The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-06-13
TELEGRAPHIC
ANOTHER
Terrible Collision Of Steam
boats.
Fifty Lives LOst-PiteOzs
Tales.
COwardIy Officials aud Brutal
Crew.

Tales
COWardIy Officials aud Bruts
Crew.
: New York, 1.-THE steamboats, Ma
rdganSett and St01ingt0g were in coll
: sion last night in Long Island Sound
near the Connecticut River, and to
present announcement is that the Ma
rag Gnsen took fire and sunk The pas
seDgers were rescued as they scattere
along the Long Island shore.
A Boston dispatch says thers are re
ports in that city Of considerable loss O
life by the sinking of the steamer Nara
gGnseh.
The steamers in collision belonged t
the same line The NdTTaganSett wa
on regular trip 10 Stonington, and tn,
New York The collision occurred
about LIS p. M, off Connecticut River.
The NaTTGgG7aSelt took fire and sunk in
four fathoms Of water. Passengers from
both steamers were transferred to
the steamer City Of Nei0 York,
Of the Fall River Line Boston, and
they arrived in New York at l. Is
this morning. 1t is impossible to Aseer-
tain at present the loss Of life Two
bodies, however, have been recovered.
StOningten, Conn, 12-The steamer
Stent1gtOn arrived at $50 this morning
with about fifty survivors from the
| NGTTGgdnSeH The bow of the former
vas stove in nearly to The water line.
| She struck the NGTrdgGnSett at IL. 80
on the stsrbosrd side, forward of the
wheel house. The shock burst the gas
| tank and In fifteen minutes the Mar
T0ga'lSeH was on fire, and soon sank.
| The steamers NetD York and Providence
came to their assistance, and all boats
and life RATS of the four steamers were
| lowered, and put in service. Two hours
elapsed before the last passenger was
picked up. Most of the passengers were
transferred 10 the City of NeO York.
of the NdTrGgGRSett behaved with great
coolnsss and nerve. On the arrival of
the iStontngtO7l the village was aroused,
aud men and women fastened with
clothing and assistance. Twenty-Five
women were on board in thsir night
clothes. One died before reaching here,
from the shock. The body has not yet
been identified. One man alss died,
Rev. Z. B. Lockwood, of Sixty-eighth
street Methodist Church, New York,
who was on his first trip east. Most Of
the eastern Bound passengers left on a
special train. No blame can be made
here of the loss of life. Gen. Agramonte,
among the survivors, says that out Of the
passengers list of more than 800, large
number mult have been lost as the water
around the burning steamer was alive
with struggling people clinging to the
raft and every conceivable thing. Most
OF the women brought hare were in the
water several hours. One lady had
about $1,000 in her vslise, which was
lost. Two ladies on the steamer StOning-
ton died after being picked up. Their
remains await Identification. 1t is feared
most OF the passengers in the berths be-
low the main deck had not time to save
themselves. The bow of the steamer
&OnfnstOn was broken of.
The Post extra has the following ac-
count of the disaster from passenger on
the St0aingt0n: Soon after the steamers
left Providence the weather became
thick. By IL o'clock, nearly everybody
was in bed and all on board was quiet.
At about 11.45, there was sudden crash,
and in moment there was terrible con-
fusion; men, women and children, in all |
stages of undress, rushed frauticslly
from their bertns to the upper deck. For
a few moments, every body thought the
boat was sinking, and there was a strug
gle for lrfe-preEerVers. The officers of
the boat said the boat was leaking for
ward, but there was no danger. 1t was
then seen thst the steamer into which the
SoningtOp ran was the NdrTd0GnSett.
The latt r had been struck Rmidships,
and two or three minutes after the
collision flames burst out and immedi-
EtelY developed the entire vessel. The
scene was frightful. The shrieks and
cries of the passengers on the NGTTG-
gdnSett were distinctly audible on the
St0nlngton. They could be seen leaping
into the water and rushing frantically IN
all directions The boats of the ,StO7llng-
ton were lowered, after delay ofseveral
minutes, and by that tina the NGTrG-
g1nSeh bad settled and was sinking. By
some blunder the plugs in the life boats
we're left out, and they filed with water.
This caused additional delay. The men
in the boats did not know how to row
them. At last they reached the scene of
the wreck and picked up number of
persons floating on life preservers, chairs,
mattresses, tables, plauks, etc. The
scene was appalling. At this juncture
the City of Nel0 York came up and lay
off at some distance, she lowered her
boats and picked up as many of the
drowning passengers as she could ind.
When all hope of further rescue was
abandoned the Stonin0ton transferred
some rescued persons, us in number, to
the City of NeO York, and returned to
Stonipgton. Many of the passengers
rescued were badly scalded; others were
half naked. J. h. Wilcox, adjusting
agent of the New York Life Insurance
Company, and president, Chicago,
was 8 passenger on the NafTG-
qanSeH and relates the following story:
Aroused by the noise of the collision, he
Immediately realized what had happened
and fastened from the state room, carry
ing his pantsloons and coat, but leaving
behind $500 and the crutch which he
usually uses, having but one leg. The
boat was now on tire, and there was
scene of the utmost terror and confusion.
A woman flung herself upon him, scream
ing. Save nae and my child" He man
gsd to dress him,elf and struggle on
deck, where there was scene Of equally
mad confusion and frantic fear. A
dense fog prevailed, and only the whistle
and bell Of the Stonington gave token OF
her presence not far off. There Was
cry for q life boat, and one was cut loose
from amidship. from near where Wilcox
was standing. He threw himself over
the side Of the boat and fell safely within
it. Others followed, including the woman
who buried him beneath her weight.
| Some one cut the boat loose, and it was
| pushed eff from the burning steamer to
avoid being swsmped by passengers.
who were swimming about supported
| by life preservers or pieces of furniture,
| and filling the air with cries for help.
The boat was pulled out and within 3
short time the NdTrdgGnsett sunk, leav-
ing total darkness on the water. Tbs
boat remained out for . while, Wilcox
Judged to be about three hours, when,
fearing the approach of the coming
storm, be urged the men to pull for the
steamer ,StoTaington, which was still
blowing her whistle as the only hope
to escape being upset they did so, and
were saved. The boats load, including
Wilcox, numbered thirteen, Three, he
thinks, were the crew of the NdrT0gdR-
sett. Wilcox did not learn the name OF
any person in the boat.
Providence, IA passenger OF the
NdrTGgdnSett estimates the number OF
Lost at tifty. The clerk If the Nara
0dnSett places them at thirty. The
purser of the NdrTdg0nsett stated that
there were not more that 800 passengers
on board the boat, and that the loss
Cannot exceed fifty, as it is known that
more than 200 were brought 10 this city
apd laroa Numbers were taken back Ia