The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-06-17
AN APPALLING ACCIDENT.

Everything by turns, anu nothing long.
AN APPALLING ACCIDENT.
Fatal Steamboat Collision In Long Island
Sound.
NEW YORK, June II.
The steamer Narvagansett, which left
New York last evening for Stonington,
and the Stonington, which left Stonington
for New York, collided off the Connecti-
cut River about Ills last night. The
Narragansett, took fire and sunk shortly
afterwards.
SToN1NGToN, June 12.-The &oning-
ton arrived here about $50 this morning
with about fifty of the survivors of the
Narragansett. The bow of the former
struck the Marragansett three feet aft of
the stern, cutting her down nearly to the
water line. The shock burst the gas
tank, and in fifteen minutes the Marra-
qanseU was on fire. She sank in four
| fathoms Of water. The steamers Cty
of Ncv York and Providence came to her
assistance, and all the boats and life RATS
of the four steamers were lowered and
put in service. Two hours elapsed be-
fore the last passenger was picked up,
most of whom we're transferred to the
City of New York. On the arrival at
Stonington the village was aroused, and
men and women hastened with clothing
and assistance. twenty-five women were
on board in their night clothes, one of
whom died before reaching here from the
shock. One man, the Rev. E. B. Lock-
wood, of the GSth street Methodist
Church, New York, also died. He was
on his first trip east. No estimate can
be made of the loss Of life; one account
says surviving passengers from the i'll
fated Narraganset all agree that out of q
passenger list of more than three hun
dred, large number must have been
lost, as the water around the burning
steamer was alive with struggling people
clinging to the RATS and every conceiva-
BILE thing. 1t is feared most of the pas
sepgers that were in the berths below the
main deck did not have time to save
themselves.
New YORK, June 12-P. M.-Mr. and
Mrs. Frederick Stilson, of Atlanta, Ga,
were on their way East with their two
little children. 1t appears they took pas
sage on the ill-fated NawaganseH. When
the disaster occurred, the children, who
were locked up in the stateroom, were
for the moment forgotten, and it is sup,
posed that both babies were burned
before any assistance could be obtained,
and the poor mother, when she realized
her loss, was in paroxysm of grief: An
old lady, Margaret Muir, of Brooklyn,
about sixty years of age, was picked up
while floating in the water, holding high
above her her infant grandcGh2ild,; H.; fifteen Hesa
months old. A boy named Charlie Case,
about 12 years old, residing in Jersey
City, who with his father was on the
way to Boston on the Narragansett, was
placed by his father on a lite.raft, with
the assurance that the lad would be ia
ken care of by him. After a long and
severe struggle the father disappeared
under the water. Soon after the boy,
entirely destitute of clothing, was brought
on board the City Of Neao YORK. Sever
al boys from the United States steamer
Tennessee, who were passengers on the
Narraoansett, were very active in organ
izing the crew of the Na,ragansett and in
aiding to avert the panic. Among the
saved are Mrs. Fred Stilson, of Atlanta,
W. L. Dresser and J. Smith, of Tennes-
see. It is stated that none of the Ndrra-
gamsett's books or papers were saved:
Her captain estimates the number OF
passengers leaving New York at 300.
One of the saddest events connected
with the horrible calamity is the case
of Mrs. A. P. Dix, of Brooklyn, wife of
A. P. Dix, broker, of the firm of Dix &
Phyfe. Mrs. Dix was on the Naragan-
sett with her three children and nurse.
All were lost but Mrs. Dix herself
They were all helped into a life boat
after the collision but the boat was cap
sized. Mrs. Dix, her nurse, baby, little
bow and girl clung to the boat, but it
was turned over in some way three times
and Mrs. Dix saw her baby, her nurse,
and her little boy and girl washed away.
She and another lady were the only ones
left in the boat.
Boston, June 12.-According to the
story of Cornelius Henry, Of this city,
there must have been q great many lives
lost. He says that at the time the Nar-
raoansett, in which he took passage from
New York, left that city there were be-
tween 300 and 400 passengers on board
that at that time all the berths and state.
rooms were engaged. 1t was very foggy,
and most of the passengers had retired.
"I think that with the exception of the
officers was the only one on the Nara
ganseH that was up and saw the Stonlng-
ton when she struck us. We were run
ming at pretty fair rate of speed at the
time, as was also the Stonington. She
struck us amidships on the starboard
side, and raked US clear to the wheel.
The force of the collision caused the
NarraqanseH to list heavily to port, and
in less than FIVE minutes she went down
as far as the main deck and grounded.
Shortly after that I saw a sheet of flame
shoot up out of the engine room, and IN
less time than I can describe it the entire
ship was on fire. In a moment saw
what had happened. I rushed for the
hurricane deck aud tried to cast loose a
life raft which was there, but was unsuc-
cessful. then slid down to the saloon
deck and tried to loose another life raft,
but was again unsuccessful. By this
lime the fire had gained such headway |
hardly knew what to do. I saw life
raft floating on the water short distance
from the steamer and jumped overheard
and began padding for it, when short
distance from the raft l became pretty
we'll exhausted, and had it not been for
line which had been left towing behind
I would have most assuredly been drown
ed.
NEW YORK, June 12.-The City Of
New York brought to her pier in this city
about $50 survivors. A great crowd OF