The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1880-06-24
An Ocean Horror.

"A disaster at sea rlVallng any OF pre-
vious occurrence, took place on Long
Island Sound last week At about mid
night in the midst of q dense fog the
steamer Narragansett was run into by
the steamer Stonington, and huge hole
cutin her starboard side. Within five
minutes thereafter the Narragansett
caught fire, and was wrapped in flames
before all the passengers could even
leap into the water The number on
board the ill-fated vessel is variouslv es-
timated at from three hundred and fifty
to five hundred, and it is probable that
at least one hundred were lost. The
City Of New York and the Stonington
picked up the survivors. Some of the
petty officers of the Narragansetts saved
their cowardly carcasses by taking pos
session of the first life-boat launched,
abandoning women and children to GER
tain DEATH The incidents of the cal
amity, while painful are frightened by
the display of acts ofindividual heroism,
in which women played an important
part. Several of the Narragansett's pas
sengers were struck by the Stonington,
and three statc-rooms were carried COM
pletely away in the collision. The Ston-
ington backed out as soon as possible
having lost her bowsprit and
about three feet of her stern.
The panic which followed this rude
awakening of the passengers was terri
bic. Men, women, and children jump
ed from their beds and rushed, shrek
ing, from their staterooms and berths,- -
most of them in their night clothes.
They filed the darkened saloon and
pushed and jostlcd each other in their
frantic efforts to get upon the deck. The
Officers seem to have lost their heads
completely. In the confusion and ter
Tor ofthe moment husbands were sepa-
rated from wives, and children from par
ents, and all fought but for one objcct-to
grasp the life that was fitting from them.
Some, weaker than the others, tainted;
some prayed, while all shrieked wildly
for aid. In the midst of the tumult the
Narraganset was discovered to be on
fire. 10 the fear ofdcath by drowning
was added the horrors of death by
burning. This increased the panic, and
a rush was made for the boats; but
there were no officers at their posts to
stop them, and the passengers cut them
adrift and piled into them like sheep.
The first to reach the water was over
crowded, and it was swamped, but the
others were put adrift with their prec-
ious cargocs. The steamer was settling,
the heat from the fire was growing too
severe to be borne, and men, women,
and children plunged into the dark wa
ters with chairs, mattresses, planks, and
whatever they could lay their hands on.
One mother had left her babes in her
stateroom, and the fire and smoke fought
her back as she attempted to rescue
them, SO that she was obliged to leave
them to perish in the flames. Another
jumped with her babe into the water,
already filled with struggling men and
women, and the little one was wrenched
from her grasp and sucked beneath the
waters
& The incidents Of that terrible night
are full of suffering and agony to scores
Of human beings. The boats were final
ly rrigged and manned, but the men
knew nothing of handling the oars, and
the result was confusion and much loss
Of invaluable time For an hour and
half the boats tloated around among
the drowning passengers whose struggles
in the water were made visible by the
light of the burning steamer, and the
work of rescue was not given up so
long as a head was to be seen or cry
for help heard. Women were pulled
into the boats by the hair of their heads
when they were just ready to give up
the battle, and men who thought them
selves strong fell down apparently life
less on the decks of the Stonington and
City of New York after being rescued.
Several persons who were taken on
board the Stonington died from sheer
exhaustion and the fright after having
battled in the water for nearly two
hours. The women, exhibited in most
cases a heroism and q calmness which
is not looked for in their sex, while the
cowardice and selfishness were reserved
for the men to practice.
Several instances of cowardly brutitv
on the part Of the men are given in the
stories of the survivors of this night of
peril, but all agree in the statement that
the women proved themselves veritable
hcroines. The Narragansettw was burned
to the waters edge, and then the hull,
with her entire cargo, sank in eight
fathoms of water. No accurate list of
her passengers was kept, and many
sailed in her are not now known. 1t is
therefore impossible to estimate the
exact loss.