Morning journal and courier., 1880-07-19
The Narragansett.
The InspectOr's investigation Began
 Statement Of the Officers.


 Statement Of the Officers.
 The investigation into the Narragansett disaster was begun by Inspectors Hovey and Beckwith in the Superior Court room at New London, on Saturday morning at 10 o'clock, Captain William Smith Young, of Jersey City, was first called and made a W rit- ten statement regarding the disaster. He was in temporary command of the steamer on the night of the disaster The substance of Captain Youngs statement is as follows
 At two minutes past nine P. m. the st eamer passed Stratford shoals. The course of the steamer was then E N to Faulkner sIIsland, and thence it was to be laid E N to Corn field light. Young approved of that course. After detailing the circumstance of passing
 the propeller Tillie, of New London, about
 three points on the Narragansett's port bow,
 Captain Young's statement is as follows
 I asked Pilot Thompson at 11:2O D. m the
 time of night. He said, 'It is about time for
 the boats" About eight minutes after we sighted bright light two and one-half points on our starboard bow. 1 was then in the starboard side of the pilot house. At once gave two short blasts in quick succession, and put the ship to starboard. heard one faint l blast from the approaching steamer. Then | the signals from the other boat were given so confusedly that we could not tell if her whistles were meant for one two or three l blasts. I rang to ''slow'' and stop, and sounded two blasts three times distinguisha- ble at intervals. At the same time I rang to go back, and gave three blasts twice. I heard three blasts from the other boat, which sub-
 sequently proved to be the Stonington, and
 immediately after she struck us between the. forward gangway and the starboard paddle box. From the time of sighting the Stoning- ton to the time of the collision two or three minutes intervened.
 Just after the collision I told the pilot to 'let her go ahead wide open, 7" knowing that
 she was pointed for the west end of Cornfield shoals, and at the same tinie ordered the mate called, and told Second Officer Field to clear
 away and lower the boats and life rafts as fast as possible First Officer Mercy during l this time was examining the extent of the damages. The next officer who came to me was Officer Kiernan. I told him to call every body and tell them to put on ife-preservers. Mercy reported that the steamer was making
 water very fast. then repeated the order about the boats and rafts. During this time Pilot Thompson was in the pilot house,
 sounding signals of distress as long as he had
 steam to call with. About eight to ten min
 utes after the collision a blaze was reported
 on the port side of the smokestack. I told
 the bow watch to try to put it out, but as I saw that it was useless to battle with the fire,
 1 ordered him to lower the port boat. It was filled with passengers and lowered.
 The boats and rafts were all lowered suc-
 cessfullY excepting one, which was under
 taken to get clear, but the fire drove the men
 away. Boat number was lowered in the
 water and the passengers rushed into her and
 filled her alongside. After telling the bow
 watch to leave the fire and assist at the port
 bow boat, l went to see if the forward star
 board boat was being lowered, and in going
 stepped across the gap made by the Stoning-
 ton. assisted to lower the starboard for
 ward boat, and took in all passengers on the hurricane deck forward of the wheel Con- munication aft was cut of by fire. Pushed of and took in all found between the Mar ragansett and Stonington and took them to the Stonington. picked up several persons on my way back.
 I found large number of passengers on the promenade deck, at the bow, of the Mar ragansett. She was now aground in five fathoms of water. The tide ran very fast by her stern, which made it difficult to hold the boat up to it. I took all I thought it safe to take, asking for ladies and children first. told the remainder to keep cool, as another boat was coming. I started again for the Stonington and met another boat with Purser Kiernan in charge I asked him to take part of my load, as was deep in the water and wished to make a thorough search around the wreck. Upon the starboard quarter of the Narragansett found boat half full of water and entangled in the after davit fall In it were one man, two women, one small boy and one drowned woman. Took them away in my boat. Pilot Thompson jumped into the swamped boat and bailed her partly out He asked for volunteers to bail and row, and Officer Truesdel volunteered. again started for the Stonington, picking up all could on the way. Before reaching her boat hailed us and took our line to the Stonington That boat was the one we had last taken passengers  made fast my boat and changed to the boat with Pilot Thompson. Baggage Master 1 Rogers went back with us to the wreck, and First Officer Mercy and crew, and 1 Second Officer Field and crew followed us. We made a thorough search in the l waters around the Narragansett. We shouted but heard no response. I then made fast to ! the wreck, and in company with my officers l and crew remained all night and until noon of | the next day.
 Here followed recital of the appearance | Of the tug Burnside, the schooner Report and | the steamer Electra, the recovery of four dead | bodies and their removal by the Burnside Il and Electra to Stonington- Illusions were made to the bravery of Mrs. Dix, of Brook lyn, who kept one of the boats from swamp ing, and to the assistance rendered by Young to several passengers who were ignorant of | the matter of attaching life preservers to their persons. It was also stated that none of the officers were in uniform, and to that is due, Captain Young thinks, the report that after the collision none of the officers were seen.
 In the afternoon George Finkle, who was acting chief engineer of the ill-fated steamer, was examined at length, but no new facts were deduced from his testimony.
 George F. Nye, the captain of the Ston- ington, after describing the collision, said: After the collision the engine stopped and the boats drifted apart the Earragansett to the eastward and the Stonington to the west ward. We probably drifted one-eighfh of mile apart. I did not think it safe to 90 nearer the Narragansett on account of the fire. We remained near the scene of the collision until a. m-, leaving her to drift during all this time. It was the last of the dood tide and we drifted to the northward