The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-07-03

up out Of tho engine room, Then
Heard tho cry Of,"lrirc,l" but did not
feel muCl' alarmed, as ] know u with
"ofsmoke will croafea soarc among
passengers. Icalled ont to the peo.
pie to keep still, 90 there wasno dan
ger, and started forward. Th& T saw
that the boat was all ablaze .tYi1iilships.
ana instantly real lied the danger we
were all IN. imagined CAPTAIN
Weeks, who was at the wheel, stecrcd
to run her on Wards Island, but he
first missed his mark. Yet we passed
so close that many Of tho passengers
who crowded OH the railiilgs made
their leap then and got safe ashore.
Probably
FIFTY GOT OFF THIS WAY.
AS she sped on through the water
missing their apparent harbor Of ref.
iige, the screams of the women were
dreadful to hear. One woman on tho
hurricane deck above our heads lean
cd over and screamed Save nv child
Oh, save my child" and threw her
baby down to a man who stretched
out his arms. lie caught the child.
tucked it under his arm, stcDped on
the rail and jumped overheard, and
was picked up believe and got safely
ashore. AS have said, .hc boat ran
past the island and ran on four or five
hundred yards until she grounded on
the sunkcn marshes. Then, as [ after
ward saw, her bows stood right out of
the water, and it was comparatively
easy tor those who were forward of
the place where the fire was raging. TO
drop on to the lnarShy ground and
wade to dry land, but to us who were
ait OF that point the flames presented
an lmpcnctrablc barrier and The water
surrounding our part of the ship was
700 dcep for those unable to swim to
nope to keep themselves atloat if they
jumped over. However, the raging
iiamcs threatening us with an oven
more terrible death Than awaited us if
we failed to reach the shore, swept
away all hesitation and there was
4 PERFECT STAMPEDE OyERnOARD
Men and women jumped hcadlon~ into
the water and held on to any hanging
rope or the heading OF the ships side,
ana failing any other means of SUP
port seized bold Of one another, and SO
pushed them under, and thus many
lives were lost. As soon as | got into
the water swan toward the wheel
and got hold oflhe gang plank, think
That would support me until 4 boat
could get to nc and take me ashore.
lfound an old.man holding on bv
hanging fender. When he saw nc hc
cried out, oh, dear, l shall be drown
ed. l know L can only hold Oh little
longer Hold on, man. said I, there
Is Is sure to be Il rowb0at here direct
~. Just rs the old fellow let 90 his
hold, completely exhausted, IL boat
catnc up to lis. [ caught hold of the
stern and caught the old man as he
was disappearing beneath the water;
he got his arms around my neck and
fell YOU he hung on like grim DEATH
IN that condition we were towcd
ashore. The steamer Ossco was some
distance away in our wake when the
trc broke out, and she took all those
who were saved, dcsirous OF going
cast, on board and brought us on here.
The Seawanliaka left Peck Slip for
GlenWood at quartcr-past four, and |
reckon the fire broke out about half
way between Hunters Point and what
we call 'Niggcr Point.' l heard Mr..
Hendricks say that the fire was caused
by all explosion Of coal gas in the fur
mace or the boiler. did not see any
or the boats lowered, but the fact is
the whole affair happened so suddenly
That there was no organized action to
save the passengers on the part of any
one. 1T was everybody for himself
ana God for us all. | have no itlea.1
how many were drowned. n great
many, l fear, forty or fifty, perhaps.
Another passenger said many wo
mcn and children must have pciishct.
1t was n sad sight TO sec women wiring
ing their hands and rushing 10 and fro
looking Tor their children, who had
momcntarily straycd away. Some of
the passengers seemed to have lost all
sense and power Of action. One man,
fairly craZcd, c]ung to the netting un-
der the whcclhousc, where the fire
ragged most fiercclv. In fact, it. looked
like perfectly volcano. l shouted to
him to let go, saying, drop off, you
madman, and we will save youv but
hc Gid not appear to comprehend the
meaning of the words and was literal
~ roasted alive. Soon he fell On to a
ledge in the thick Of the flames, where
1t was impossible to approach him, and
| could see that his flesh was actually
roasted. No act Of recorded hcroism
IN history deserves greater admiration
1iai' tne Dcha'ior ol Captain Smith.
with his clothes scorchcd to tindcr and
his hands and wrists burning and
bleeding he kept ut his post at the
wheel, never leaving it until he had
'bcachcd his ship. lie was dreadlully
burned, poor fellow. | was picked up
by boat lowered from the Osseo and
brought on here.
e
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