Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-06-29


names 1 cannot recollect, but who were in
the habit of going to their homes along the
Long Island shore by our boat. All of the |
gentlemen 1 have named. I under
stood, escaped. The vessel burned like |
powder after once the flames started, |
and it was terrible scene. Shrieking |
women and children were huddled aft until
their clothes caught fire, and those on the |
forward part of the boat were men who were |
cut off from communicating with or going to
the rescue of their female relatives or friends |
by the flames, which burnt fercest about tie
middle of the boat. Mr. Moires, our porter |
saw a child floating on its back and was going |
to jump overheard to save it, when frantic |
woman clutched his arm, and saying, =" I on
are . strong man and l woman with
out any friends on board. For
Gods sake help me-" The porter |
left the child to itself, and believe saved |
the woman. The only one of the Seawana-
haka's boats got out was the one which had |
canvas fastened over it. After the canvas
was got off the body of child about two |
years old was found lying in the water in the |
bottom of the boat. Nobody seemed to know
how it got there. After I got en- Randalrs |
Island was almost exhausted, but the doc
tors who were hurrying about revived me by
pouring some liquor down my throat.
reached this city on the Sylvan Glen, which |
also had several of our passengers on board. |
Other passengers were taken on board the |
O,sao Crap;te Stota and Nf;npab.nnooI, ,.l |
were carried to those boats destinations. A |
lady was climbing down the ladder leading |
| from the promenade deck to the main deck, |
but this ladder is a pretty hard thing for
man to get down at any time. She fell into
the gangway amid the flames. Myself and
about half dozen others rescued her from
her perilous position. I saw butcher, who
belongs either at Great Neck or Sands Point,
grab up an asparagus box, and before could
stop him jumped overheard with it. | yelled
| to him not to jump, or he would be struck by |
the wheel. He did not heed me, and went |
over forward. The last l saw of him he was
going under the wheel. Several others who |
went over forward also went under the pad |
dle-w wheels
RESCUE FROM THE SHORE.
| The Eastern Boulevard Club ground, East
One Hundred and Twenty first street, is
right opposite the scene of disaster. Some
dozen members were present at the time, and
gathered number of neighbors, manned all
the boats of the club and hired others at the
adjacent floats. These all went across the
river and brought about % persons to the
| Clubhouse who were burned about the body,
hands and face. The wounds of these parties
were dressed and clothes given them. Friends
of those who were not able to go home were
notified, and came with conveyances for
them.
ANOTHER STATEMENT BY A PASSENGER
V. Lopez, passenger who lives at Sea
Cliff but does business in this city, was res
cued, with young lady named Ida Bell
Smith. Lopez says that the steamer left the
dock on East river at 4:15 ?. n. A stop was
made at Thirty-third street, where 70 or 100
additional passengers were taken on board
Just about He'll Gate 1 went forward to seek
some friends AS / looked back I saw
flames coming up through the coal-hole
just under the plot-house. 1 made
my way to the bow of the steamer
and held out as long as L could, and then, in
company with Miss Smith jumped overheard,
after furnishing her with life-preserver.
The life boats of the Seawanahaka were not
lowered, because it was impossible to lower
them. The Captain of the steamer stood at
his post until the last moment. / even saw
him turn his head while at the wheel to avoid
the smoke and flames. He would have run
the boat in towards the island, but the ropes
connecting with the rudder were burned off.
STORY OF THE CAPTAIN.
| Charles Smith, Captain of the Seawanahka,
was found in the hospital on Randalrs
| Island, suffering from severe burns about
the arms and face, He said About 4:3O l
heard low, dull report, or explosion. Quick
as thought turned to see what was the mat
ter, when 1 saw the vessel in flames about
midships. l saw the steamer Granite State
on my starboard side, and low on my port
side. Finding that my steamer was ON fire linn
mediately headed for the sunken meadow, and
with i full head of steam although the en-
gineer had been driven from his post. |
landed her about forty feet up on the
meadows. Most OF the passengers were on
the bow of the vessel, and those on the stern
were at the mercy of the fames as all the
passages to the bow were cut off, Many
jumped off overheard, while others jumped
into the water | stood at the wheel until
the last minute, and then jumped overheard,
and was picked up by small boat. We had
no freight on board, and I don't know what
caused the explosion.
THE DISASTER VIEWED FROM WARDS ISLAND.
DR.. a. A. Mcdonald, chief of staff of
the Lunatic Asylum on Wards Island, said
he was sitting in his room this afternoon
about 4:30 o'clock, when he saw steamer
come up the river all on fire. AS the
steamer passed the island he saw it was the
! Seawanahaka. The fire appeared to be
| just forward of the paddle wheels, and
the steamer turned in as if to land
on the island; but suddenly turned
out again. She was going at full speed. He
started out to follow her. At that time there
were about 500 patients in the grounds, and
most of them had seen the burning steamer,
and they made rush for the river
front and fell in line to witness the
sight. Orderlies of the institution were
sent out, and all the insane persons were
safely placed in their rooms. DR.. Mcdonald
ordered all necessary articles from the apoth-
ecary's, aud at once went to the scene of the
accident By this time the steamer had been
run up on Sunken Meadow, and was all
ablaze. Men, women and children were jump
ing from the burning vessel. The doctor ordered
his private boat out, and everything possible
was done to relieve the passengers on board
of the unfortunate steamer. The first man
brought to land by the Wards Island boats
was Mr.. De Bevoise, man about forty
years of age, who was being brought to
the shore by two other men, but who,
when he was landed it was beyond the
power of medical aid to resusitate, and he
died. The body of a woman, who was
identified by marks her clothing as
Mary Reed, came ashore on the Island