Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-11-23
Terrible Disaster.

Terrible Disaster,
burning OF the steamer City of New
IOndOn-A scene Of Excitement and
hsCaIb-ThiFiccn Lives Lost, etc.
Norwich, Nov. 22.-The steamer City of New
London, Captain Brown, of the Norwich and
New York line, took fire this morning the
river Thames, about five ihiles below the city. at
halEpast four O'Clock. The flames were first
discovered issuing from one of the yentators.
The captain. who was ON deck, ordered the boat
anchored, and Immediately set TO work to ex.
tinguish the flames, and after a short time the
efforts were apparently successful, and rigid
examination discovered no traces of fire The
anchor Was then weighed and the boat proceed
ed up the river, When about three miles be-
low the city abreast tile mouth IF roquetannock
cofe, fire was discovered in the cotton on deck.
The donkey pumps were started and the captain
and engineer, aided by the crew, in less than one
minute had three streams on the fire. Despite
all eScrions the fire spread with great rapidly
and soon enyelUpCd all the forward part Of the
boat The captain seeing the efforts to extini
guish the fire useless, ordered the boat beached,
but the engineer could not start the engine, The
donkey pumps were. however, still kept at work,
until the engineer notified the captain that he
feared an explosion of the boilers, in which
event all would be lost,
THE LAST HOPE.
The spread of the flames had, in the mean.
time. cut Off all communication with tile boats
and rendered the liie-preserycfs inaccessible
The passengers and crew then threw themselves
into the water, clnging to such portions of the
cargo and boat as had fallen overheard
Those who were able to swim had not much
difficulty in reaching the Shore except the chill
ing temperature of the water. Some were picked
up by boats from the floating pieces of the cargo
in an exhausted condition and taken to farm
houses in the vicinity, where they were cared
for and reSuscitaed. A train with a fire engine
was taken down from the city, but too late to be
of service. She had drilted down the stream
aud to the leeward about Il quarter of mile be-
low Walden island when abandoned by the
crew. The City Of New London was frst-class
beat and had a large cargo on board.
LATER ACCOUNTABLE DEAD.
EgeHing.-The loss of life by the disaster to
the City of New London is greater than was an.
ticpated. The passengers were only seven in
number, but, of these, VIM. l., Norton, firm oil
Norton Brothers, c. B. Rogers, firm of c. b
ROgersk& Co, and Harrison K. Aldrich, all OF
this city, were lost The officers and deck hands
known to be lost are: VIM. P. Ely, Hamburg,
CT, second mate; NJ. w. Baker, Norwich, cugi-
L.
Webster Cooper, New York, second cook; Frank
Flowers, residence unknown, waiter; Warren
Mitchell, oiler; - Drscoll, Sullivan, Pat
rick Mahoney and Thomas Rourke, deck hands
THE LOSS AND INSURANCE.
The New London carried heavy freight of a
miscellaneous character, principally cotton
rugs, groceries, leather, hides ETC., which, to-
gether with the boat, is a total loss. On account
OF the absence of the manager of the line from
the city, it is impossible TO ascertain the insur
ances. They are understood to be 100000 on
the boat.
SAFETY APPLIANCES.
The fire eXtinguishing apparatus and life say
| ing appliances were ample and in perfect order
but the rapid spread Of the flames cut off the
| approach TO the boat and saloon where they
were, and passengers and crew had to save
| themselves by graSping such floating matter as
| fell overheard from the burning boat.
| AFTER THE FIRE.
large force of men and boats has been at the
| scene Of the disaster all day, and Il vigilant
| search for the bodies of missing passengers and
| crew has been instituted, but only succee ling
in finding the bodies Of two men, deck hands
which were brought to the city and taken pos
session of by coroner, who impannelled jury
| which, after viewing the bodies, adjourned I'M
| til to morrow.
GOODNESS AND BRAVERY.
The officers of the boat, especially the captain
nd
GOODNESS and bravery in the trying position, the
former escaping bv lowering himself from the
| paddle box by a heaving line when all other
avenues of escape were closed by the flames, and
| cln9ng to the paddles until rescued lin an ex-
hausted condition, and the latter losing his life
after giving his life-preserver, which he got
from his room on the upper deck at the last
moment, TO the only lady passenger, who, by its
aid, was saved.
THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
The origin of the fire is a matter of uncer.
tainty; 1t is supposed TO have, in some way,
taken in the kitchen when the cook went to
klndle the fire for breakfast. One account states
that it was by poker, heated by raking down
fires, being placed against pine partition, but
nothing reliable is known
THE VESSEL AND HER CAPTAIN
The steamer City of New London was one of
the best boats on the Sound. She was 1900 tons
burthen, and was particularly adapted for carry
ing freight, although her passenger accommoda-
tons were excellent as far as they went Her
first trip was made May o. 1863 since which
time she has run with great regularity and with
out accident. Her officers were among the most
reliable and capable navi9atorS and engineers
on the Sound. Capt. Brown has followed steam
boating between this port and New York for
thlrty-one years, and never before met with any
disaster. All the officers and men were obliged
to divest themselves of their boots and outer
clothing when they jumped overheard, and
therefore lost everything they had on board.
STATEMENT OF THE CLERK.
The following is the statement of Charles
Harvey, clerk of the boat: He says he was in
bed when the fire first broke out, near Montyille,
but was at once called. He assisted in getting
the fire under control. Careful search was made
for half or three quarters of an hour and it was
supposed that the fire was totally eXtinguisheJ.
MIR. Harvey did not retire again, but went into
the engine loom, which is on the saloon deck
and sat down. This was after the boat had got
under way, and was between five and six A. NJ.
Shortly after daylight, the second alarm of FIRE
was given on the main deck, and, almost before
any one could reach it from the saloon, every
thing fore and aft was in flames. The hose was
already laid, and the pumps were at work in less
than five minutes after the alarm, hut the fire
spread with startling rapidty and the smoke
was SO sitting between decks that it was impos-
sible to stay there
The engine was stopped, and the engineer
was driven from his post by the Sitting smoke
He opened the safety valves and the boilers and
it was no longer possible to work the pumps
By this time, the flames, famed by the draft
which the motion of the boat created, had
spread fore and aft, and after it was evident
that there was no nope Of saving the vessel, Mr.
Harvey went to his office and took the boats
books, freight list, money, ETC., and went to his
state room to endeavor TO save his own proper
ty. While there, the flames shot up through
the floor, and he was obliged to leave. He then
went forward to try to save the lady passenger,
and found her in the forward part of the sa-
loon. He took her out to the forward deck
and called to man in boat, but he refused
to come. Mr.. Harvey then left her, and went
down over the side to the main deck, to Get a
rope to lower her into the water but, while
there, the smoke and fire burst ont before him,
and, his retreat being cut off, he was forced 10
leap into the water
He was dressed in heavy suit of clothes,
with an overcoat, but fortunately, had removed
his boots He swan for the schooner, lying
then two hundred wards away but, being en-
numbered by his clothing and the tide cutting
him down, he became exhausted and nearly ready
to sink. just then there 1oaed within his reach
piece of joist, fifteen feet long which had al
ready beeu seized by two of the deck hands.
This he grasped and hung on for life in the bit
terly cold water. Shortly after he reached it
one Of the men, named Sullivan, let 90 and
sank The other chung tenaciously to the beam