New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-18
THE EVIDENCE.


THE EVIDENCE.
c.ry,,N yoUNG's FIRST PUBLIC ACCOUNT OF TIRE
prs.srER-CoSFUsED SIGNALS WHICH BOTH
Erred CAPTAIN NYE.
NEw-LoNDoN, Conn, July LINE III
ses,aon OF the Narragansett disaster began ID ms
c,v toisr before LEGAL Inspectors Beckwith ana NO
- r,a M, T AZ Waller stated the opening or
,h proceed ngs that he appeared rs counse 'or 'ne
e,ontnetop steambOst Company, but Ne was in'orneu
ne tho Inspeetors that counsel would be allowed 10
~, mart in the investigation or 10 examine Witnesses
r. at witness ex mined william Smith Young
q, Jersey City. who stated that ne had been master
", ,ot for twenty years and the time of the col
us,on between the soningtou and Narraghnsett was
o,sr of the latter. and held license as such He had
nm an the line from Providence to Boston for twenty
80 year.. and on the StonlngtOn line during the past
broe summer seasons. The trip which the collision
u,red WAS the first and only trip on winch he bad
commanded the Narragansett He was the only pilot Oh
hoard the steamer at the time OF the collision
Beiug asked the circumstances attending the
collision Captain Young asked permission 10 read
statement giving his therefor that DC could IN
that way be briefer and more accurate After consul
tatou the inspectors determined 10 admit the written
abatement which follows
CAPTAIN YOUNG's STATEMENT
took Charge the steamer NaTragapsett on Thurs
dav June TO- 1880. by order Of Captain Babcock'
through Captain Walden he having 10 attend United
States Court az Hartford, Conn. lett stoningon on
rbursdav evening at the usual Nothing occurred
on the passage TO New-YOrk
The steamer Narragansett left New-York June
honnd Tor s.nnfron Conn. II was stormy weather.
with lignt winds from the south Notklng unusual hai
pened until about OF stratford shoai Light tncn went
into the piothOuse at m and said 10 the plot MT
Thompson that should have some log before we got
into stonngtOn, as the mist was very heseh,
and streaks OF iog were 6o"'ng ,, g nnnss
~ 70 70 NV room TO chan GO my clothing by putting
something thick for protection against the foggy night
which took. as as can Judge five minutes when
returning 10 the pilot-house asked M ihoGp'
son N he mad passed the Shoals Eishr He
SAID he had passed at 1902 p m consulted WITH hlT
70 Fakners and then East tRreoquarters North would
fake us TO COrneld agreed with m peifec, ~, Know
tng tust nov the BOAT ram a. had been pilot OF
,n gu the Snr,ug changes Tie first thing we
anu heard was steamer or the port DOW ABOUT
three points which we called the lille. OF New
i"nSon wnch was blowIng long blast Of her steam
whistle. We began TO blow our warning blast ON tnlS
Alter passinc what we called The Tile. We sighted
flash hgAt on the starooard DOW TO pont ana sye
swered with short blasts until he was aDean. Ihen
We blew regular warning whistle. We saw hoIhlng
asked the pilot 1T II:2O p IN time o. night. He
when ia about eight minutes / sighted bright l9ht
bearing ana haf points on our starboard Dow
from NV position stood looking out OF the front
window on the starboard side OF the piiolaOnse' az
gave mm two s snort ,ta gsss q" fSe
same time heard faint blast from the approaching
Ten So coniusedy that could not tell II they were
meant for one two or three blasts; rang TO slow
and stop. sounding two blasts three times at intervals
distinglshabie; instantly rang 70 90 back and
gave three blasts twice. also neaTd three blasts
eroninsfo o Witch Struck us between the forward
gansway and the stalboard paddle-box
ORDERS AFTER THE COLLISION.
