Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-07-09
ANOTHER DISASTER.
The Steamer SsaWanahaka Burned
Near New York.
From ESQ to 500 People Said to Have
Been on Board.
The List Of Dead Between Thirty and
Fifty.

dalls Island, East River. The hre was caused
by an explosion in the engine room, and the
middle of the steamboat was soon in flames.
Pilot Charles Smith remained at his post until
he was nearly burned to death, and succeeded in
beaching the vessel on q sunken meadow adjOin.
ing the Island. Many persons sprang overheard
and were drowned, many others in the stern OF
the vessel could not get off and were, burned to
death. Of 300 persons supposed to be on board
fifty arc believed TO have persisted. The bodies
of thirty dead persons are recovered. Only those
Snd ar Rdcd
were identified. Among the saved are Charles A.
Dana, editor of the sun; $; L., NJ. Barlow, Colonel
w. X. Chase and II. II. Rochester, treasurer of
tho Western Union Telegraph Company. The
vessel burned TO the waters edge.
Another account by passenger says: There
were about $50 on board. All went we'll until
He'll Gate was passed, when a fire alarm rang
out and flames were discovered bursting through
the pilot house. The officers and crew assured
the passengers there was no danger and headed
the boat for Randall's Island. She grounded on
a bar about 200 feet from shore. The steamer
Granite State, of the Hartford line, passing at
the time, picked up thirteen passengers and one
dead body which landed at Whitestone. The
steamer Osseo rescued the majority of the pas
sengers and proceeded with them to College
Point. Those without life preservers saved
themselves by clingiug to the guards, paddles,
and other sheltered parts of the boat The Sea
wanahaka left the. city each afternoon after the
clOSe of business hours for various places OF
popular resort along the Sound, and many
well-known citizens sailed in her every day for
their summer residences.
Charles Abel, one of the tiremen of the boat,
was found on the pier at the foot of Peck slip,
from which the Scawauahaka went this a3ter-
noon. He said we made our landing at the foot of
Thirty-third street at 80 o'clock and IL was
about fifteen minutes later when we reached
Little He'll Gate. was sitting in the wing, or
port gangway,, after having started the bilge
pump, when L heard a noise and on looking
around saw fire pouring out of the fire room. /
got up and tried TO make my way into the fire
room, but the flames were too much for me. We
were Just off Randalls Island, and running for
ward yelled to the aptain, who was at the
wheel, to head for shore, but ne shouted back
that he could not. ] then ran into the cabins
forward and urged the steward and passengers
to save themselves. They did not suspect that
the vessel was on fire then no smoke or fame
was blown in that direction. At that time the
wood work of the vessel about her center was
burning like tinder and the flames were making
their way toward both ends of the boat. There
were probably about 200 persons on board Men
were jumping from the hurricane deck into the
water and large number of terrified women
and children were huddled near the stern
the bow, and several men almost jumped
upon me before | took to the water to
save myself. found life .preserver near me
and was going to put It on when man clutched
it, and knowing could swim and thinking he
could not, let him have it and swan for
Wards Island, which | reached, and then helped
TO man boat and assisted in picking up passen-
gers in the water. The Seawanahaka was finally
beached on Randalls Island but soon burned
to the water edge. Captain Charles p. Smith
was at the wheel and stuck to his post to the
last. His face and body were badly burned
Small boats came to the rescue from every di-
Iection. The steamboats, Granite State, bound
for Hartford Osseo, Minnahannock and Sylvan
Glen had boats manned and sent to our assist
ance. The clothing of many children took fire
and some of them were severely. burned.
