The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-06-18
LOSS OF THE NARRAGANSETT.
Particulars of the Long Island Sound
Calamity.


two large steamers of the Stonington line came
in collision in Long Island sound Both boats
were crowded with passengers. Competition
had driven the fare between New York and
Boston via the sound down to ST. Many per-
sons took advantage of the small fare, and all
the boats, since the reduction, have carried
large companies. There was a dense fog.
which swept in from the sea, and did
not lift for two hours after daybreak
! Yelled in this fog, the two steamboats,, APP
preaching from opposite directions, crashed
into one another. The Na1ragansett left her
| wharf in New York at the close of the after
noon. The StoningJon left her wharf in Ston-
ington several hours later. There was heavy
fog the whole length of the sound when the
Stonington started. This same fog overcrept the
| NarTagansett. Both steamers plunged on at a
good rate of speed, sounding their fog-whistles
and trusting to the accurate hearing of their pi-
| lots and masters to find them safe way Every
half minute the whistles shrieked. The faint
sound of the Narragansett's whistle was first
heard by the Stonington at a point near the
Cornfeld ightship, few miles west of the
mouth of the Connecticut river and five miles
from the Connecticut shore. The Narragansett's
signal said to bear to the left. The Stonington
answered with the same signal
The signals sounded as if there was good
distance east and west between the two boats !;
but in moment more the lights of the two
vessels shone through the fog and they were
l. going in the same course in opposite directions
The helm of the NaTagansett was thrown
sharp about, which brought her broadside to
the Stonington. The Stonington plunged on
and struck her on the starboard quarter just in
front of the wheel. The shock was terrific
It shook the StoniAgton, which struck
point on, in such a way as to throw all
| her sleeping passengers out of their berths. It
ripped open a great hole in her bow, almost
down to the waters edge. If the sea had been
/ heavy she must have gone down at the shock.
All the Narragansetts lights were instantly ex-
| tinguished. Passengers found themselves
locked in their stateroomss in absolute dark
ness. The side of the boat was ripped open
below the waters level, and she filled and
sank Immediately. fire also broke forth,
/ and SO hercely that In an hour and half
at farthest all the parts of the vessel remaining
above water were destroyed. Fortunately, she
sank in shallow water. She must have settled
upon some bar, for the water rose only just
high enough to submerge the saloon deck. The
| upper deck would have afforded a safe asylum
had it not been for the fire. Many of the pas
sengers on board the Narragansett waited
neither for the sinking nor for the fire. In
sudden terror they leaped into the sea- and,
becoming numbed and exhausted. sank
before the arrival of aid Those who waited
were saved. Immediately upon the shock the
bulk of the passengers climbed upon the top
deck. The boat sank, but it fortunately soon
struck bottom, and they were still safe. Then
the fire broke forth. It whipped so fiercely to
leeward that the boats on that side could not be
lowered, but the boats to windward were sue
cessfully let into the water, all save one, which
was swamped with considerable company
The ife-rafts were pushed overheard. They
proved the salvation of scores. Passengers
dashed themselves in life-jeckets, and so pro-
tected leaped into the water to avoid the fire.
| Meanwhile assistance was at hand. The steamer
City of New York, bound for the metropolis,
came up aud hailed the Stonington. Life-boats
were manned from both boats, and soon the
rescued were being lifted aboard the Stonlng-
ton and the New York by the score.
The panic which followed the collision was
| terrible. Men, women and children Jumped
from their beds and rushed, shrieling, from
their staterooms and berths- of them
in their night clothes. They filled the dark
ened saloon and pushed and iostled each
other in their frantic efforts to get upon the
deck. The officers seem to have lost their
heads completely, and, with the exception of
the purser, John Herman, not one of them,
from the accounts of the passengers, seems
| to have done anything to stop the panic
Lights were finally procured, and the passen-
gers fought for chairs, mattresses, life-preserv-
ers, and every article which would possibly aid
to float them. There were heroic men in that
struggling mass of terrified human beings, and
there were, too, cowardly creatures, who took
advantage of the weakness of women and chill
dren to save their own worthless lives.
l In the confusion and terror of the moment
husbands were separated from wives, and
children from parents, and all fought but for
one object-to grasp the life which was fit
ting from them. Some, weaker than the
others, tainted some prayed, while all shrieked
wildly for aid.
In the midst of the tumult the Narragansett
was discovered to be on fire. The bow of the
StOningtOn had penetrated the boiler of the
other boat, the burning Goals of the furnace
had been scattered on the oiled woodwork of
the steamer, and now to the fear of death by
drowning were added the horrors of a death by
burning. This increased the panic, and 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 precious cargoes
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 waters 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 filed with
struggling men and women, and the little one
was wrenched from her grasp and sucked be-
meath the waters.
The incidents of that terrible night are full
Of suffering and agony to scores of human be-
ings. While these terrible scenes were being
enacted on the Narragansett. the officers of the
Stonington seemed to have lost their heads
completely. The passengers. after being as
sured of their own safety-the fear of which
had for time filled them with horror
urged the officers to send boats to res
cue the drowning passengers of the
Narragansett. After long delay the
boats were lowered, and then it was found there
were no plugs to stop the water-holes. To
supply these created another delay, and all the
time the cries for help were ringing on the
night air. The boats were finally rugged ana
manned. but the men knew nothing of hand
ling the oars, and the result was confusion
and much loss of invaluable time
Once at work, however, the boats of
the Stonington did well and rescued many
of the drowning men and women. The men
worked with a will, which made up in some de-