Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-07-09
NEW YORK'S LATEST HORROR.

The investigation of the burning of
the steamboat Seawanhaka on Tuesday,
June Goth, while running at high rate
of speed off Randall's Island, East Riv-
er, n. Y, at the northern part of the
city, brings out in bold relief the lack of
facilities for saving life on the steamers
plying the waters Of New York.
At 4.3O p. m. on the day in question,
Charles Abeel, fireman, discovered a
fire breaking out in the fire-room, and
his statement appears to fully cover The
main facts of the case. He says: was
sitting in the wing or port gangway, af-
ter having started the bilge pump, when
heard a noise, and on looking round
saw the fire pouring out OF the fire-room.
| got up and tried to make my way into
the tre-roOm, but the flames were too
much for me. We were just of Randall's
island, and running forward l yelled to
the captain, who was at the wheel, to
head for the shore, but he shouted back
that he could not. I then ran into the
cabins forward and told the steward and
passengers to save themselves. The
woodwork of the vessel about her CEN
ter was burning like tinder, and the
flames were making their way toward
both ends of the boat. There were prob
ably about 300 persons on board. Men
were jumping from the hurricane deck
into the water, and a large number of
terrified children and women were hud-
died near the stern of the boat. Before
took to the water to save myself, l
found life-preserver floating near me,
and was going to put it on, when a man
clutched it, and l, knowing / could
swim, and thinking he could not, let bim
have it, and swan for Wards island,
which | reached. The Seawanaka was
! finally beached on Randall's island, but
soon burnt to the waters edge. Capt.
Charles P. Smith was at the wheel, and
stuck to his post to the last. The steam
boats Granite State, bound for Hartford,
the Osseo, Minnehannock and Sylvan
Glen had boats manned and sent to our
assistance. Many of the children on
board had their clothing catch fire.. and
some of them were severely burned. The
lamp which l carried in my hand into
the tank-room, which is back of the fire
room, and separated by board parti.
ton, where l hanged my clothes, ]
brought back into the fire-room and set
it down. | am sure the fire could not
have originated from the lamp, as the
oil would not explode nor burn withou;
a wick. Engineer Weeks put on full
head of steam, am told, in response tc
a signal from the captain, and ther
ai---'~oss up tsrIIOHs ....se--II.V.J -
was seen standing on the upper deck
trying to raise the valves, so that the
steam could escape and an explosion b,
avoided. Engineer Weeks son was ,
fireman on the boat, and at the time The
fire started, was watching the steam ant
water indicators.
The Eastern boulevard club grounds
at East One Hundred and Twenty-frs
street are right opposite the scene of tn
disaster. A dozen of the members pro
ceeded to the scene and saved many peo
pie.
The vessel burned like powder ate
once the flames were started. 1t was
terrible scene, the shrieking women ant
children huddled aft until some of thei
clothes caught fire, and those on the for
ward part of the boat were men, some 0
whom had been cut off from communi
eating with or going to the rescue Q
their female relatives and friends b.
flames which burned the fiercest abou
the center of the boat.
A large number of those rescued wer
taken to Wards island, and treated b
the physicians stationed there. AS fas
as the dead bodies were recovered the
were taken to the morgue at Bellevue.
1t seems to be impossible to get at
correct list of the sufferers by the acc
dent, but the best authority places th
number in the neighborhood of thirt
killed and an equal number injured
> Only two of the boats hands were lost
= The scene on the day following the az
, cident is thus described: The woodwor
t was all burned. Small boats swarme
: about the spot hunting among the d
: bris for bodies, while on the shore nun
l ber of men and boys hunted about ft
: valuables, picking up clothing, necl
7 wear, jewelry and money. No chec
: was offered to the marauders up to moo
g when an insurance patrol put in SUI
n den appearance and stopped their O
y erations. On the starboard side near
If level with the edge, was a bed of cinde
Z, and iron containing the remains of tv
}, human beings. The remains have I
e semblance to nothing more closely th'
J. chunks of burned meat. The heads al
q limbs were welded by the heat into
j. very small compass. The bodies Ii
about eight feet apart. On the top of t
horizontal boiler were the bones of
third victim. How the person got the
is mystery, unless he or she fell throu
lg the burning deck, and there met fate
c. thousand times more horrible than dea
8, by drowning. Under the mass of rui
IN that spreads out from the hull, it
d. thought several bodies will be found.
ry The Seawanaka was about fourte
he years old, and was a regular day b
ye running between New York and Rosl.