The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-07-08
The Loss of the SeaWanllaka.

CeOQer.
The Loss of the Seawanhaka.
All of the New York papers come
filled with accounts of the burning of
the Steamer ,Seawanhaka on Monday
night. Only ten bodies have been
recovered, but some forty persons are
missing, and supposed to be either
drowned or burned. The .SMs says !:
The &awanAaka steamed out from her
pier, a East River, at 4 o'clock yester.
day afternoon. On her decks were many
passengers bound for Sea Cliff, Sands
Point, Glen Cove, Roslyn, and other
points on Long Island. She touched at
the foot of East Thirty-third street,
where she received other passengers,
She is licensed to carry 1900 passengers.
but it is not thought that when she left
the foot of Thirty third street she had Oh
board more than three hundred. Among
them were many merchants and other
business men, going to their summer
residences on Long Island. Many of
these persons had their families with
them. A glance at the passengers
showed that they were, for the most
parts, well to.do city or country people.
Aanong them were several gentlemen
prominent in business circles or in their
professions.
The weather was so warm that large
number sought the forward part of the
boat to catch tue breeze. That they did
so proved to be very fortunate circum'
stance. The boat ran pleasantly up past
Blackwell's Island. Just as she passed
Hallett's Point there was notification
Of danger that is variously described by
the passengers. Some say there was an
explosion which they felt and heard
Others say that there was a strange
lifting of the deck as if by gentle
pressure, followed by Kissing noise as
If steam were escaping. All agree, how:
ever, that a few moments afterward
flames were seen in the neighborhood of
the engine room. There flames arose
like magic, and quickly formed an
impossible barrier between the fore and
after parts of the boat. Whatever may
have been the cause of the explosion, if
there was one, it is certain that the
boilers remained intact for the wheels
kept moving. The Captain Charles P.
Smith, decided at once that it would be
useless to try to fight the flames. He
did not even quit the pilot house to make
an inspection of the danger. Apparently,
he replied on the report of his engineer.
Less than half mile ahead of him was
low-lying marshy island, called
Sunken Meadows. Captain Smith be.
lieved he could rely on his unattended
boilers and engines to push him forward
upon this island. He kept the boat
headed to the nearest point of the marsh,
the flames nearly under him. He heard
the shrieks of his passengers, but to his
mind there was but one duty. His
pilot was not on board, and he could
leave the wheel to no one else. 1t was a
critical race with the progress of the fire,
and the fire was gaining. The advance of
the boatdrove heat, flames and smoke aft.
This forced most of those in the after part
of:he boat to leap into the:water. Some
of these swan to Wards Island, which
is nearly opposite, but little above
Hallett's Point. Those who were in the
fore palt of the boat were able to remain
longer, and most of these did not leap into
the water until the prov of the burning
vessel vas driven forty feet up on to
Sunker Meadows. Then Captain
Smith, terribly burned, hurried from the
pilot house, and assisted women and
children down to the land, and aided
others who had leaped into the water to
reach the shore. Many were seen to
drown. How many were lost cannot be
closely estimated. 1t could not have
been less than twenty, and it was prob
ably not more than seventy-6ve.
Capt. Smith says: II can remember
only that we were opposite the entrance
to Little He'll Gate at about 4.5O, when
I heard dull, heavy explosion, and
felt strong jar under me. was in the
pilot house at the wheel with an assls-
tant. Almost as soon as ] felt che jar
fire burst through the hurricane deck
and spread like train of gunpowder
backward and forward. The passengers
began to run wildly to and fro on the
lower decks, and 1 shouted to them to be
quiet and all would yet be we'll. But
the flames spread and the passengers
became more excited. We were at the
point of the Sunken Meadows, nearly
opposite Randall's Island. l might
have turned the &awanhaka's head
toward the shore of the Island, but +!
felt that the only place where l could
possibly beach the Ssawa"haka with
surety WAS the meadows. turned tho
Seawanhaka's head straight as a d IS
the meadows. l held on to the Mleei
and kept calling to the passengers below
to get forward, if possible, and stick to
the boat. But, though l was directing
nv whole attention to the meadows,
looking out for the lowest and marshiest
spot, l could see that some of the pas
sengers in their fright took to the
water. Seeing this, l redoubled my cries
to all below to keep as much forward as
possible, because the draught made by the
boats motion swept the flames backward,
and not to jump overheard. The Sea.
,ranhaka obeyed her helm to a charm,
and swept onward toward the meadows
picked out the spot where | saw the
beach lying lowest, and bore down upon
it. The Ssa,canhaka grated upon the
thick undergrowth, and almost leaped
upon the beach. She rose out of the