The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1895-11-17
HORROR OF THE WAWASlI
River Tragedy Of More Than
Twenty Years AGO.
BURNING OF THE STEAMER
Forty or Fifty Lives Were Lost About
Fifty Miles Down the Potomac.
Some Burned to Death and Others
Drowned-Quite a Number Were
Never Identified.

The Potomac, though a river of peace
and beauty, has not always been silvered
by moonlight and famed by fair Winds
Though the songs of love and the signs of
lovers have sounded across its happy,
laughing waters flames have lighted 1t
from shore to shore, and the prayers of
dying women have sounded above the voice
of the storm. The old Potomac has had its
share of the ills Of the world, and its tides
have been Redeemed with disaster.
few days ago group OF Potomac
mariners were smoking away the hours,
swapping tar and oakum yarns and re-
hearsing the times that were. This was at
the harbor office, and the restless tide
eddied outside as though eager TO hear
the stories that were being told, and some
of the old boats moored hard by seemed
to be looking in at the windows.
The navigators had not talked long when
the word "Wawaset" fell from the lips
of one. This stirred their memories OF the
most horrible disaster that ever saddened
the history OF our local waters. This
steamer, with 100 passengers and crew
of fourteen, was burned off Chatterton, Va,
on the afternoon OF August 8, 1873. The
exact number of people lost will never be
known. The reason for this is that the
effects of the purser were Tned and many
people who escaped to the shore con-
tjnued on to their destination without re-
porting themselves as survivors. 80
FORTY LIVES WERE LOST.
1t is known, though, that about forty lives
were lost, and that most of these were
women and children. Most OF these were
going to the summer resorts ON the lower
Potomac or simply making the round trip
on the Wawaset as an excursion. Many
OF those lost were from Washington, and
many of the Washingtonians who went TO
hot for nj on 10 ILL Pa cd era If
never identified. 1t is probable that num-
Der of the bodies were never recovered.
Twenty graves of unknown victims are
ranged along the shore near where the old
Wawaset grounded.
The catastrophe created greater sensa-
ton in the Washington of 1878 than the
Ford's Theater collapse did in the Washing
ton of 1894.
Some of the names of the bodies of Wash
ington people which were identified are
Miss Virginia Marbury. a relative to the
Marburys of Georgetown; Miss Bette Saun-
ders, Mrs. Muse of Seventh and q streets
southwest, Mrs. Julia Kelly. Mrs. Joseph
Reed, Miss Indiana Wells of Eighth and l
streets south west Mrs. Cora Walker. Ma
hola Fleet, Patsy Sands, George Cook of
Seventh street southwest and several of
children. One of the most pitiful details
of the horror was the loss by Mr. Joseph
Reed. then policeman. and now toba ccO-
mist at the corner OF ID and Ninth streets
north west, of his entire family-wife. three
children, niece and aunt.
FLAMES AMIDSHIPs.
The wawaset left Washington for points
along the Potomac as far down as Cone
River on Friday morning, August s. 1t
was a joyous throng, and hundreds Offriends
standing on the old Seventh street wharf
kissed their hands and waved adieu with
their handkerchiefs as the stanch old
steamer pulled out. Capt. John Woods. as
courageous a webfoot as ever trod deck,
was in command. She stopped at Alex
andria and took on number of passengers.
Stops were made at Glymont. Gunston and
Whitehouse.
Off Thorne's Gut, about fifty miles
down, one of the stokers climbed his iron
ladder and rushing forward shouted fire"
Instantly, panic reigned. Capt Woods was
in the pilot house, and looking back saw
flames leaping from the hold amidships.
The saloon cabin was crowded with
women and children and as the cabin filled
with smoke their cries and shrieks raved
above the roar of the flames.
Capt. Woods threw his wheel over and
ringing for all the steam that her boilers
had headed for the shore at Chatterton.
Boats were ordered lowered, but there
was no time for this. One was thrown
Into the river and swamped with people.
The fire gained with startling rapidity,
eating through the dry timbers of the ship
as through finder. Capt. Wood had to use
the firebuckets at the pilothouse for pour
ing water on the rudder ropes that ran along
the hurricane decks to keep them from being
burnt asunder.
The flames burst into the engine room,
and in another minute the engines refused
to work. The ship ran perhaps length