New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-12
SAYING 4WEYTY-OEE LIVES.

/
"Come In" The speaker was John Henry Bush,
one of the heroes of the Seawanhaka disaster. A
reporter had searched long time for his apartments
last evening. and had finally reached the door
| in dark hall in the rear of the second floor of
tenement-house in Observation-Disclosures
between Second and Third-aves. The apartments
| were tidy each article of furniture being in its
proper place. The injured fisherman was
sitting in an armchair by open
window, talking to friend who had
called in to see him. He is about thirty years Of
age rather slightly built but closely knit with his
| face and hands well Drowned from exposure TO the
weather HIS left arm and hand were wrapped in
bandages, and swung in handkerchief that hung
around his neck.
"Well. Pm getting along pretty fairly" he said,
but my arm is quite painful yet. find it hard to
sleep these hot nights. II has been fifteen days to-
! night since the disaster. But it has been longer
| than that 10 me; it has been a long MONTH"
! Here Bush stopped talking to remove the ban
! dages from his arm and hand. The hand and fore
| arm had been badly burned the latter still
raw and infamed. Pm afraid OF the ends Of my
fingers" he continued. There's no feeling in
them they appear to be dead.'
" Have you been receiving any medical atten-
tion %
! 90. YES. Eve been going TO the Infants Hospital
]
! doctor has been very kind TO me. Bnt Pm not
sorry for what | did, he added, referring to the
/ disaster would 20 the same thing over again.
| l hung to it, you may believe until my hands were
burned. then had to throw up"
"Won't yoa tell your story from the frs -
| Certainly. Ny wife and and the two children
out in the boat for sail Just got on the
! outside of Wards Island-that is toward the Long
Island shore-I noticed a cloud of smoke rising
! from the scawanhaka. Kitty l said there's
something wrong with that boat NV God"
she replied. its fire. Quickly
as | could l put Kitty and the children
on RandalPs Island and hurried 10 the scene.
/ The Seawanhaka had no more than been beached
! on the drowned meadow than was pulling around
the boats side pulled women ana children into
! my boat from tie water until it fnll and then
rowed for the meadow They had ali jumped from
the stern of the boat. How many in this load
! Eight-wOmeu, girls and children.
d" As soon as they were safely on shore, l put
back for the steamer again. This trip | picked mp
nine; one of them was a man, the others
women and children These also put OF
the shore of the meadow. On going
back the third time my attention
was attracted to n little child that thrust out
by an arm the guard-rail. The child had
/ its own fingers through tie netting 0f the
/ guard. ] shouted 20 the woman, who was hold
| damfouudes ana una bic 10 stlr. A. reached fer
/ the baby she burning like stick of wood
| Here 10 was that my SHIRT sleeve caught tire ami
! burned nv hand and arm. The hImes had not
! burned the child, ard l pat IL IN the bottom OF
the boat. About twenty-five feet nom the stern II
! the steamer picked Up another BABY. winch was
lying on its face ana Heating on top
Of the water. Both of taese children
| RauchcI, who has been cared for at the HOlGJ-
/ pAfbic Hospital on Wards Island Then [ went
back COZ tho fonr1n time. hadn't felt my burns
| much vet. | saw two women drowning anC
made grab for them. Then l iet my
arm and hand puhed up and became almost use
less Yes. managed to get botn OF the women in
the boat. but tney both diedon NEEDED IN the boat
before l reached the shore. These two
women were well dressed and had gold
watches On. never learned who tney. were. Here
! mad TO give in. And | felt ike crying. Tor there
We're still great many n the water shouting fer
| HELM Oh 1t WAS terribleW
" How were You aole 20 ksep account of he
number OF people you picked ~ !"
"Wel. as pulled IN one after another | counted
three in all. but there were only twenty
| one. great many more passengers
would have escaped IF they had rot
on ana vet they c.ung Uhere. in their fright until
| the guard burned oil and swept them down.
" Had any OF those saved by you lIfe-preServerS
u" No, not one of them; The men seemed to have
| most Of the life pTeservCrs"
! Have Won learned who any Of them were y
- Tho gentleman was Mr.. Hicks, who does bust
ness at No. III South-st one of the women
rave me a small pncushiOn and took my
address; another gave me her fan
| and also took my name and address. l nave not
heard from them since. IGey may he sick or some
thing. Mr. Hicks gave NE 80 without my asking
| for it. But didn't WORK Tor pay ana lt to save
lyon have saved lives before, John" spoke up
the wife, who had come IN with one OF the children.
That's not very strange replied the fisherman
"rve been following the river for LIVING all my
life-was born and brought up on the water, you
might say
TclI ,, q ,hout these rascueso
There was Tom M,Caiferfy.' he replied reTct
anty, who was washed overheard Just OF Sea
man ogt Of the East River at One-hun;
dred-and.Twenty -frSt-st. Last Summer
hs s4sa Of Am whose boat Raa been grncd oVeT
i'm Finishing Bay The last case was n boy named
Theodore A ken. | jumped IN after him with my
clothes on. from the pier at One-hundred-and
INV occupation is that of a fisherman | sail up
70 the beaches at Great Neck Glen Cove City
Island. New Rochelle ard other places the Sound.
Nv business mainly is to get sand-worms for bait
which sell TO fishermen along the river"
Whom the reporter hand him S29 which had been
sent TO The TRIBUNE, he was profuse in his thanks.
II had not any TOO sOOn he said, the family
had been compelled to 90 to a friends last night for
he eldest little girl who was sitting on the outer
doorstep, was asked later where sne had had sup
"At Mrs. Mitchelrs' she said.
"Why did you 20 10 Mrs MitohelPs'
Because mother wouldn't cook any-I guess she
had nothing, fer she cried'
Officer Phenis of the Twelfth Precinct, who
is stationed on RandslPs Island, said
that Bust was ha:9-working feI-
low Captain Grace, the RandalPs
Island ferry master said lie Is agood indus trlous
| man and Won can quote me as saying so.' Several
other persons OF whom The TRIBUNE reporter made
| injuries said the same thing.
, In addition to the sums previously acknowledged
goa has been sent to THE TRIBUNE by Parke
Goodwin Z" for the man who saved twenty-three
| l1vesv at the time of the Seawanhaka disaster
. 81 bv 90 )" and 81 by " j. ii. FL The money was
, handed over to Mrs. Bush yesterday,
THE NARRAGANSETrS DEAD.
OYSTER BAY, L. l., July 1.-Two bodies
were aken from the wreck the steamer Narraganset