New-York tribune., 1880-06-14


hour before the collision he was upon the deck talk
inc with one of the officers. Thinking the rate OF
speed was somewhat rapid considering the fog
which prevailed, Mr.. Beatty asked the officer how
fast they were travelling. The officer replied:
About fourteen miles an hour"
"Suppose you should be out of your cOursep was
then asked.
"There is no danger of that" was the reply
owe know perfectly well just where we are"
"At times the whistles would stop blowing"
added Mr. Beatty to the reporter but thought that
the reason for this was that the fog had cleared"
Newton S. otis. of No. 395 Court-st., Brooklyn,
another passenger of the Narragansett who was
rescued after being in the water two and half
hours, stated yesterday that the statements to the
effect that the lights of the cabin were put ont by
the shock of the collision were incorrect 81 am
positive" he said, that the cabin lights were burn
ing fully fifteen minutes after the Stoningon struck
us. | was sound asleep in berth In
the lower rear cabin when the shock oc-
CURED and was the last to leavo
dressed myself and went up on the deck. As
there were many there and much confusion, l re-
turned to my berth to get life preserver When
returned to the deck had to wade in water on the
floor but the lights in the cabin were burning then
This is why am positive the lights were not put
out. The collision occurred at exactly 1880, New-
York time for l looked at my watch as awOke.
That the vessel was full conclude from the fact
that the staterooms all taken when
I went on board Besides this all the berths in
our cabin were taken, and heard several say that
many of the stateroomS contained two persons
There was an unusually large number of children
OH board. AS went upon the rear end of the sa-
loon deck could hear cries but supposed that they
came from the other vessel, for up to that time
imagined that we had run INTO another boat. and
that she was the one injured. Outside it was 80
dark that couldn't Gee my hand before my face.
The deck began to fill and then climbed on to the
rudder box, and so up to the hurricane deck. AS
soon as I reached this the flames burst forth for
ward Of the chmneys, and in few moments they
had reached a height of thirty feet Most of the
passengers jumped off in panic. did not see an
officer of the boat during this time. Standing at
the flagstaff saw man and his wife and little
boy struggling in the water. The boy was clingIng
TO mis- mothers neck. As looked, the child loOs
ened its grasp and fell back into the water.
Jumped in to save him, but when arose to the sur
face they were ont Of sight. had miscalculated
the distance. The water then was lighted by the
flames and should say that there were fully 200
persons in tho water. My hfc-preserver did not
fasten well. and with permission caught hold Of
two chairs by the aid of which a Mr. Pine. of Prov-
dence, was being kept atoat.
"He was sixty or sixty-fve years of age. The sea
was very quiet The Narrag burned for nearly
an hour. saw no one sink out of sight. We were
carried over mile from the Narragansett and could
lust see the lights of the two steamers in the fog.
Then it became dark and we began to fear that we
were fated to pass the night floating about in the
water and darkness My companion began to give
way and complained of cramps. l tried to cheer
him with light remarks, but the situation was too
awful for joking. We kept up cries, and at last
boat came to us. We were the last ones picked up
u, I,,,,1N- ,,,1
my coat and umbrella. which had preserved so far
by attaching them to the chairs. had to drop be-
cause nv fnge4 were too stiff to lift them up Just
as we were well in the row-bOat it began to rain
heavily. When we were lifted on board the Ston-
ingtou the passengers and the cabin crew of the
steamer dld all that was possible for u.s. giving us
strong coffee wrapping us in warm blankets and
rubbing US. As near as can ascertain the Nara
gansett was not blowing whistles at sufficiently
short intervals. One of the passengers, who
was awake at the time, told me that
he heard the whistles of both boats mp
preaching gradually 3earcr and nearer,
and wondered why the Nara gansett did not change
her course. just as he about getting up the
collision occurred close to where be was. and he was
covered with spinters and jammed into an adjoln-
ing stateroom. He stated positively that the sig
nal for slowing not given TIL three seconds be-
fore the collision. and the signal to reverse engines
The SOnmgtOn had reversed engines and was back.
ing when the collision occurred. ! should
most assuredly say that both vessels were gong
much fast for the character of the night, and 1T
does seem as If there was bad management some
where: ,Eno ror,oron.a+t understand was mucb ont
of her course. Everything appeared to be right
aboard the steamer when we went to bed. place
the loss between thirty and fifty. There were as
MANY as ten statero crushed III by the collision,
and if these we're occupied, rs undoubtedly they
were those who were IN them must have been killed
instantly, else too severely inquired 10 save the
selves from the flames"
DRIFTING WITH THE CURRENT
Michael Dugan, q passenger on tho Management,
said: Z" was on deck, standing aft, when was
suddcnly startled by crash and a sharp cracking
sound. The night was dark. and heavy fog hung
over the water, but could that another steamer
had run into amidshIps. Several OF the passen-
gers who were aft set TO work to get the boats out
but the first boat launched capsized with about
fifteen passengers In it, Three or four of them
were drowned think. We then got q raft out.
but that caps,zed ALSO As soon as 1t rlghted
number Of passengers jumped on board IT, ana
showed of. BY this time the steamer had caught
NtS work aTG pretty T hard @ if we saved OURSELVES,
I'VE got another raft, and two more boats landed.
There was another large RAFT. but 1t was too bulky
for us to move aud had TO leave II and boat to
be burned MP. In the boat IN winch escaped thrIe
were about forty passenge.s The plugs were not IN
their places and before We had nOtcCd that they
were out the boat was about half filled with water.
We had no oars, ana were unaDle u 10 any IIIHE
except drift around wherever tho currents mlgnt
take us. We were loaded down to within two or
three inches of the waters edge and the were
constantly washing IN on us. expected every mo-
Inent that the boat would swamp; TOOK on my
coat and shoes and threw them away so that
would be ready to swim. by tho blaze from the
burning steamer we could sec numbers oi people
struggling in the water, but we could render tEem
no assistance. i heard ono woman crying out
for some one TO save her Chld'
Others were also calling for help.
When the accident occurred there were three sailors
from the Tennessee board One Of them was
aseep in his berth and knew nothing Of the collision
nntiI the water came in on him. Then he swain
nntil he reached tho stars and got on dccE. An
other of them Jumped overheard, and was lmlne-