From the tune OF sighting TO time OF the collision
two ar tree minutes elapsed the time of the col
son opened the rail to what the damage was and
turned and said the pilot LET her go ahead wide
open knowing she was pointed for the west end OF
the shOals-snd III The same breath sald' "CaH the
mates" and officer Field came TO ask what he should
do said. Clear away ana lower the boats ana NE
N drst cffceT M6wry the meantime examining
the extent of the damage The next ohcer VINO cat 10
me was Pnrser Herman ordered him to cal ever
body. aud put oH mem ne preaerEeIs. a. Vuan .i d
First Officer Mo~ry came To me- ana sLla' M a bad'
and ct the and iifcrats over quickly It's posi-
Turing fins time MI Thompson was in the pothouse
DONG hIs there long rs he mad steam 20 WORK
with About eight or ten minutes aiter te co,Slou
haze was reported coming up from the port slde OF the
smeke-stacK; / pold the bOw-watch 10 ty ana put II
out / turned and saw it was Of no use to battle
with the fire. l tocn ordered the bOwwaeh TO assist
at tie forward port boat as dhchy ms posi-
bile. winch was Gone successfully ana MED with pas
sengers boat number six, which was told by the
second officer and wheeisnan, was attempted 10 Dc
lowered by passengers, was swamped IN lowering
Aer telling the bow-watch TO leave the fire and assist
al lowering the forward port boat turned ana went to
If the forward staiboad boat was being oWered'
and in going stepped across ne gap haue q! Uhe cor cor
frame" assisted lowering the forward
stsrbosrd boat, and took In ali the passengers
nnsed on and took i'm ali found in the between
the wreck ana the steamer stoningon. After landing
batload on the StOnngtOu returned picking up sew
era persons on NY way BACK 10 the Nsdragansesi
When there found large number OF passengers Oh the
hurricane deck at the bow
TIE NAREAGANsETT AGROUND.
The NaTaaaIsett at THIS tine was aground IN hve
ataoms VI water and the tide was running very strong
by her STEM which made 1t difficult 20 hold the feboat
up tot. [ took on bJsrd-asking for the ladies' ana
children hrst-all that thought safe. told the
remainder 10 keep COOL that another boat coming
behind us They said All right" tor the boat had not
srdd Va1t, for tne sonincton aud met boat
with Purser Kieruan IN IT. asked MIN to come along
10 take thorough look around the wreck upon the star
board quarter. found boat iulI OF whteI ana en-
tangled Ia the after dayt fail. which proved to be the
Que that was lowered aud swamped by the passengers
Iiound TWO ladies' ohe small hoy aud one
drowned. TOOK them on ooatd OF my oost.
Plot Thompson jumped INTO the swaInped boat ana
cleared from the dayit fan, baied her partly ana
then asked for man 10 pun an oar aug pan. 'i ~
dell volunteered, and another man 2ot ~ tneh P"Siu
S Sn and IN o fSn on Inc Sag Bsor
reaching her boat called US c auo ,, e'h sTr
hne and hin lis 20 the sonngton" which they DID, the
boat proving be the We had Ias taken pasSehRefs
sengers abolrd the stoElngOn. made fast my 9nat
changed into the boat with Pilot Thompson ana bag
gage master Rogers, who offered to 20 with u.s. -
We then started back for the wreck, followed Dy FIRST
Officer MoWry Ia his boat with crew ana seeoad oncet
Tie wreck: neither found nor heard anyone
in answer 10 our shouts tneu returned and
made fast TO the wreck. ami IN COMPANY with
my officers aud remained there through the
night and The following day unu II O'Clock. when tue
1rst boat. A f. Burnside OF Now-LODdon, arrived, DIS
patched the company orders TO render every assist
snee soon after Captain SCOTS wIecklng schOOner
Report came by the company. The third arriva
Was the cOmpanys steamer Electra, dispatched TOm
uOnngtOn 10 render assistance.
ASSISTED BY THE BURNSIDE.
Captain Waterman. % the Burnside, asked what as
ussnce he could render / told him had sent
First Officer MOwry with two boats and crews TO the
conieid Lghtship. and wished he would stop and
take the boats and stonington which ne did, at
The same time taking three bodies that had been PICKED
oy fishing steamers and transferred 70 the United