Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-07-05
. BRAVE BOATmAN's STORY.
Terrible scenes vividIy Des-
cribed.


cribed.
New York Times.l
John Henry Bush, an East river
boatman. who was the means of sav-
ing alone q persons from the burning
Seawanhaka, was found last evening,
about 10 o'clock, at his home, No.
241 East One Hundred and Eleventh
street. He had both his hands and
arms up to the elbows bound up in
linen Oandages. He removed the
wrappings and showed his burns,
which were very extensive and ex-
tremely painful to him. He is %
years of age. His story is as follows:
"At about 5 o'clock in the evening [
was out on the river in my large row
boat, giving my wife and family a
little airing. When the Seawanhaka
was coming through the Big He'll
Gate we all at about the same min
ute noticed the smoke coming from
the cabins of the steamer, and pretty
soon saw the flames bursting out. AS
quickly as possible | landed my fam
lily on Randall's Island and deter,
mined to do all | could at a rescue, as
| knew there would be need for all
the help that could be rendered. |
should think there were about 300
persons on the boat at the time. The
captain was at the wheel in person,
and stood at his post bravely. People
kept jumping off the boat as she
neared the upper end Of Randall's
Island, and very soon she was beached
on what is called the drowned marsh,
which is a sort of bar covered with
seaweed, at high tide hidden from
sight, but at low tide looking like an
island. AS soon as she was beached
| rowed over to her as fast as | could,
and my first load comprised eight per-
sons, men and women, whom | took
out of the water as they were trying
to swim, float and by every means
keep themselves ahoat. | landed
these in safety on Randalls Island.
Going back | took nine more persons
from the burning steamers decks. 1t
was with great difficulty that | could
restrain them from jumping too fast
and swapping my boat. | also landed
these dry on Randalls Island.
81 was at this time getting pretty
tired, but determined to do all [ could
any way. So | went back to the
wreck. This trip was the hardest of
all. l went to the stern ofthe steam
er and there found a live little girl,
probably four years of age, held out of
the reach of the flames by the hands
ofits mother, | took her to be, though
she was dead and fast burning to a
crisp. 1t was a sickening sight.
Some cinders dropped on the chiId's
clothing Just as | was about to take it
from the vice-like grasp of its dead
mother, and set fire to them. Quick
as | could | snatched the child away
and ducked it under the water, which
extinguished the flames, and L then
instantly dropped her into the bottom
of my boat, for just then [ saw a
splash in the water, and Immediately
alter another baby came to the sur
face of the water, having been evil
| IDENTIFY thrown by some one who could
not. perhaps, follow it. l saved that
baby too, and as | had received those
severe burns in getting the first baby,
and had my moustache almost
singed off, rowed back to the Island,
and the babies were sent to the hos
pital, | expect-they were alive and
well any way. | could not stop nv
work while there was any strength
left in me, so | picked up the oars fol
another trip, though my hands.were
raw from my burns and hard work.
This time | took two women, dressed
in black, with gold watches and chains
upon their persons, from the water.
but they we're only just alive when
reached them, and died as | reached
the shore. | then gave up, as my
hands refused longer to hold an oar.
l should have said before that when
the captain ran the steamer head on
the beach the passengers poured over
her bow into the water, which was
only about four feet deep, and then
waded ashore. 1t is my opinion that
there were 30 lives lost, as far as my
observation went. and these, | think,
were about equally divided between
the drowned and burned. l saw a
number of dead persons lying on the
deck of the steamer when | was tax
ing the f~our-year-old baby from its
mother. There is no doubt in my
mind that everybody could have been
saved had the Sylvan Dell and Sylvan
Glen and one or two other steamers
that we're near by gone to the Seawan-
haka's stern and taken the passengers
off. She burned like finder. As far
as | could see, the Seawanhaka low
cred only one of her lifeboats. One
of the ladies whom l rescued, and
who assisted me at the oars with great
pluck, gave me her black fan to re-
member her by, but | don't know her
name. Another gave me a little
heart in-cushion for the same pur.
pose. The captains face seemed ia
be very badly burned, and he had q
handkerchief, | think it was, over it
with places cut for his eyes to see
through while steering the boat, anC
another cut for his mouth, through
which to breathe.