HORRIBLE DISASTER.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, 18 August 1880, Page 2

HORRIBLE DISASTER.

: _+— The burning of (lie Steamer Seawanhaka occurred off Ran 'all's Island, on the afternoon of Mondny, June 28th;* A def« patch from New York gives the following particulars :— The fire was caused ,ly an explosion in the engineoroom, and the middle of the. steam-b^at was soon in flames. The captain, Charles Smith. remained at his post until nearly burned to death, and succeeded in beaching the yes« sel on a sunkeu meadow adjoining the Island. Many sprang over board and were drowned Many others on the s^ern of the vessel .could not get off and were burned to death. Of five hundred persons supposed to have perished. The bodies of about thirty dead persons have been recovered. THE OAPTAIN*s STOBY. Charles Smith, captain of the Seawanhaka, was found in the hospital on "Ran* dall,s Island, suffering from severe burns about the face and arms. He said : — About 4.30' 7 heard a low dull report or explosion. Qm'ck as thought I turned to see what was the matter, when 1 saw the vessel in flames about amidship. I saw the steamer Granifet State on my starboard side. Finding that my steamer was on fire, I immediately headed her for the sunken mendow, with a full bead of Tsteam, although the engineer had been driven from his post, I landed her about forty feet up the meadQW. Most of the passengers were on the bow of the vessel, and those on the stern were at the mercy of the flame?, as all the passages to the bow were cutoff. Many jumped on the land, while others jumped into the water. I stood at the wheel until the last minute, and then jumped overboard and was picked up by h small boat. We had no freight on board and I do not know what caused the explosion. The Seawanhaka can carry 1.000 persons, but Monday is generally a dull day, and we had only about 250 or 300 on board this afternoon. DUKEN AWAY BY THE FLAMED The engineer of the steamer, Frank Weeks, and his son, I'dward, who w»s a fireman on the steamer, were at their posts at the time of the fire. The fire* man explains that some of the smal! tubes of the boiler must have burst, throwing the furnace door and scattering the hot coals around, which set fire to tue vessel. He, like his father, was driven from his post by the flames. Both escaped with severe burns. The number of kr'ed by the accident cannot he estimated, as the steamer, being merely a daily transport, used between near points, kept no register. It is not likely that the list of the lost will number more than fifty. At midnight, eleven bodies — nine of adults, one child and two babies — were brought to tl c Morgue of persons who had relatives and friends on the Sea« Wanbaka were waiting to identify them, j|Jj|l£i)g the unfortunate. HEAET BENDING SCENES, jwaplflirscene as the bodies were carried fnthe hoat and the coffins opened, heart-rending one. An old gentleMr Debeavise, was frantic with grief wW he identified the body of his son, E|vid H. Debeavise, of 391, Pacificstreet, Brooklyn. The body of a beautiful young womßn, abortt twenty years of ige, wns identified as that of Mary Reed. The body of a stout lady supposed to be that of Mrs Ritchie, of J^gcust Grove, Long Island. It is re* ■4&rted thafr there ire about fifteen bodies on Randall's Island [shore. The body of a young man was picked" up by a rowboat, and moored to a stake at the foot of One-Hundred-and-Fifteeh-street, It is known that some of the crew did not do* their duty, but swam ashore. -When thej flames broke out the Seawanhaka was v passing through Hell Gate, but was run on until nearly burned to the water's edge and had entered Little Hell gate.