The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-07-14
Narratives Of Survivors.

MIR. Mitchell COOK, OF % broadway,
was badly scalded about the neck, face
and hands. Mr.. Cook is a quiet, unas-
suming, determined looking man. He
said: 1--WE left Peck slip at AIS. In
our party was Mrs. Thorpe, OF Glen.
wood, and S. w. Norris, of this city.
The Seawanhaka made good time to
Thirty-third street. There she took
aboard q number of passengers. Among
| them was q tall, fine-looking old gen.
tleman, who was being led by his
daughter. We left Thirty-third street on
time, and everything seemed to be 60
ing along quietly, until, all Of sudden,
The Seawanhaka gave a series OF low
groanings, followed by thuds. The
passengers noticed these, and everybody
seemed to ask the other: whats thatp'
I was at the time sitting in the
main cabin. 1 at once walked
out to the bow of the boat, and
I then saw .Captin Smith standing
in the pilot-house. He was blowing
alarm signals. I knew they were alarm
signals. from my knowledge Of steam
ers. Suspecting at once that there was
danger threatened l returned to my
friends. As 1 passed directly amid
ships 1 saw smoke issuing through the
cracks of the main saloon leading from
The engine-room to the pilot-house. |
then knew that the boat was aire, and
l rushed to the Long Island side of the
boat to see what chances there were
for saving my friends If the worse came
to the worse. I noticed that the cap
tain was steering the Seawanhaka to
the Granite City which was coming up,
and was lying to. Attic same moment,
I saw a thin, long, white tongue Of
flame shoot up to the upper decks. |
knew then that the Granite City could
not assist US. The Granite City evil
IDENTIFY guessed as much. for she turned
around, and the Seawanhaka was gone.
I sprang to the New York side of the
boat. This was at the moment tne
Seawanhaka YVES just between Randalls
Island and Wards Island. at that
very moment the flames shot upward,
and the boat was a6re. A greatnumber
ofmale passengers at this very moment
came running up to the bow Of the boat:
Many of them seemed frantic, and all
had life-preservers on. At that time
the men passengers who had life-pre-
servers began jumping into the water,
and swimming to shore. They kept
steering the boat to the bar opposite
Randall's Island. There the water is low,
and the bar is covered with grass AS
the ~Seawanhaka touched the bar the
flames burst all over the boat, and
before [ knew it | was surrounded by
fire. Then it was that I sprang over
board. Just as I did SO, an old lady, the
mother of the Fl eight clerk, ran up to a
gentleman and exclaimed: For God s
sake, sir; help me. ! am old, and can
not save myself The gentleman pushed
her back. saying: This is not q moment
to save; it is every one for himself and
he leaped overheard. called out to the
old lady: IF you will jump overheard
I will save you Her dress at that
moment was afire. She jumped into
the water at the very moment J. did. and
I caught her. l was swimming to shore
with her when one of the officers of the
boat came toward me and We landed
her safely. After resting a few minutes,
being q good swimmer, l took Oft my
CLOTHES and, with two life preservers, l
swan back to the boat. When | got
there 1 saw a young lady standing with
her father on the burning steamer. 1t
was the same one we had noticed COM
ing aboard leading him. She was
shrieking: Save my father! Save my
roor father She had her arm around
his neck, but he seemed to cling firmly
to IL pillar. 1t was the most heartrend-
| ing eight / ever witnessed. The old man
chung 10 the post. while his daughter
tried all Sue could 10 drag him away.
1T that very moment she seemed TO be
surrounded by fire. and the Old mans
81 thing was burning. lie seemed
paralyzed and unable to move. l and
Others called to the girl to jump into the
water, that we would save both. She
cid not seem to know what to do, until
ut last her dress caught fire. She sprang
at her father, kissed him, and q moment
after she struck the side of the boat, and
fell limp in the water. l caught her by
the hair and struck out. I got assist
ance, but az we turned to the boat we
saw the poor old man still there. The
man who was assisting me threw up
lis hands and went down. I got the
young lady ashore, aud she was at
once taken to the Randall's Island
! hospital. She did not see he: father
disappear. / swan again to the boat.
This time I found a lady throwing up
her hands, and caught hold of her, and,
wi h assistance, took her to shore. DR..
Carroll, of RandalIs Island, swan out
and picked up q child. The poor little
thing was dead and terribly burned.
Among the first l saw die were two
little children. who were running in the
main cabin with their clothing ablaze.
Some one threw them into the water,
and l know they were lost"
James N. Hicks, of Sands Point, vas
! found suffering from q severe attack of
asthma in the Randall's Island hospital.
1t ha / taken three hours to restore him
to consciousness, after he was brought
from Sunken Meadows. He said: Il
was in the after saloon. The first I
knew, flames burst from the tore star
board gangway. I tried to quiet the
women, for 1 supposed the boat would be
run ashore, but I think now the captain
Gid not dare put her against the rocks
which lined that part OF the channel.
Tie wind blew the heat and smoke aft.