New Orleans Republican., 1875-11-16
The Waco Disaster.

The Galveston Necs of November IA con.
tains long account of the destruction of
the steamship City Of Waco, and says no
vival of any of the passengers or crew
fitty-6ve in number-from the fearful Ca
lami.y that happened within six miles Of
Galveston, in the midst Of fleet Of four
teen vessels.
Saturday at twelve o'clock the steam
lighter Buckthorn, Captain Wilson, arrive
at Labadies wharf, with the body of Cap
tain Wolff Justice johnson was notified,
and summoning jury, proceeded to the
spot to view the body. The inquest was
subsequently adjourned to Monday. The
body was recognized by those who knew
him, and articles of clothing, etc., were
identified. Drs. G. H. Wilkinson and
Charles Ganahl made an examination. The
general appearance was OF previous con-
dition of fine physical health. His head
and other parts of the body were swollen,
and many abrssions appeared on different
portions, but there were no indications of a
single hair being scorched, though the body
| might have been scaldcd in some places.
The body was found by the sailors Of the
ship Preston, riding at anchor in the ofing.
Captain Thomas Wolff was about forty.
five years of age at the time of his death.
He was q native of Mystic, Connecticut,
where he married Miss Francis Sawyer, a
cousin Of Captain j.. N. Sawyer, OF that
city. He leaves mis- widow with three chill.
dren. The oldest, son, is an officer on the
ship Jeremiah Thompson. Another son is
away at school, and daughter is with her
mother. Captain Wolff first came to Texas
as master of the ship Virginia Just after the
war Afterward he had charge of the
lighter Loyalist, which foundered between
Galveston and New Orleans in the year
1869. He was after this mester of the ship
Bolivar, of which vessel he was first com.
mander. After being with this vessel q
year, he was commissioned q pilot in Gal.
| weston bay and harbor, and continued in
this capacity from 1870 till his death. He
wss member of Charity Lodge No.$s, a.
F. and A. NJ, of Mystic, Connecticut. His
body was sent North on the steamer State
OF Texas, which sailed Sunday.
The body of another man, about five feet
ten inches in height, was found by Captain
Frederick Price and Captain Joseph Smith
on the Gulf beach, on the way from Bolivar
to Sabine Pass, about twelve miles the
| other side of Bolivar. He had q deep
wound On the fomple, and had not been
| long dead. His dress showed him to be a
man of property. He had long side whis
kers, with a cleanly shaven chin and lip
The hair on his head was cut quite close
| and there WAS no mark of fire on his per
son or clothing. Nothing was found to in
| dictate who he was. Quite q number oi
fragments of the wreck were lying in the
locality; among them box of bacon
charred by fire. A life preserver, evidently
| torn from the wearer, was also found.
Captain Black, of the English bark La
clnda, is reported to have said he was on
his upper deck late Monday night, and saw
the flames burst out suddenly on the City
of Waco, forward, and sweep aft, encom-
passing the deck from stem to stern. 10
this connection it may be noted that the tel
egraph announces there was no kerosene on
the City OF Waco, but only 800 cans of re-
fined petroleum, which was slowed on
deck, fore and aft.