The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1880-07-03
"A Steamboat In Flames.

Hs Intermediate ports, caught fire in
~ rVer between Wards Island and
anu IN nve minutes was burning all
ver. AT the time between 400 and 500 pas
sgngers were on board, many of them being
ow lorkers who live during the summer at
: wns on Long island Sound. The discovery Of
Inc nre created a panic and many persons in
the confusion jumped overheard and were
crowned 1t is estimated that between forty
ana nifty lives were lost, some persons having
" Yen drowned and few burned to death.
Inc oeawanhaks steamed out from her pier,
q East r1vcr, at Jour o'clock in the afternoon.
IN ner decks were many passengers bound for
sea Cliff, Sand Point, Glen Cove, Roslyn and
otner points on Long Island. hetouched at
the loot of East Thirty-th street, where she
received other passengers. She is licensed
70 carry 300 passengers, but it is not thought
that when she left the loot OF Thirty third
street she had on board more than $50.
Among them were many merchants and
other business men going to their summer
residences on Long Island. Many OF these
persons had their families with them. A
glance at the passengers showed that they
were, tor the most part, well-to-do city or
country people. Among them were several
gentlemen prominent in business circles or in
their professions.
The weather was SO warm that large num-
Der sought the forward part OF the boat to
catch the breeze. That they did so proved to
be very fortunate circumstance. The boat
ran PIE sanity up past Blackwel's Island.
just as she passed Hallett's Point-made
memorable by Gen. Newtons explosion OF its
submerged reef several years ago-th was
notification of danger that is variously de-
scribed by the passengers. Some say there
was an explosion which they distinctly felt
and heard. Others say that there was
.<>4k h. ~11 =. L. ~
pressure, followed by Kissing noise, as if
steam were escaping. All agree, however,
that q few moments afterward flames were
seen in the neighborhood of the engine-room.
There flames arose like magic, and quickly
formed an impossible barrier betw cen the lore
and alter parts OF the boat. 1t is known that
the engineer was seen in the pilol-house a
short time after the accident whittier, it is
supposed, he went to report to the captain
that be could not stay in the ergine-room
Whatever may have been the cause of the ex-
plosion, ii there was one, it is certain that the
boilers remained intact for the wheels kept
moving. The captain Charles P. Smith, de-
cided at once that ii would be useless to try
to fight the flames. He did not even quit the
pilo'.aouse to make an inspection OF the dam
ger. Apparently be relied on the report Of
his engineer. About him the shores OF
He'll Gate were guarded with sunken
rocks and bounded by abrupt banks. Less
than half mile ahead OF him was a low
lying marshy island called Sunken Meadows.
Captain Smith believed he could rely on his
unattended boilers and engines to push him
forward upon this island. He kept the boat
headed to the nearest point of the marsh.
The flames were nearly under him. He heard
the sarieks OF his passengers, but to his mind
there was but one duty. His pilot was not
on board, and he could leave the wheel to no
one else. 1t was a critical race with the
progress OF the fire, and the fire was gaining.
The advance OF the boat drove heat, flames,
and smoke aft. This forced most of those in
the alter part of the boat to leap into the
water. Some OF these SWAN to Wards
Island, which is nearly opposite but little
above Halletts Point. Those who were in
the tore part of the boat were able to remain
longer, and most OF these did not leap into The
water until the prov OF the burning vessel
was driven forty feet up on to Sunken
Meadows. Then Captain Smith, terribly
burned, hurried from the pilot-house, and as
sisted women and children down to the land,
and aided others who had leaped into the
water to reach the shore. Mr.. Charles A.
Dana, editor of the New York Sur, and Mr..
8. L. M. Barlow have country places at Glen
Cove, on the Sound, and go up every even
ing by the Seawanhaka Both were on board
together with DR.. VIM H. Draper, OF East
Thirty street, Mr.. Dana's son-in-
law, and Mr.. Thomas Hitchco- k. All were
saved unhurt. Mr.. Dana remained on board
the Seawanhaka until she was near the shore,
ale hen jumped overheard aud swan TO the
---.-4
Brave Hescuers.
One of the bravest and most daring rescuers
at the burning OF the Seawanhaka was John
Henry Bush, OF No. 24l East l1lth street,
w YnrI- Ho n,,f, boat h
his wife and five children. He saw the Sea-
wanhaka coming up, and as she neared He'll
Gate ne said to his wife: That boat looks to
me as though she is On fire." Mrs. Bush
said, F" l think she is" At that moment the
smoke and flames seemed to envelop the boat
Mr.. Bush was then opposite Randall's Island
He headed his boat for shore and landing his
family on the island Us quickly as possible
hoisted his sail and plying the oars struck out
for the burning vessel. When he came within
one hundred yards OF her (she was then past
He'll Gate) the water was full of struggling
people. He rescued eight-men, women and
children-and quickly landing them on Ran
dalls Island put back again and pulled close
under the stern OF the boat. The vessel was
then mass of flames, and Mr.. Bush took
nine persons from the stern, some OF whom
were on fire and had to be thrown overheard
to extinguish the flames. This load was
quickly landed ana the brave man puSned out
once more toward the vessel which was at
that time a sheet OF flame. He saw woman
on the stern OF the boat whose clothing was
blazing up fercely. She was holding a little
girl about four years of age by one arm over
the guard rail, ready to drop it into the water.
Its clothing had just ignited and the child was
screaming loudly. Mr.. Bush caught the
child by its leg, snatched ii from its
mothers grasp, and dashing it into the
water quenched the flames and dragged
it back into the boat He then looked
for the mother, but she had sunk down on the
deck, literally roasted alive. Her body was
burned to crisp. In raising the child Mr..
Bush severely burned both his hands. I'm
able to save the mother, and his own clothing
being on fire, he threw himself into the water,
and extinguishing the flames, pulled out among
the struggling people again. The first he
came to was babe about three months old,
whom he took into the boat, and after deal
OF hard work resuscitated it. He was then
near the shore, and he landed the two child
rem and pulled for the Drowned Meadow.
There he picked up two women, about thirty
years old each, dressed in black and wearing
gold watches and chains. He tried to resusci-
tate them, but they died before he reached
shore. Mr.. Bush's hands here became per-
fectiy useless, and he was obliged to give up
Ill L., l-n1 l.