Potomac Steamer Burned

On Friday last at about the hour of noon tho steamer Wawassot, running on the Potomac between Washington and Currinaan, was burned ncar Chuttertou's Landing, and about sevcnty lives lost. THE FIKST APPEARANCE OL' THE FIEE. When near Chatterton's landing1, on the Virginia side of the Potomac, about five miles below Acquia Creek, and after the whistle of the buat had been blown as a signal of approach to that landing, the steamer at the time beug a third of a mile from the shore, firo was diseoveiod iu the hold and the hose was attached, but boforo the men oould reaeh it the conflagaration becamo general, as the fire had been burning for some time. The fire had been smouldering, it is supposed, for some timo, and upon opening the hatches it burst forth with great fury, driving the men from the hold and completely baffling all attempts to sübdue it. In an instant the wildest confusión prevailed on the vessel, the passengere becoming panic-stricken and frantic with fear, very few haviug presence of ïniud sufficient to take care of themselvas. STATEMENT OF CAPT. WOOD. . Capt. John E. Wood, commandant of the Wawasset, makes tho followin statement ooncerning tho disaster : The firo broko out at twenty minutes past tweive botween Thonis' Gut and Ohatterton. I was in the pilot-house at the time the fircman told me the boat was on fire below, when I ünmediately came out and found the flames reached to tho hurricane deck along the walking beam. I saw it was inipossible to get to the life-boate, which were on the after quarters on ea j sido to lower them, although 'hey were full of passengers. I threw on the wheel ï'opes to keep the steeraga allright, as I )eoame convinced there was no hopes of saving the vessel, and the only chance of saving tho passengers was to keep her going. The boat reaohed the beach in about tweive or thirteen minutes after the alarm. In less than five minutes after the alarm was p-iven tlio firu wna in the rear of tho pilot-house. The enginc refused to woik about half a minnte before the boat Btruek and grounded in Iess ilian five feet of water at ths bow. I remained on the hurricane deck until the flamea had burnt the window curtains in my room and fire was issumg from the saloon window below. I then got on the forward deck, and did what I could to save passengere. A great rnany wore afraid to jump ovorboard until I aggured them they could safely do so. Upon this assuranco one or two made the leap, and niany others, seeing the water was shallow, followed and wore saved. It was with difSculty I checked them from jumping over in large numbora and drowning eaeh other. I am satisfied nearly all loss of life occuried at the stern of the boat, tho flnmes forcing passengers to jump overboard or bo burned. Just before I left the boat I board Mrs. laylor, oí Alexandna, crying tor help from the rear of the vessel. I saw her hanging to the middle chain and sent a boat to rescuo her and Bave her. I am satisfied the excitement caused undue loss of life, and that every passenger was saved who jumped over forward. Manv lives were lost in the life-boats by beinj overcrowded bcfore the boat stopped. One was crowdod with coloree! passengers, and when she was cut looso the stern bulged out and was swamped. About a dozen small children were aboard, and I think that five or six were lost. The fire caught in the hold. The .. was very dry and the flames, when thev struck the oiled machinery, eproad like "a torch. At the time of the accident but few of the passengers were asleep, and none were in the state rooms. The boat was valued at about $40,000. CORONEIt'S INQUEST. The coroner's inquest was holtl at Stewart's wharf, on the l'otomac liiver, over the bodies of those lost by the burning of the Wawasset, and a verdict was returriüd exonerating the officers of the boat from all blame. STATEMENT OF JOHN KEED. John Eeed states ho was busy throwoverboard some planks to women when the flames burst up the gangway, forcing him to jump overboard, and ho svram a'shore. He says also it was not abovo three minutes büfore all oommunication was cut off between the bow and the stern of the boat. There were about twenty children on board, exclusive of 117 regiötered passengers. Several of the saved are badly burned. STATEMENT OF THE TILOT. The pilot makes a statement in which he says he remained in the pilot-house until the wbeel ropes broko and fire was coming into tho pilot-house. He then swam ashore with two women, then sa ved eix or eight passengers, and made a seeond trip with a boat, rescuing three coiored! women and a child who were hanging to the rudder, after which he swain out again and made two unsuccessful attompts to save officer lleed's wife. When he reached tho stern of the bont tho last timo three children, two white and one oolored, were there, whoin ho had tried to get at, but tho flatnos provented him and they were buriied. Ho then bailed out the life-boat and took iiine dead bodies to the wharf, four white and five oolored.