The Portland daily press., 1880-07-24
THE SOUND DISASTER.

NEW LONDON, July 23.-First officer Morey
was recalled and testified in regard to the gas
supply. Coal gas was taken on at each end of
the route. The gas on the night of the collis-
sion was taken from the New York gas works.
In all his experience gas never went out but
once, and then in heavy gale. He condemned
life preservers. They were not put where they
would be accessible to passengers. He found
Narragansett's boats he found after the coils
ion and returned to the steamer.
John NJ johnson, a detective ON the Nara
gansett, heard the Narragansett blow two
steamer with one faint whistle. He told the
steward it was the Stonington. Soon after he
heard another whistle two points on the star
board The watch and steward said "She is
going to strike u.s." He went to the ladies'
cabin and told the occupants to get out as soon
as possible, then went aft and endeavored to
calm the passengers. Clerk Herman came to
him and asked for a lantern. He wanted to
try and get his passenger list. When he knew
the ship was on fire he instructed the passen'
gers to go up on the hurricane deck, which the
most OF them did. He then saw men lowering
a boat. Witness went in the boat and assisted
IN saving passengers. In his opinion if the
male passengers had acted half as well as the
women there would not have been five passen-
gers lost. He had followed the sea thirteen
years and had been in the United States navy,
and thoroughly understood the management
OF small boats He saw no extra mattresses
on the steamer the night of the collision.
Horace Ell. Lamphere, master of the City of
New York, said that after passing Cornfield II
minutes heard boat elbow four whistles and
soon after four whistles more and then hauled
sharp up to the northwest. Soon after that
saw a light from the Narragansett and within
minute ran across the bow of the Stoning-
ton and was told by the captain he had been
in collision with the Narragansett. Capt. Nye
asked him to pick up all he could in the
water and then to come to him as he was dis
abled., Three boats were lowered on the star
board side and two on the port, commanded
by officers of the steamer and manned by the
crew. Gould not tell how many were rescued
by the boats of the City of New York. Heard
the number estimated as high as 200. Did not
know how many passengers his steamer took
from the Narragansett and StOnington. The
rescued passengers were provided with food
and liquor and given blankets to take
the place of clothing. So far as he knew
nothing was done by the officers of the Ston-
ington line to relieve the passengers willie
they remained on the New York. A son of
Capt. Babeock came to the boat ten minutes
before five that afternoon 1--WE arrived about 10
a. m,) and wanted to know il Capt. Babcock,
or any OF his folks had been there. He was
answered in the negative ,wllereupon he said he
thought 1t was a little rough, to which Capt
Lamphere replied, 81 think it id nonsense
lie thought boats running west that night
could hear signals quicker by one-half than
those running east 1t was more difficult to
hear whistle on the Stonington line than
any other in the sound He knew one in
stance in which the Narragansett and
the Stonington have mistaken each
others signals. They blow their whistles as Of
ten as other boats. He was pilot about % years
ago on the Stonington Line and was the only
pilot on board. He thought there should be
at least four men in the pilot house when it
becomes necessary to put down the wheel pref
ty sudden though of course it made a differ
to how the h0at Stanrnd IN
both pilots were kept in the pilot house during
the trip. In thick weather he was always
there himself and was there always in all
kinds of weather on the trip from New Lon
don to New York. He thought the Stoning
ton and Narragansett could not go within two
minutes of each other the night of the coils
ion without hearing each others whistle, pro-
vided the whistles were properly blown.
Danlel Il. Rodman, passenger on the Ston-
lngton, said the Stonington was blowing fog
whistle at intervals Of from one-half to three
quarters of minute. About an hour after
leaving, the Stonngton heard steamer on
the port bow and soon after she was passed.
About fifteen minutes before the collision
heard another boats blow one whistle which
was answered. The boats came nearer and
nearer and finally passed very close on the
port side. Soon afterSheard another steamer
which was answered by the Stoningtons whis-
tie, and answer was repeated three or four
times Think it was from five to eight min
uo0o 1ulH WHiSOlllS was kepG up between the
two steamer. Looked out of the stateroom
window and saw light very close off the port
bow and saw the hull of the Narragansett,
and collision followed very quickly. The
shock was very light when the steamers
strnck. Saw the Narragansett swing along
side and drift by and hailed her, asking what
steamer it was. Then left my stateroom and
went out on the forward saloon deck. Re-
turned to the window and looking saw the
Narragansett on the starboard quarter and
almost Immediately saw flames shoot out
from her as if there had been a gas explosion
Saw one of the boats lowered and noticed
her pulling round the stern of the Stonington
and asked those ON board why they did not
rescue passengers from the Narragansett who
could then be seen in the water. Reply was
that the plug was out of the boat
and that she would founder be-
fore she could reach the Narragansett. Think
Capt. Young was in the second or third boat
that arrived at the Stonington. Remained on
the Stonington and assisted in getting out
of them had life preservers. Some mad taken
them off in the small boats Think all the
boats were well filled except the first Could
not tell how long after the collision the City of
New York arrived. The passengers who were
rescued towards the last were very much ex-
hausted. All were carefully attende d to. He
saw the steward and one other officer of the
Stonington whom he did not know assisting
the rescued passengers after the collision.
These were the only officers of the steamer he
saw. Thought the engine of the Stonington was
probably stopped about five minutes before
collision. The boat was moving very slowly
when she struck.
Adjourned to Tuesday next.