The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-06-12
steRnboat Dtsaster-Tsrrib1e Loss
Notwithstanding Scsnes.s

10 D6slk6 Dkys
Steamboat Dtsaster-Tsrrib1e Loss of
Ltfe-Eeart-rendingS Scsnes.s
New York, June l2.-The steam boats
Stonington and Narragansett were in col
lision last night on Long Island sound and
the present announcement is that the
NaYragansett took FIRE and sunk. The
passengers rescued are scattered all along
Long Island shore. A Boston dispatch
says there are reports in that city of con-
siderable loss of life by the sinking of the
Narraganseft.
SToNINGToN. Conn, June l2.-The
Stonington arrived this morning with
about fifty survivors from the Narragan-
sett. The bow of the former is stove in
nearly to the water line. She struck the
|Narragansett at 1870 on the stsrboard
side. forward of the wheel house. The
shock burst the gas tank and in Is min
utes, the Narragansett was on fire and
sank. The steamers New York and
Providence came to the 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 to the City OF New I ork.
The passengers say the officers and crew
coolness and nerve. On the arrival of the
of ID. 8. Babcock, president of the old
reliable Stonington line, to which the
steamer Stonington belongs, the only in
formation that could be obtained was. that
there had been q collision. Nothing could
be learned of the fate of the passengers.
a private dispatch says number OF lives
were lost. The disaster took place near
the Connecticut river.
The village was aroused and men and
women fastened with clothing and assist
ance; 25 women went on board IN their
night clothes, one died before reaching
here from the shock. The body is not yet
identified. One man also died, Rev. L.
B. Lockwood, 68th street Methodist
church, New York. who was on his first
trip east The most eastern bound pas
sengers left on special train. No esti-
mate can be made here of the loss OF lie,
but there is q general agreement among
the survivors that out of the passengers
list Of more than 300, large Lumber
must have been lost. as the water around
the burning steamer was alive with
struggling people, clinging to rafters and
every conceivable thing. Most OF the
women brought here were in the water
several hours One lady had about $4,000
in her yalise, which was lost Two ladies
on the steamer Stonington died after being
picked up Their remains await identlh-
cation. 1t is feared that most OF the pas
sepgers who were 10 berths below deck.
did not have time TO save themselves.
The bow of the steamer Stonington was
knocked off.
New York. June l2. The f-Ost extra
has the following account Of The disaster
from a passenger on the Stonnington.
soon after the steamer left Providence.
the weather became thick. By l / o'clock
nearly everybody was in bed and alI on
board quiet At about LAS there was a
sudden crush and in a moment there Wes
terrible confusion Men, women and
children In all stages of undress, rushed
| frauticaIly from their berths and rushed
to the upper decks. For few moments
everybody thought the boat was SINKING
and there was a struggle tor the lie pre-
servers. The officer OF the boat SAID the
| boat was a,ing forward but therewas no
danger 1t wss then seen that steamer
| into which the StouuIugton had run, was
the Narrangapset, the latter had been
struck amidshir, and two or three minutes
after the collision, flames burst out and
Also Immediately enveloped the entire
vessel. The scene was frighttul- Ihe
| shrieks and cries of the passengers on the
| Narran9ansett were distinctly audible on
the Stonnington. They could be seen
| loanina into the water and rushing frantl
| eaIiy In al! directions. The boats
of the Stopington we're lowered after
DELAY of several minutes. and 10y that time
| the Narraganset had settled and wac
sinking. By some blunder the plugs 10
| the life boats were left out and they h.ieo
with water. This caused additional delay.
The men iu the boats did not know how TO
row them, but at last they reached the
scene Of the wreck and picked up NUNS
her of persons floating on life preservers,
mattresses, chairs, tables planks DC. The
scene was appalling. At this iuncture the
1 Gitv of New York came up and lay on al
| soma Distance. She lowered her boats and
nicLod mn as many of the drowning pas
sancers as she could find. When ali hope
oe further rescue was abandoned, the
| Stonin9ton after further transferring some
rascued persons, ITS in number. TO the City
of New York. returned to the Stonington.
| Many of the passengers rescued were
h.dIv sealded, others were half naked.
| W. D. Book, of Pittsburg, ana Jonn
Weich. Milwaukee, are saved. new Dr.
! Iock wood who died after being taken from
the water, was on his first trip west he
purser OF the Narragansett sta.eo thelo
we're not more than three hundred pas
sepaers on the boat. and that the iose Ian
not exceed SO, as it is known inoIe 'naI
two hundred were brOugh TO TINS c.'s S.a
large numbers we're taken uaIA - -
n.us'vhi nar which came up. sent out boats and
n;cked up several people. A passenger
and % navel cadet were swimming about Tor
an an bonr before they were picked up. One
70 vonns % man was seen to deliberately shoot
himself when cries of FIRE and n tina. dn, .ns
boat was sinking were raised. The report
of pistol was also heard 10 anotneI