The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-06-30

rhe stea mer seawanhaika Burns ."
the waters Edge.

the Wnters fokc'
uoRRIpLE cATAsTRoPHE,IN EAST RiVth-
OVER THREE HUNDRED PAssENeshs
TAKE TO THE WATER TO SAVE ThEl"
LIyEs-TuIRTY TO FIFTY LIVES LOST
rur WOMEN AND CHILDREN - SMALL
pnATs AND STEAMERS TO THE RESCUE.
co,IraE PoIyr, L. l., June 2S.-rhe
ste.mer seawanhaka, which plies between
New York. Lands Point, and Roslyn,
c,ncht Are shortly before 4:30 O'Clock th's
afternoon, opposite College Point, ana
burned TO the waters edge, nfier having
been run aground of RandalPs lslanotn
East river. The fire was caused by an ex-
plosion in the engine-room, and the midd'e
ofthe steamboat was soon In flames. fiiot
Charles Smith remained at his post unit. ne
was nearly burned to death, and succeeded
I'm beacbing the vessel on the suuken
meadow adjoining the island. Many per-
sons sprang overheard and were drowned.
MANY Others IN the stern OF the vessei
could not get of, and were burned 10
death.
or 400 persons supposed TO be on board,
30 are believed TO have persisted. The DO
dies OF about 30 dead persons were recover
ed. Only those OF De Beboise, wealthy
gentleman, whose residence Is unknown,
and OF Mary Reed, young woman, were
identified. Among the persons OF pronii-
nence known 10 be on board were Char'es
A. Dana, editor OF the Sun; ). u. NJ. bar
low. OF the World and X. III. Rochester,
Of the Western Union Telegraph Company
all Of whom were saved. The vessel Will
no total loss. The steamer Granite State
rescued IL passengers and the Osseo q large
number. who we're taken TO College Point.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
Nyw YORK. June 2S.-Anoiher account
from a passenger says there were three
hundred and fifty passengers on ooaru:
All went well until the steamer bad passed
He'll Gate, when the 6re-alarm rang our,
and flames were discovered pursuing
through the pilot-house. The officers ana
crew assured the passengers that there was
no danger, and the boat was headed LOT
RaudalPs Island. She grounded on bar
two hundred feet from the shore. Those OF
the passengers unprovided with life-pre-
servers were saved by cliDging to the
guards, paddles, and other portions OF the
steamer. The body OF Abe Skidmore,
member OF an old Long-I-and family, has
been recovered and brought TO the Coleman
House, in this city. THIS informant eX-
presses the believe that the loss OF lie Is
about thirty.
STATEMENT OF A FIREMAN.
Charles Abel, one Of the liremen Of The
boat, makes the following statement: we
made our landing at the foot OF twenty
third street at 4:3O O'Clock, and it was about
fifteen minutes later when We reached Lit
lie Hel-Gate. was sitting in the wing or
port gangway afte: having started the bilge-
pump when | heard a noise. and, on looking
around, saw fire pouring out OF the fire.
room. | got up and tried 10 make my way
into the ire.room, but the flames were too
much for me. We were Just off RandalPs
Island, and, running forward, ! yelled to
the captain, who was at the wheel, to head
for shore. but he shouted back that he could
not. | then ran into the cabins forward and
urged the steward and passengers to save
themselves. They did not suspect that the
vessel was on fire then, as no smoke or lame
blew in that direction. At that time the
woodwork OF The vessel about her centre
was burning like finder, 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 a large number OF
TERRIFIED WOMEN AND CHILDREN
were huddled near the stern OF the boat.
1 Climbed over the rail near the bow, and
several men almost Jumped upon me before
I took to water 10 save myself. L found
1--we. preserver floating near me. and was
going to put it on, when man clutcned 1t,
aud ]. knowing could swim and thinking
he could not, let him have 1t and swan for
Wards Island, which | reached, and then
helped to man boat and assisted in pick
ing up passengers in the water. The Sea-
wanhaka was finally beached on RandalPs
Island, but she soon burnt TO the waters
edge. Captain Charles Z. Smith was at the
wheel, and stuck to his post 10 the last
His face and body were badly burned.
Small boats came to the rescue from every
direction. The steamboats, Granite State,
bound for Hartford, the Osseo, Minnie
Hancock, and Sylvan Glen had boats
manned and sent to our assistance. The
clothing OF many children on board
caught fire, and some of them were
severely burned. A lamp which | car
ried in my hand into the tank-room,
which is back OF the 6re-rOOm and separated
BY board partition, where | changed my
clothes, brought back into the fre-roOm
and set it down. | am sure the fire could
not have originated from the lamp, as the
oil would not explode nor burn without a
wick. You could put some OF the oil in a
saucer, and il would not burn il you put q
match to il. Therefore / feel certain it
could not have caused the fire, and can
not imagine what did. Engineer Weeks
put OF a full head OF steam, am told, in
response to a signal from the captain. an 1
then climbed up among the machinery, and
was seen standing OH the upper deck, try
Ing to raise the valves, so that the steam
could escape and an explosion be avoided.
We never carried over thirty.four pounds
OF steam.
Engineer Weeks's son was fireman on
the boat, and at the time the fire started
was watching the steam and water-indl-
Gator. The only members OF the crew. |
missing are Josiah Hasbrouck,
cook. and his grandson, Charles Hasbrouck,
who was employed on the boat.
THE CREW AND THE PASSENGERS.
We had a crew of about four deck hands,
one deck boy, engineer, two firemen, cap
tain, clerk, superintendent, wheeman, SUI
clerk, porter, steward, and
cook. The crew did their duty like men,
aud few OF them lost their presence Of
mind. Y on can imagine how cool they were
when the clerk, who was collecting fares. as
soon as he realized that the boat was on fire
to his Office and secured all the
money lie had left there. Among our pas
sengers were Richard OGorman, two OF the
Harpers (publishers), and anumber OF other
gentlemen who are in the habit o. going to
their homes on the Long-Island shore by
our boat. All of these, believe, escaped
with their lives. The vessel burned like
powder after the flames once started, and it
was terrible scene. Shrieking women aad
children were huddIed aft until some NJ