Evening star., 1923-08-12
The WaWaset
Disa ster.

-T
Wawaset burned
The WaWaSet in the Potomac
n;so,+ river near Chat
terton's landing
Va, according 10 The most dependable
reports. and fifty persons were burned
10 death or drowned Ii was never
known for certainty how MANY died
Tor the registry Of passengers was de-,
stroyed in the fire. The Star Of August
). 1913. prints fun page account Of
the disaster. the most complete ana
vivid account being that given nv H.
captain of the Wawaset. John y
Woods, as follows:
The fire broke GU. at - minutes
past Il O'Clock. between Thorn's
Gut and Chatterton. l was in tha
pllot house at the time A fireman
came in and told me that the boat
was on fire below. / Immediately
came out and found the flames
reached quite to the hurricane deck
along the walking beam. l then saw
that 1t was impossible TO get to the
lneboats, which were on after
quarters on each deck, to lower
them, although they were fun az
passengers. l threw water on tn,
wheel ropes so as to keep her steer
age all right and passed buckets OF
water from below to the hurricane
deck for the purpose as | became
satisfied there was no hope Of saving
| the vessel. ana that the only chance
to save the passengers was to keep
her going, she heading for the beach
The boat reached the beach IN
| = h f,f..
ter the alarm was given-in less than
| tive minutes after the alarm was
given the fire was in the rear Of the
| pilot house. The engine refused 10
work about half minute before She
| struck the shore. and the boat ran a
length before she came to d dead
| stop and grounded in less than five
feet of water from the bow. re
mained on the hurricane deck until
| the flames had burned the window
curtains in my room and the saloon
windows below We're shooting forth
fiery darts. J then came down on
/ could to save the passengers \
great many were afraid "a jump.
overheard. | assured them they were
safe in jumping, as the water from
upon this assurance one or two mado1
a leap and many others seeing thar
! the water was shallow. followed their,
example and were saved 1t wa K
with difficulty ] checked them jump
| ing over in large bodies and drown
| ing each other during the eAcltement-
II am satisfied that nearly all the
| lives lost were lost in the stern of.
the boat. the flames driving that way,
| and forcing passengers 70 jump or
/ be burned. Just before / left the.
! boat / heard a lady Mrs Taylor Of
Alexandria, crying for help in the
rear of the vessel. | saw her hang
J ing to the middle chains and sent Il
boat to her rescue and saved her r
am satisfied the excitement caused
undue loss of life and that every,
| passenger was saved who jumped
| overheard forward. l.,
! "The fire caught in the hold but
it is impossible to tell just where.
} The boat was very dry, almost like
/ tinder. and the flames when they
struck the oiled machinery spread
| like torch. The cargo was of q
| miscellaneous nature and contained
nothing inflammahle except two bar
rels of whisky. which We're in the
last things burned. The cargo was
entirely lost. The passenger list and
manifest of the vessel was lost it
being impossible for the clerk TO
reach the Office to obtain it. At the
| time of the accident but few of the
passengers were asleep. and none in
| the staterooms. Some We're lying
down on sofas The Georgeanna
came along on her way from Baitl-
more and brought up a few of the
passengers. Many went down through
1 the country and others are awaiting
boats to come home. All were Well
| taken care of. The steamers value
! estimate at $4,000 " =