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

Another steamer Horror Forty Lives
Lost.
COLLEGE POINT Il. I.), June 2sth-The
steamer Seawanahaka was burned to the wa
ter's edge off College Point at ?. NJ. The
Osseo saved a majority of the passengers, but
about forty were lost. The Seawanahaka is
quite large steamer, and leaves New York
daily at 4 P. NJ. for Roslyn, l.. l., and inter
mediate points. She usually carried large
number of passengers.
SECOND DISPATCH.l
New YORK, June 2Sth.-The steamboat
Seawanahaka, which ran from Peck Slip up
the Sound to Glen Cove, L. l., took fire at
4:30 this afternoon while off RandalFs Island.
East River. The fire was caused by an ex-
plosion in the engine-room and the middle of
the steamboat was soon in hames
HERoIsM OF THE PILOT.
Pilot Charles Smith remained at hi. post
until he was nearly burned to death, and
succeeded in beaching the vessel on the sunken
meadow adjoining the island.
Many persons sprang overheard and were
drowned. Many others on the stern of the
vessel could not get eff, and were burned to
death.
Of the 500 persons supposed to have been
on board so are believed to have perished.
The bodies of about 80 dead persons have been
recovered.
Only those of DR.. Beboise, wealthy gen.
tleman, residence unknown, and of Mary
Reed, young woman, were identified.
Among the saved are Chas. A. Dana,
editor of the Sun, S. L. NJ. Barlow, Colonel
w. r. Chase, and R. II. Rochester, Treas
urer of the Western Union Telegraph Cor..
pany.
The vessel burned to the waters edge.
STATEMENT OF PASSENGER.
Another account by passenger is as fol
lows: There were about $50 persons or
board All went well until He'll Gate wa:
passed, when the fre-alarm rang out, and
flames were discovered bursting through the
pilot-house. The officers and crew assured
the passengers that there was no danger, and
headed the boat for Randall's Island She
grounded on bar about 200 feet from shore
The steamer Granite State, of the Hartford
line, passing at the time, picked up 13 pas
sengers and one dead body, which were
landed at White Stone. The steamer Ossec
rescued majority of the passengers. and
proceeded with them to College Point Those
without Iife-preservers saved themselves by
clinging to the 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 in this city.
THE sEAwANAHAKA
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 in her every DAY for
their summer residences.
A FIREMAN's STORY.
Charles Abel, one of the iremen of the
boat, was found on the pier at the foot of Peck
slip, from which the Seawanahaka went
this afternoon. He said We made the
landing at the foot of Thirty-third street at
4:30 o'clock. 1t was about 10 minutes lateI
when we reached Little He'll Gate. I was
sitting il the wing or port gangway, after
having started the bilge pump, when heard
a noise, and looking around / saw fire pour.
ing out of the fre-room. l got up and tried
TO find my way into the fre-room, but the
flames were too much for me. We were
just off Randall's Island, and running
forward 1 yelled to the Captain, who
was at the wheel, to head for the 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 fame was blowing
in that direction. At that time the wood
work of the vessel about her center was burn.
ing like finder, and the flames were working
their way towards both ends of the boat
There were probably about 800 persons OF
board. Men were jumping from the hurri
cane deck into the water, and large nun
ber of
TERRIFIED Wo3iEN AND CHILDREN
Were huddled near the stern of the boat.
climbed over the rail near the bow, and sew
eralmen almost jumped upon me before tool
to the water to save myself. found life
preserver floating near me, and was going tC
put it on when May clutched it, and l, know
ing could swim and thinking he could not
a. b,p, d.
dalPs Island, which | reached, anG
then helped man boat and assisted
in picking up the passengers il the wa
ter. The Seawanahaka was finally beacheG
on Randall's Island. but soon burnt to the
waters edge. Captain Charles p. Smith wa.
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 Hartford, the Osseo, Minneannock
and Sylvan Glen had boats manned and sent
to our assistance. The clothing of many
children ON board took FIRE, and some of then
were severely burned.
ENGINEER WEEKS
Said: put on full head OF steam. | gave
response to the signal from the Captain
and then climbed up among the machinery
and was standing on the upper deck trying tC
raise the valves so that the steam could es
cape and IN explosion be avoided Never
carried over "a pounds of steam. The only
members of the crew, / understand, who are
missing are Josiah Hasbrouck, the cook, anc
his grandson, Charles Hasbrouck, who wa:
employed on the boat We had a crew Of
four deck hands, one deck boy, an engineer
two firemen, the Captain, clerk, superin
tendent, wheelman, superintendent's clerk,
porter, steward and cook. The crew did theil
duty like men, but 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 that the boat was on fire, returned