The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-07-14
A IN FLAMES.
Destruction Of a Steamboat on the East.
River. New York, by Fire, and Horri-
flying Death Of Many Passengers.

River. New York, by Fire, and Horrt-
flying Death OF Many Passengers.
The following account is given by the
New York papers of the burning OF the
steamer Seawanhaka, which runs from
New York to Glen Cove, on Long Island
Sound. The number of lives lost cannot
accurately be stated, but is about fifty.
A few were burned to death, but the
most were drowned:
The Seawanaka had the reputation OF
| being n of the fastest boats running
out of New York harbor. At AIS
o'clock in the afternoon she started from
her wharf at Peck slip with her colors
fying. The Seawantraka went up the
East river under a full head of steam,
and about AS reached Hallett's Point.
| Suddenly a cloud OF smoke came up
through the grating neal the pilot
house, and il was at first thought that it
came from the engine-room, and had no
special significance. Immediately after
ward flames were seen around the pilot
house. Captain Charles P. Smith was
in the wheel-house, and seeing the an
ger turned his vessel toward Wards
Island, intending to beach her there;
SOmeDOQy Cileu Liz ShiPo ~ nAS'
and a panic started. A rush was
made for the lockers in which the
life p%reservers were kept. Most OF
the men retained their presence OF
mind and helped the officers of the
steamer in supplying the women n
children with life-preservers. Captain
Smith shouted from the wheel-house to
the passengers to keep order, and his as
sistants tried to restore order and were
assisted by many of the passengers. The
crew meanwhile got the fire extin-
puishers and turned the streams on the
blazing woodwork, but to little pur-
pose. The fire spread aft along the port
side toward where the passengers were
standing and drove them forward. On
the starboard side there was still aspace
which the fire had not touched. Along
this narrow space the passengers hur-
ried to the forward part of the boat. BY
this time all hope of saving the vessel
had been abandoned, and those on
board a~nxiously watched the spot where
Captain Smith intended to ground his
vessel. The moment he realized that
the fire could not be extinguished,
Captain Smith had ordered his boats
lowered, and had headed the vessel
under a full head of ste am toward the
shallow water at the northern n OF
Wards Island. The steamer Granite
State was behind the Seawanhaka when
she caught fire, and many Of the pas
seneers who jumped overheard were
picked up by this vessel. The tug Ref
uge, of the EMIGRATION department, Cen
cral Ncwton's steam launch, and a score
of rowboats, which surrounded the
| S~pawanhaka. At the upper end of
Wards Island, where it was intended to
strand the vessel, it was discovered that
| The water was not sufficiently shallow,
and the vessels head was turned to the
sunken meadows which are south of
Randall's Island. There the Seawan-
laka was run aground, and the work OF
saving the passengers begun. Several
Of the passengers remained on the Sea-
vanhaka until they we're driven away
By the flames; n man and a child
held on to the guard rail until it vas
burned away, and they then fell into the
MIR. C. A. Dana, the editor OF the
New York San, Doctor Draper, his
son-in-law. and MI. S. L.. NJ. Barlow,
Jumped into the water together and,
being expert swimmers, all reached the
Long Island shore in safety.