Morning journal and courier., 1880-11-08
NEW ENGLAND.
Rhode Island.

The Rhode Island Wrecked - Driven
 Ashore in Fog = Cool Officers and Calm Passengers-story of the Wreck. PROVIDENCE, Nov. 7.-The steamer Rhode Island, of the Providence line, went ashore on Bonnet Point, near Beaver Tail, Nara gansett Bay, yesterday morning before day light. No passengers were lost, but one or two of the crew were hurt. At daylight the passengers and crew were safely landed. It was half-past 3 o'clock when the passengers first became aware that anything unusual had happened. They were aroused by the Rhode Island rolling slightly, as though she had struck something A few minutes later the steamer swung around and struck agaln just back of the paddle box. It was then found that the steamer had ashore. The fog was so dense during the night that the Rhode Island ran very slow and Captain Mott was constantly occupied in making soundings and had used the lead just before the vessel grounded The sea was running very high l at the time, and the steamer went upon the | rocks and it was at first thought would quick ly go to pieces. The lower part of the vessel 1 was stove, and she soon began filling with water. There were great holes in the boat both forward and aft of the wheel house | Her hog frame was smashed, her smokestack ! had tumbled down and the vessel seemed to | be splitting in half. There were 750 tons of ! various kinds of freight on board and this began to float about. About one hundred | and twenty passengers were on board. They waited patiently until daylight, and then were safely landed and taken to Narragansett Pier, ! &o l at half-past twelve o'clock yesterday Only one man seems to have been hurt. He was l injured by a falling chandelier, but not seri ously. Many persons left their staterooms l without taking all their clothing and valua- l bles.
 The passengers were landed as safely as though they had stepped of the dock at Providence, not one being wet or injured. One and all, they speak in unanimous terms l of praise and admiration of the conduct of the captain, officers and the crew. They I were at their posts perfectly cool, performed ! their duty promptly and wisely, and great credit is due them. Only few of the pas
 sengers lost any clothing but of course 8
 large portion of the baggage may be damaged
 or destroyed, how much cannot be ascer.
 tained at present. One passenger, . Boston
 lady, who came to Providence with scarcely
 any clothing, was courteously furnished with
 the necessary wardrobe by Agent Gardiner
 and forwarded to her home. The scene o1
 the. wreck was visited by large numbers o1
 people from the surrounding village.
 special to the St0r from Narraganseti
 pier gives the following particulars of the
 wrecked Rhode Island The steamer is
 total wreck, and all that was left of her above
 water at sunset on Sunday was her engines
 paddle wheels and the port half of her aft o
 the paddle boxes. Captain Mott, Second
 Pilot Thompson and the mates, with @ few
 men, stayed by her Saturday night until !
 o'clock, and then boarded the f'Doris,n be
 longing to the same company, which had ar
 rived from New York an hour earlier. Sun
 day morning the sea was so high, and tn
 Rhode Island breaking up so fast, that fur
 ther efforts to board her were useless. Tn
 freight was nearly all out of her. She lies ol
 sunken rocks at the foot of blnf sixty fee
 high. and not over fifty yards from land
 Crowds Of spectators have occupied the bluff
 all day, and large fleet of steamers an'
 smaller craft are engaged in wrecking. N loss of life nor serious accident is reported