The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-07-01
STEAMER BURNED.

STEAMER BURNED.
COLLEGE POINT, L. l., Juno 2S-Yhc steam
er Seavanhaka burned to the waters edce n,
College Point at S p. n. The Osseo saved mn
jority OF the passengers. About forty were
ioat' The 6eswanhaka is quite large steame,
and leaves New York daily 1t P. N. for Ros.
lYn, l.! l., and intermediate points. She usu.
ally carried large number of passengers.
BURNING OF THE sEAwAKHAkA.
NEW YORK, June 2s.-The steamboat Sea
wanhaka, which ran from Peck Slip up the
sound to Glen Cove, l.. l., took fire 1T 4:3(
O'Clock this afternoon while off Randalrs IA.
land, East river. The fire was caused bv m
exploslon IN the engine room. and the middle
OF the steamboat was soon in flames. PHO,
Charles Smith remained at bis post until be
was nearly burned to death. and succeeded in
beaching the vessel Oh sunken meadow adjoin.
ing the Island. Many persons sprang over
board and were drowned, and many others in
the stern of the veaeel could not eet off and
were
BURNED TO DEATH.
VI 5OO persons supposed to be on board fifty
are supposed to have perished. The bodies OF
about thirty.dead persons have been recovered.
man. The remains of Mary Reed, = young
woman, were identified. Among the saved are
Chas. A. Dana, editor of the Sun, l.. III,
Barlow. Col. W. Il. Chase aud r. II. Rochester
treasurer of the Western Union telegraph
company. The vessel burned to the water
edge. :.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT
by passenger says there were about $50 on
board. All went we'll until He'll Gate was passed
when the fire alarm rang out and flames were
discovered bursting through the pilot house.
The officers and crew assured passengers there
was no danger and headed about for Randall'a
Island. She grounded on = bar about 200
feet from shore. The steamer Granite
State Of the Hartford line, passing 1T the tine,
picked up thirteen passengers and one dead
body, which landed at White Stone. The
steamer Osseo rescued majority Of the pas.
sengers and proceeded with them to College
Point. Those without life preservers saved
themselves by clinging to guards, paddles and
other sheltered parts of the boat.
The body of Abe Skidmore, of the we'll
known Long Island family, was recovered and
is now at the Coleman house. this citv.
The seawanhaka left the city each afternoon
after the close of business hours for various
places of popular resort along the sound, and
many we'll known citizens sailed on her everv
day for their summer residences.
STORY OF A FIREMAN.
Chas. Obel, one Of the firemen of the boat,
was found on the pier. foot of Peck Slip, from
which the eScawanahaka went this afternoon.
He said: We made landing at the foot of
Thlrty-third street at 80 O'Clock and it vas
about fifteen minntes later when We reached
Little He'll este. Was sitting in the wing or
port gangway, after having started the bilge
pump when l heard il noise and on looking
around saw fire pouring out of ireroom. cot
up and tried to make my way into the fireroom
but the flames we're too much for me. We
were just of Randall Island. and running for
ward l yelled to the captain who was at the
wheel to head fcr shore but he shouted back
that he could not. l then ran into the cabin
forward and urged the steward and passengers to
save themselves. They did not suspect the vessel
was on tre then as no smoke or flame 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
towards both ends of the boat. There were
probably about three hundred passengers on
board. Men were jumping from the hurricane
deck into the water and large numbers of
TERRIFIED WOMEN AND CHILDREN
were huddled near the stern of the boat. 1
climbed over the rail near the tov and several
men almost jumped upon me before took to
the water to save myself. l found life pre-
server floating near and was going to put it on
when q man clutched it, and knowing
let him have it and swan toward
the island, which reached and then
helped man the boat and assisted in picking mp
passengers in the water. The Sewanahaks was
was finally beached on Randall Island. but
soon burnt to the waters edge. Capt. Charles
o. Smith was at the wheel and stuck to his
post to the last. His fa,e and body were badly
I'm 81
the rescue from every direction. The
steamboats, Granite State. bound for Hart
ford. and the Osseo MinEehanvock and Sylvan
Glen had boats manned and sent to her assist
ance. The clothing of many of the children
on board took fire and some of them were &C.
.vere!y burned. Engineer Weeks put on full
head of steam, am told, in response to . sig
nal from the captain, and then climbed up
among tho machinery and was seen standing
ON the upper deck trying to raise tho valves
80 that the steam could escape and an explosion
be avoided. We never carried over thirty four
pounds of steam. The only members OF the
crew, I understand, that are missing, is josiah
Hasleronck, cook. and his grandson, Charles
Hasleronok, who was employed on the boat.
We have = crew of four deck hands, one deck
hoy, engineer, two fremeD, captain, clerk, gu.
perintendent, wheelnan, superintendent's .
clerk, porter, steward and cook. The
CREW DID THEIR DUTY LIKE MEN.
A few of them lost their presence of mind.
You can imagine how cool they were when the
clerk, who was collecting fares, a. soon a. he
realized the boat was on fire returned to his
Office and secured all the money he had left
there. Among our passengers were Charles A.
Dana, Richard o. Gorman, 8. l.. n. Barlow,
one or two of Harper's publishers and num-
ss e:sss; %'sss rsss:s ens "eS:s
we're in the habit Of going to their homes
along the island shore by our boats. All of the
gentlemen I have named, l understood, e.
capped. The vessel burned like powder once the
flames started, and it was = terrible scene,
shrieking women, children huddled sft until
their clo.hes caught fire, and on the forward
part of the host were men who were cut of
from communication with or going to the
rescue of their female relations and friends
by the flames which burut tho 6ercest about
center of the boat. Mr. Moiers, our porter,
saw child floating on its back and was going
to Jump overheard to save it when . frantic
woman clutched hiss arm and saying: 'You
are . strong man and l woman without any
friends on bUsrd
FOR GODS SAKE HELP NE"
The porter left the child to itself and bo
lievc saved the woman. Only ono Of tho boats
va. got out. 1t wa. one which had canvass
fastened over it. After the canvass was got off
the body of . child about 2 ycars old was found
lying in the water In the bottom of the boat
Nobody seemed to know how It got there. After
got on Randall's Island WAS almoat ex-
hansted, but doctors who we're hurrying y bout
revived me by pouring some liquor
down my throat. l reached the city on
the Sylvan Glen which also had several of our
passengers on board. Other passengers were
taken on board the Osseo, Granite State and
Minnehanock and were carried to those boats.
destinations. A lady was climbing down the
ladder leading from the promenade deck to tho
main deck, but "a the ladder 10 = pretty hard
thing for \ man to get down on at any time
she fell in the gsDgway amid the flames.
Myself and about half dozen others rescued her
from her perilous poaition. I saw . butcher
who belongs either ut Great Neck or Sands
Point, grab up msragus box, and before could
stop him jump overheard With it. I yelled
ut him not to jump or he would be struck by
the wheel. He did not heed me and went
over forward. The last I saw OF him be was
RuinR under the wheel. Several Others Who
went over forward also went under the paddle
wheels.
Forty Days Fast.
NEw YoRx. June 28.-Dr. II. Y. Tanner, Of