Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1880-06-19
a Midnight Collision.

Connecticut river. The steamers were the
"Stonington" and the Narragansett," and
nearly a thousand souls were 10 both steamers.
Immediately after the collision the Nara
eausett" was wrcathed in fire, and death stared
il the faces of the wre,ched passengers from
every poiut Of view This avail tragedy Of
the river las all of the horrors with little Of
the heroism Of man in his extremity. The
officers Of both vessels lost command OF them
selves, apparently. 10 the case of the Nara
ganseit charges Of fragrant cowardice and
brutal disregard Of duty seem from present
reports to properly lie against the oihceFs.--
The death list is appalling, varying 10 the
aggregate, according to cisagreeing statements
between fifty and one bundled and fifty per-
sous. The large daily newspapers are full Of
incidents concerning this disaster. We have
only space lor a few:
Mr. Carpenter brothcr-in-law Of Mrs. Still
son, the Atlanta ga lady who lost her two
children, states that he put life preserver on
Mrs. Stllsau by force, and then tried TO lower
her down Into the water, but she persisted In
clrsinc 70 the boat and endeavoring 10 get
back on board. She was finally pushed into
the water and subsequently, picked up.
Rev. L. B. Lockwood, pastor Of the Sixty
eighth Street Methodist Episcopal Church. OF
New York. was rescued from the water 10 an
exhausted condition, and died soon atterward.
During the evening he sat in his siate-room
reading Paiues treatise on The Age Of Pea
SON." On the hy-leaf he wrote If 60
down with this boat tonight ! should be a.
shamed 10 have this book found with me were
it not that rta it to reluIe its doctrines. "
A passenger in giving q description OF the
scene said: What terrified NE most and com
pletely unuesved zoe for time was that
Young man who stood close by INC ead was
clamorous TO Get on the liie-Taf: blew lis braias
out. \ voice from The raft said If you
Jump on this you will drown every woman
IA child ia H. won't do that, the young
nan replied, but will do this and, placing
the revolver 10 bis head, he blew lis brain.
out"
Mr. W. H. Sanborn, Of Richmond Va.
said The crash which followed the collision
was so great that the lights 10 the lower cabin
, where lie was, were eXtinauished. The pas
| sage way 70 the main cabin was soon choked
up with passengers. aud he had 10 escape
( through tie iorecastle. Having supplied him
! self With a lile-prcSergcr, he jumped into the
water. lie remained foatiug within nifty
Yards Of the burning vessel, gud could dis
/ tinctly see passengers in their night clothes
/ Jumping into the water One man threw q
/ trunk overheard, which fell on the head OF q
man swimming near by and apparently killct
/ him, for he sank and WIS no. seen 10 risl
/ again.
During the excitement oa The Narrasanset
men and women chung 10 chairs, matiTaSSe'
and pieces Of wood Everything was utilized
/ One man threw out two mattresses aud thci
/ quietly tossed lis two children on ORG Of them
They lay quietly, aud thea he and his wifi
secured the other mattrass and Che family
noated Of safely Another man put life
preserrer on lis wife and on himself, auC
! taking his child into his arms lcaped into th'
sen. 4 wave snatched his child away from
| him, but he seized the little one by the bee
| and threw il on a raft. Then lie helped hi
wife on the ren. Cra-ed By the flames, 1
woman about fifty years old Ieaped from til,
hurricane deck and struck the lower deck oil
her head and shoulders. She WIS carried
away Que man fcemcd 70 be rendered insane
| from fright. With a wild yen be threw Iii
| child into the water. his wife heYiue jampcJ
10 before
One Of the clerks Of the SioninGtoD tells n
amusing stcry about one os tie srrFiso's
who. being unproyiGel with life lrcstrver
/ fang two chairs overheard, sid followed VIII
his y1lise and umbrella. lie picked MP
hoard. which he placed between the chairs
aud seated himself upon IT, When It hrgaT
20 rain the prudent voyaecr hoislcd his uIn
breila. Another mao. . commercial traveller
| from Boston, Lad nothing 10 cover his naked
ucss bat very small unAershi't and higl
hat. Whoa boa, with 4 lady 20 came ~
lie was TOO modest to be saved. but. plampins
down under the Side asked them 20 see 10 tht
women first he finally got amrue aogl
load Of men The plugs were out mad th'
boat half full Of water, 50 that tic luckl's
drummer" was faiu TO usc lis cherished ha
f.r baiHog. A third individual 10 q night
shirt was seen using lis high hat as paddle
to PROUD the mattrass to which be WAS el'ng
iag.
There were several B.limoreaus 90 board
the Nurasausutt bu. all of them we've saved
Ore Of them, Mr Patrick White says tia
about oLe-half tie l:e.rrcscrvcrs were with
out straps aud consequently useless. Another
B4ltiuoTean. MF I l. john, gave graphic
story of the collision. The scene in the sa-
loon when tie crash came was, he said, te5-
rible one. When il was discovered that a.,
steamer was on fire the excitement increased
He got q lie prcs,rvcr aud fought lis way
iucL by iucl TO the deck which was rs wllC
a sceue Of confusion as 10 tue saloon, ant
everybody was for himself Children wcr,
separated from their parents and pushed rude
I = D i.rf.t