Engineer Weeks put on a full head of steam, |
am told in response to n request from the Cap
tain and then climbed up among the machine
and was seen standing on the upper deck try
ing to raise the valves so that steam could es-
cape and an explosion be avoided. We never
carried over tmrty-four pounds of steam. The
only members of the crew | understand who are
missing are Josiah Hasbr0uck, cook, and his
grandson, Charles HasbrOuck, who was em-
ployed on the boat. We had a crew of four deck
hands, one deck boy, engineer two trcmen, Cap
tain. clerk. experimenting wheel-mau, super
lntendants clerk, porter, steward and cook
he crew did their duty like men and few of
them lost their presence of mind. You can inn
agine how cool they were when the clerk who
was collecting fares, as soon as he realized that
the boat fire returned to his office and Sc
cured all the money he had left there. Among
our passengers were Charles A. Dana Richard
OGorman, s. l.. III. Barlow. one or two of Har-
pers publishers and a number of other gentle
men whose names cannot now recollect, but
who were in the habit of going to their homes
along the Long Island shore by our boat All of
the gentlemen | have named | understood es-
capped. The vessel burned like powder after
once the flames started, and it was a terrible
scene. Shrieking women and children huddled
aft until their clothes caught fire, and those on
tne forward part OF the boat were men who
were cut of from communicating with
or going to rescue their female rela-
tives and friends, by flames which burned
the fercest about the center of the boat
Mr.. Moires our porter saw a child foating nm
its back and was going 10 jump overheard to
save it, when frantic woman clutched his arm
saying: You are strong man and | a woman
without any friends on board; for Gods sake
help me- The porter left the child to itself
and believe saved the woman. The only one
of the Seawanahala's boats that got out was one
which had canvas fastened over it. After the
canvas was got off the body of child about two
years old was found lying in the water in the
bottom of the boat. Nobody seemed to know
how il got there. fter | got on Randail's Island
was almost exhausted but the doctors who
were hurrylng about revived me by pouring
some liquor down my throat. l reached this
city this morning on the Sylvan Glen which
also had several of our passengers on hoard
Other passengers were taken on board the Osseo
ried to those boats destinations. A lady was
climbing down ladder leading from the
promenade deck to the main deck, but
as the ladder is a pretty hard thing for
man to get down at any time she fell
into the gangway amid the flames Myself
and about half dozen others rescued her from
longs either at Great Neck or Sands Point 0rah
up an asparagus box and before | could
stop, him jumped overheard with il.
struck by the wheel. He did not heed me and
went over forward The last saw of him he
was going under the wheel Several Others who
went over and forward also went under the nad-
die to avoid the smoke and flames. The Eastern
Boulevard Club ground, East One Hundred and
Twenty-hrst street is right opposite the scene
of the disaster. Some dozen members were pres
ent at the time and gathered mum Der of neioh
bOrs, manned all the boats of the club and hired
others At the adjacent floats. These ali went
across the river and brought about FORTY
persons to the club house who were burned
about the body, hands and face. The wounds
OF these parties were dressed and clothes given
them: The friends of those who were not able
to go home were notified and came with oarri-
ages and removed them. In the hurry no
names of those saved were taken. '
a Mrl e A..
the lunatic asylum on Wards Island, said
he was sitting in his room this afternuon
at $3.50 when he saw the steamer coming up
the river all on fire. As the steamer passed the
Island he saw it was the Seawanahaka. The fire
seemed to be Just forward of the paddle wheels
and the steamer turned IN as if To land on the
Island but suddenly turned out again. She was
going at full speed. He started ont TO follow
her. At that time there were about 80 natients
IN the ground, and most of them had seen the
burning steamer; They made a rush for the
river front and fell IN line 10 witness the sight
Orderlies of the institution were sent out and
all the insane persons were safely placed in their
necessary articles from the apothecary
and at once went To the scene of the
accident. by this time the steamer had
been run upon sunken meadow and was ali
Hblaze Men, women and children were Jump
ing from the burning vessel. The doctor ordered
hls private boat out and everything possible was
done TO relleVe the passengers on board the un-
fortunate steamer. The first man brought to
the land by the Wards Island boats was Mr. De-
bolbe man hDOut 1Orty-hVe years of age
who was being brought 10 shore by two other
men, but when he was landed it was beyond the
power of medical aid TO resuscitate him, The
body OF a woman, who was identified by marks
on her clothing as Mary Reed, came ashore ON
the Island; rope, which had evidently been
fastened about her body TO lower her to the wa
ter from the steamer, was bound around her
neck, and between strangulation and exhaustion
the woman had died. Next came the body of a
woman burned to crisp, with an infant seven
months old IN her arms also burned TO death
then two children, neither of them more than
TWO years old, were picked up both alive and
apparently but little injured. A young girl was
found floating Just away from the wreck and
taken 70 the Homeopathic Hospital. She was
terribly burned about the body. Mr. " Lopes,
a passenger who lives at Sea Cliff but does busi.
ness IN tins city, was rescued with young lady
named Ida Bell Smith. Mr.. Lopes said that the
steamer left the dock at East River at rs o. m,
A stop was made at Ihirty-t third street, where
seventy-hye or one hundred additional passen-
gers were taken aboard. Just about He'll Gate
went forward 20 seek some friends and as /
looked back ! saw flames coming Up through
the coal hole Just under the pilot house
i made my way to the bow of the steamer
and held out as long as | could, and then, in
company with Miss Smith, Jumped overheard
atter furnishing her with a life preseryer The
ilte boats OF the eSeawanahaka were not lowered
because IL was imDOssible In loWar them nia