Daily globe., 1880-06-29
STEAMER BURNED.

er SeaVaQQakd W euO WeNSA N~HN -
College Point at P. NJ. The Osseo saved ma
iority of the passengers. About forty were
lost. The Seawanhaka is quite large steamer
and leaves New York daily at P. NJ for Ros-
lvn. Il. l., and intermediate points. She usu-
ally carried large number of passengers.
BURNING OF THE sEAwANHAKA.
New YORK. June 2S.-The steamboat Sea-
wanhaka. which ran from Peck Slip up the
sound to Glen Cove L. l., took fire at 4:3O
o'clock this afternoon while off Randails Is
land, East river. The fire was caused by an
explosion in the engine room, and the middle
of the steamboat was soon in flames. Pilot
Charles Smith remained at his post until he
was nearly burned to death, and succeeded In
Bleaching the vessel on sunken meadow adJoln-
ing the Island. Many persons sprang over
board and were drowned, and many others In
the stern OF the vessel could not get OH aud
were
BURNED To DEATH.
OF 500 persons supposed to be on board fifty
are supposed to have perished. The bodies of
about thirty dead persons have been recovered.
Among those are DR.. Beboise, wealthy gentle
man, The remains of Mary Reed q young
woman. were identified. Among the saved are
Chas. A. Dana, editor of the Sun, Il. nj.
Barlow, Col. ". Z. Chase and r. FL. Rochester,
treasurer of the Western Union telegraph
company. The vessel burned to the water
edge. 3
ANOTHER ACCOUNT
by passenger says there were about 800 on
board. All went we'll until He'll Gate was passed,
when the fire alarm rang out and flames were
discovered bursting through the pilot house.
The officers and crew assured passengers there
was no danger and headed about for RandalIs
Island. She grounded on bar about 2OO
feet from shore. The steamer Granite
State of the Hartford line, passing at the time
picked up thirteen passengers and one dead
BODY. which landed at White Stone. The
steamer Osseo rescued majority of the pas
sengers aud proceeded with them to College
Point. Those without life preservers saved
themselves by cinging to guards, paddles and
other sheltered parts of the boat.
The body OF Abe Skidmore, OF the well
known Long Island family, was recovered and
Is now at the Coleman house, this city.
The Seawanhaka left the city each afternoon
after the close of business hours for various
places of popular resort along the sound, and
many we'll known citizens sailed on her every
day for their summer residences.
STORY OF A FIREMAN.
Chas. Obel, one of the fremen of the beat,
was found on the pier foot of Peck Slip, from
which the Seawauaaaka went this afternoon.
He said: We made landing at the foot of
Thlrty-third street at 80 o'clock and it was
about fifteen minutes later when we reachod
Little He'll Gate. | was sitting in the Wing Or
port gangway, after having started the bilge
pump. when heard " noise and on looking
around saw fire ponring ont of hreroom. got
up and tried to make my way into the hrerOom
but the flames were too much for me. we
were lust off Randall Island, and running for
ward l yelled to the captain who was at the
,.-1o butt l,a CHI hnnE
that he could not. l then ran into the cabin
forward and urged the steward and passengers to
save themselves, They did not suspect the vessel
was on fire then as no smoke or flame was blown
in that direction. At that time the wood work
of the vessel about her center was burning like
tinder and the flames were making their way
towards both ends of the boat. There were
probably about three hundred passengers on
board. Mea were jumping from the hurricane
deck into the water and large numbers of
TERRIFIED WOMEN AND CHILDREN
were huddled near the stern of the boat.
climbed over the rail near the tow and several
men almost jumped upon me before took to
the water to save myself. ! found life pre-
server floating near and was going to put it on
when a man clutched it, and knowing l
let him have it and swan toward
the island which I reached and then
helped man the boat and assisted in picking up
passengers in the water. The Sewanahaka was
was finally beached on Randall Island, but
soon burnt to the waters edge. Capt. Charles
o. Smith was at the wheel and stuck to his
post to the last His face and body were badly
burned. Small boats came to
the rescue from every direction. The
steamboats, Granite State, bound for Hart
ford, and the Osseo, Minnehanvock and Sylvan
Glen had boats manned and sent to her assist
ance. The clothing of many OF the children
on board took fire and some of them were Sc
vere,y burned. Engineer Weeks put on a full
head of steam, l am told, IN response to 8 sig
nal from the captain, and then climbed up
among the machinery and was seen standing
on the upper deck trying 10 raise the valves
so that the steam could escape and an explosion
be avoided. We never carried over thirty-fOur
pounds of steam. The only members OF the
crew. l understand, that are missing, Is Josiah
Hasleronck, cook. ard his grandson, Charles
Hasleronok, who was employed on the boat.
We have crew OF four deck hands, one deck
boy. engineer, two hEemen, captain, clerk, SUI
perintendent, yheelmsn, auperintendent's
clerk, porter, steward and cook. The
CREW DID THEIR DUTY LIKE MEN.
A few of them lost their presence of mind.
You can imagine how cool they were when the
clerk, who was collecting fares, as soon as he
realized the boat Was on fire returned to his
Office and secured all the money he had left
there. Among our passengers were Charles A.
Dana Richard o. German, S. l.. 81. Barlow,
one or two of Hsrper's publishers and q num-
Der of other gentlemen whose
names cannot recollect, but who
were in the habit OF going TO their homes
along the island shore by our boats. All of the
gentlemen have named, l understood, es-
capped. The vessel burned like powder once the
flames started and it was a terrible scene,
shrieking women, children hudded eft until
their clouhes caught fire, and on the forward
part of the hoat were men who were cut off
from communications with or going to the
rescue of their female relations and friends
bv the flames which burut the fercest about
center of the boat. MIR. Moiers, our porter
saw child floating on its back and was going
to Jump overheard to save it when frantic
woman olutched hiss arm and saving: "Yor
are strong man and l a woman without any
friends on board
FOR GODS SAKE HELP ME.
The porter left the child to itself and be
l;eve saved the woman. Only one of the boat
was got out. 1t was one which had canvas
fastened over it. After the canvass was got of
the body of child about years old was founC
living in the water in the. bottom of the boat
Nobody seemed to know how it got there. Afte
l got on R7ndals Island l was almost ex
hansted, but doctors who were hurrying a bou
revived me by pouring Some iQuo
down my throat. | reached the city OF
the Sylvan Glen which also had several of on