The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-07-23
THE SOUND DISASTER.
Continuation of the Narragansett Inves-
tiQatiOn.

Continuation of the Narragansett Inves-
tigation.
NEW LONDON, July 22.-Wm. Kirsted, col
ored waiter on the Narragansett, testified that
he was on the watch at the time of the coils
ion, in the Stateroom hall alone After the
collision he went forward to see where the
steamer was struck, then came aft knocked at
the stateroom doors and called passengers to
get out quick. He then got out the life pre-
servers and distributed them to the passengers
He remained in the stateroom until the water
reached it, when he went to the hurricane deck
where boat with ten persons took him off
The boat picked up others from the water.
Peter P. johnson, pantryman on the Nara
gansett saad at the collision the lamps went
out and he went up stairs and got a lantern
and called up the passengers in the forward
q cabin, and all left the cabin before he did
There were Is or 20 passengers in the forward
cabin. He was confident there were no mat
tresses on the floor as there were plenty of
spare berths. He then went to the hurricane
deck and assisted in lowering boat, and went
in it with Waldron and johnson to the steam
;ser City of. New York and did not return to the
y Narragansett.
Jane johnson, stewardess on the Nsrragan-
sett testified that her duties were to attend
to passengers in the two ladies' cabins, the
main cabin and one below which was reached
from the main cabin by stairs in the rear. AS
: soon as the boats struck, she got up, and being
told that there was no danger called such pas
rooms. They went out on the quarter deck
and she assisted them in putting on life-pre-
servers. She was confident that no passengers
were in the lower aides cabin and only two of
the upper berths in the main cabin were occu-
pied. All the other berths and all stateroems
were filled. In every statoroom life pre-
server to each berth and also one at the foot of
each of the open berths. After leaving the
cabin, the officers assisted her to a boat
which she left the steamer. The witness
stated that it was not the custom to give out
berths in the lower ladies' cabin until all the
berths in the main cabin had been disposed of
Also that there were no mattresses made up i'll
cabin that night. She estimated the number
of berths occupied in the ladies' cabin that
night at twenty, but could not say how many
passengers were in state rooms.
Chas. w. Field, second mate of the Nara
gansett gave testimony as to the lowering of a
boat and launching of two RATS, the second of
which he went on himself. He was driven off
the steamer by fire. He returned with boat
from the Stonington, rescuing passengers. He
was positive all the rescued passengers had
life preservers. Could not say how many of
the crew assisted in lowering and manning the
boats. The men behaved well and without
excitement. Saw no cork mattresses in the
water, though he knew there were some on
board. The boats had been taken down three
or four times since April, but there was no
general drill in them. He received no in
structions as to exercising the crew in the
boats. There were % or 80 condemned life
preserv ers on the main deck Never heard
the first officer order them put ashore.