Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-05-24
THE LATE DISASTER ON TIE
ST. JOHNS.
Report of the United States Inspec-
tors on the Burning of the Steamer
City of Sanford.

James ID. Headman, Esq United states
Local Inspector for this district, returned
from Florida on Friday last, where he had
been conducting an investigation as to the
cause of the burning Of the steamer City of
Sanford.
It will be remembered that fire was dis
covered in the port bunker of the steamer
City of Sanford at four o'clock on the morn
ing Of April oath, while coming down the
St. Johns river, of Point La Vista, about
four miles from the city of jacksonville.
In short time thereafter the vessel was all
ablaze and totally destroyed. By the dis
aster nine persons lost their lives, five being
burned and four drowned.
The CITY of Sanford was a stern wheel
steamer of 145 tons burthen, built in jack
sonville, Florida. in 1880. She was owned
nv Tyson & Smith, and run by them between
jacksonville and Sanford. She was in
spected by the Local Inspectors Of Savan-
nah on December 18th, 1881. She was
equipped with two life boats, three life
RATS, twenty-foIr buckets, two hundred
feet of hose, and sixtY-fve cork jackets
She was allowed to carry forty-nine passen-
gers-swenty-four cabin and twenty five
deck. At the time OF the fire she had on
board twelve cabin and twelve deck passen-
gers. The vessel and cargo were total
loss. The steamer was valued at $4,000,
and the cargo $3.50 The insurance on the
steamer was $4,000.
We make the following extract from the
report of Mr.. Headman
"After a careful investigation Of the CIR
cumstanees connected with the burning, we
find that the fire originated in the port
bunker, near the forward part of the boiler,
and was occasioned from some unknown
cause. We find that under section 4450 of
the Revised Statutes Of the United States
that the officer of the boat failed to use due
care for the safety of the passengers, mas
much as the Captain and mate had both re-
tired and left the boat in charge Of the deck
Waterman and second-class pilot at the
wheel.
ave are of the opinion that had a com
handing officer been in charge at the
breaking out of the fire, to control and give
proper orders and direction with the life
saving apparatus at hand, all OF the passen-
gers could have safely been landed, as the
witnesses give the time of duration of the
fire from its breaking out at from ten to
thirty minutes. When the fire was first dis
covered by the Waterman the steamer was
in the channel, about three hundred yards
from shore, and was grounded after the Cap
tain got up. she lay in nat bottom not
more than fifty feet from the shore. At the
bow of the boat the water was not more
than two feet, and about four feet at the
stern.
"We have revoked the Captain and Mates
licenses. viz Captain W. II. Roberts and
First Officer Frederick II. Lyman, for the
cause that they did not keep watch and
watch, aud the further fact of leaving the
boat without q competent licensed officer in
charge. We revoke the chief engineer, F.
z. Smiths, license for a failure to take
charge of his engine upon waking up. In
stead Of attending to this most important
and requisite duty, he failed to enter the
engine room, and went to his own room and
other parts or the boat In search of his own
personal effects. We revoke the second
engineers license, John Cleaver, for not
standing by his engine to obey any orders,
If any had been given, from the pilot house,
and we are further of the opinion that at
the time he jumped overheard from
amidships gangwaY he could have
stopped his engine; and further, we
are fully convinced that had the engine been
stopped at least no one would have been
drowned. After the boat struck the shore
the wheel created current IN the shoal wa
ter that carried those who jumped overheard
from off their feet and necessarily frightened
those remaining on board to such an extent
as to prevent them from iumping.n