The New York herald., 1870-08-14

Further Particulars of the Collision in the
Bay-5tatements OF Some Of the schooner's
Crew hs Collision Caused by the Imbe-
cility Of the Captain of the Steamboat.

The Norwalk disaster the great topic OF con-
vetsalion throughout the city ana the suburbs yes
terday. From the very nature OF the the public
are hit 10 mere conjecture as TO The number OF
persons drowned. Some OF the passengers. iDclud-
ing an eX.a!dernan OF Jersey City. stale that tho
casualties are more numerous than the account In
yesterday HERALD set forth. When 1t Is taken
iniO account that there q large uata,er az the
passengers strangers to each other, many
belonging to distant parts OF the coun-
try ana unknown TO any other person
on board, IL Is manifest that the actual number OF
casualties must remain, for some tune at least, a
mystery. Van Orden aud Laug, whose statements
were referred 10, saw about twenty persons strug-
Cling in the water, with no chance OF escape for
more than one-third or the number.
THE CREW or THE SCHOONER
did not remain on board their vessel after the co.,
lsion. Three ol them. believing tney were about to
90 down. lowered q small boat. and they were
afterwards joined by the captain. who how
ever, seeing tnat there was real danger,
returned To ms vessel ana assisted in rescniI,g
several persons AMI taking many BOARD his
schooner. Tne three men OF the rowed 10
Jersey city, where they related the The case
hccordlnv 20 ther statements IL was dark when the
collision TOOK pace, but they could discern the
white dresses or the women III the water. The
sCREAMs OF TIE wOaEN
they never lOr--et. one said as lie moved along
the street he heard the cries stil ringing In his
counter De'ore, and ne hopes thar he may
never never witness sncn sue, a spec'acle again He
were close 10 each other. ana then the
crew Of the schooner mad Just hauled down the Jib
posve, nom tie number Of persons be strug-
CLING III the waIr, ,hat there cannut be fewer than
TWENTY OK Thirty PERSONS DROWNED.
His cOn;radc who evidently iabored under great
excitement, ran ihe number up 10 lorty. THIS
latter opinion Is soncurred IN by gentle
but all rue passengers were or
less excited during the Terrible they were
IN peril. some allowance must be made FOR exag-
rcrations. Lang says that he was no. much
alarmed by the lear oi sinking ON The Norwaik as Dy
thc cfy ot
which was raised few moments after the collision.
and this made many stout hearts trenble. Many
Others feared 'p.ow up and ali Kinds OF runors
were anuat a. TO the piercing o! the boiler ana the
consequent escape of steam throagn the hold,
Of the Norwak and such other terrors as
J the nlaginalon conjnred, up in those awful
ments. And II mast be remembered thai the boats
| were out III the deep waters OF the harbor far
from any landing place, with the immediate prospe g
OF watery etave FOR The Norwaik and her
living lici9ht. ono nun, named Charles Carnpi,e.L
| or Flushing states that lie has seen disasters on
railroads Dnt nothing so shocking the scenes at
tending TINS collision did he ever before witness lie
was Instrumental IN preventing two young ladies',
! who were sisters. from jumping overheard in Il nt
OF frenzy.
Deputy Coroner shine VINO was most active in
prevent,ns panic says that when ne went on the
upper deck III Tie midst OF the excitement
ne saw solitary individual pa,lnR
mp and down with as mnch self compla-
cency IA though he were enjoying walk along
Broadway on u cain summer evening. The doctor
was so MED with astonshment that he was
brea,hless breath Tor lew moments after which no
broke ont, can you tel Inc where is the
pnotr TO which the stole individual replied
alter surveying the nauirer with some surprise, II
am the pilot; what's the - This was too
much Tor any passenger and the doctor, after warn
Ing Mr. seeley OF the serious responsibility he
would nave 10 lace invest igafIOti.
descended from the upper deck, leaving
the Dlo2cnes 10 his musings undaturbed '.You
could smell the whisSey OF him. ADDS the DOCTOR
"almOst across the boat
Every passenger with whom the HERALD reporter
conversed stated that
THE PILOT WAS DRUNK;
and while lew laid a similar charge AGAINST Can
tam wilson II Is hut fair to state that the testimony
! on this point was contradictory. Lung states nat
the Captain was most energetic aud vgilant, while
three other passengers disscnted from this state
ment.