The Newtown bee., 1880-07-07
A STEAMBOAT IN PLANES.
Destructiom off Steamboat on the I1ast- Riveri New York, by fire, and H 0rria flying Death Of Many Passengers.

Hs e1 on aa ts ast
 fying Death of Many " Passsngsrs,
 The following account is given by the New York papers of the burning of the steamer Seawanhaka, which runs from New York to Glen Cove, on Long Island Sound. The number Of lives lost cannot accurately be stated, but is about fifty. A few were burned to death, but the most were drowned:
 The Seawanaka had the reputation of being one of the fastest boats running out of New York harbor. At 4:I5 o'clock in the afternoon she started from her wharf at Peck slip with her colors flying. The Seawanhaka went up the East river under Q full head of steam, and about 4 AS reached Hallett's Point. Suddenly cloud of smoke came up through the grating near the pilot house, and it was at first thought that it came from the engine-room, and had no special significance. Immediately after ward flames were seen around the pilot~ house. Captain Charles F. Smith was in the wheel-house, and seeing the dan ger turned his vessel toward Wards Island, intending to beach her there. Someb ody cried "The ships on fife!" and panic started. A rush was made for the lockers in which the life preservers were kept. Most of the men retained their presence of mind and helped the officers of the steamer in supplying the women and children with life-preservers. Captain Smith shouted from the wheel-house to the passengers to keep order, and his as- sistants tried to restore order and were assisted by many of the passengers. The crew meanwhile got the fire extin- 1scl1n na,a +,Yss, %i,a ll, blazing woodwork, but to little pur- pose. The fire spread aft along the port side toward where the passengers were standing and drove them forward On the starboard side there was still space which the fire had not touched. Along this narrow space the passengers hur- ried to the forward part of the boat. By this time all hope of saving the vessel had been abandoned, and those on board anxiously watched the spot where Captain Smith intended to ground his vessel. The moment he realized that the fire could not be extinguished, Captain Smith had ordered his boats lowered, and had headed the vessel under full head of stt am toward the shallow water at the northern end Of Wards Island. The steamer Granite State was behind the Seawanhaka when
  sengers who jumped overheard were picked up by this vessel. The tug Ref uge, of the emioration department, Gen. eral NGwton's steam launch, ,and q score of rowboats, which surrounded the Seawanhaka. At the upper end of Wards Island, where it was intended to strand the vessel, it was discovered that the water was not sufficiently shallow, and the vessels head was turned to the sunken meadows which are south of RandalI's Island. There the S1awan- haka was run aground, and the work of saving the passengers begun. Several of thepassengers remained on the Sea vanhaka until they were driven away by the flames; one man and child held on to the guard rail until it was burned away, and they then fell into the river.
 Mir. c. A. Dana, the editor oi the New York S@p, Doctor Draper, his son-in-law, and MT. s. l.. M. Barlow, jumped into the water together and, being expert swimmers, all reached he Long Island shore in safety.