saved; don't know how or who saved them;
had no previous acquaintance with the engi-
neer; never saw him before went on the boat.
TESTIMONY OF NANCY BAYLER (coLoRED.)
reside IN Washington; was on the v awaset:
was going after my children; | can only tell
you how saved myself; was sitting in front of
the engine-room when 1 heard the alarm; |
rushed into the ladies' cabin; the people were
all rushing into the small boat; | made my way
to the wheel house and hung on by a rod until
the flames reached me; | then said ooh, Lord"
and jumped overheard, because | thought |
would rather be drowned than burned up; when
the alarm was sounded 1 was sitting between
the engine house and the ladies saloon talking
with another man. he was lost; | went to the
guards on the outside; don't know whether the
officers could have saved anybody or not: | was
not looking at them; saw had to be burned
or drowned, and only looked out for myself; /
jumped overheard in deep water, and caugh
bold OF man until my toes touched the bot
TOM kept my mouth shut tight and held nv
breath and old not swallow any water; | was
watching the blaze and the water, and saw
one or the other had 10 take me that day sure,
and thought that would rather be drowned
than burned up, and then lit out from the
boat and jumped overheard, don't know how
long hung on outside; il was all done so quick
L didn't have any Judgment about it.
After delay from IL O'Clock until ten minutes
past one, awaiting the arrival of witness Miss
nate MCPHERSON was sworn.
TESTIMONY OF MISS MCPHERSON.
Reside in Charles county, Md; got on Wa
waset at Glymont to go to Chatterton; the boat
was lowered to put US off when the alarm was
sounded; did not see any men or any of the Off
GERS assist the ladies' don't know anything
about the cause OF the fire; l jumped overheard
with my cousin; was on the aft part of the prom
enade deck when the alarm was given; was
carried down the gangway by Mr.. Wheeler did
not see any one but Mr.. Wheeler, the clerk, at
tempt to save any ladies; was rescued from the
water by Mr.. Robert Adams, who took me in a
boat; don't think there was any chance for the
officers to get aft to assist the ladies-the smoke
would have suffocated them; tried to get for
ward myself, but could not do not know of any
negligence on the part of the officers; the boat
that was lowered 10 land us, when / reached the
gangway, was filed with darkies; one white
lady had hold of il, and she went under; don't
think 1T was possible for the fire to have been
extinguished; the whole boat was in flames in
less than three minutes; saw no life preserv ers
on board the boat.
Mr.. Rose then called upon any person in the
room cogniZant OF any facts in connection with
the burning of the steamer to step forward and
testify, but no response was ELECTED. After
another delay j. Il. North was sworn.
TESTIMONY OF ]. B. NORTH
Reside in Washington was a passenger on
the Wawaset; after she left Smiths wharf
thought would go down and pack my things;
passing along the lower deck met colored
man, and be said, "the boat is on fire." said
keep cool, don't make any excitement; as
there is excitement enough already;n tried to
get aft, but 1t was impossible; L then began to
throw lumber overheard; L looked up to the
pilot house and saw the captain. smothered with
smoke, passing buckets of water; 1 jumped
overheard and saw a colored woman hanging
on to the hawser; / thought at first to 90 and
save her; she was heavy woman, and thinking
we would drown l did not attempt to rescue
heri L ala rescue man who cried in distress,
and placed him TO where his feet would
toucni was summoned on the coroner's
jury; remainef at the scene of the dis
aster until O'Clock, and reached my destina-
ton at O'Clock in the morning, / think the
captain did everything he could on his part to
any negligence on the part of the officers or
crew before the alarm; saw no male passengers |
assist the females, they could not, as it was i'm
possible to get aft; don't think it possible to
exnnguish the fire after the alarm was given; IL |
was like touching gunpowder off; saw life pre- |
servers aboard; they were easily accessible; 1 |
could have gotten at them, but, being a good |
swimmer, | never thought of taking one; did |
did not see much of the crew; did the officers
during the fire; am satisfied they did their duty;
l don't think it was more than four minutes az
ter ! heard the alarm before jumped over
board; looked at the walking beam and saw
5 : II mao stopped after jumped 6verboara !,
assisted MIR. Wise, who could not swim; the |
depth OF the water where I jumped was over |
my head; the captain and Mr.. Wheeler, the
clerk, were still on the boat when l reached
the shore; have Travelled often on the Wawaset;
my OPINION as passenger is that she was fully
equipped with all life-saving apparatus re1ui-
site; do not know Mr.. Nash, the engineer only
by sight; do not know whether he was in his
paid no attention to him.
Az ten minutes before two O'Clock the board
auJourheo until 10 a. m. on Monday.
---SASA-
h1GHwAYMRN IN MAIEE-A special tele-