Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-06-13

only hope to escape being upset, they did SO
and were saved. The boats load, including
| Mr.. Wilcox, numbered thirteen.
ANOTHER PASSENGER
says he was lying on lounge in the cap
tain's room and heard tlitee whistles of an
approaching steamer which sounded as if
over his head, and in an instant the collision
occurred. The Narragansett fell away about
quarter of mile, and soon an alarm of
fire was given. The flames blazed so fierce
ly and spread so rapidly that the passengers
were obliged to leap from the hurricane deck
! into the water and were seen in every direc-
| ton clinging to seats and life preservers.
| The damaged steamer Stonington moved up
by the light of the burning vessel and fully
500 persons were saved. This passenger
estimates the number of lost at fifty. The
| cook of the Na-ragansett places the number
at thirty.
SAVED.
| w. D. Birk of Pittsburgh, and John
Walch, of Milwaukee, are saved.
Rev. Dr. Lockwood, who died after being
taken from the water, was on his first trip
west.
The purser of the Narragansett stated that
there wasn't more than 800 passengers on
the boat, and that the loss cannot exceed fif-
ty, as it is known that more than 200 were
brought to this city, and a large number were
taken back 10 Stonington. 1t is also known
that schooner whicn came up, sent out
boats and picked up several people.
A passenger and naval cadet were swim
ing about for over an hour before they were
picked up.
SCARED INTO SUICIDE.
One young man was seen to deliberately
shoot himself when the cries of fire and
that the boat was sinking were raised. A re-
port of pistol was also heard in another di-
rection.
A deck hand of the Narragansett says he
jumped overheard as soon as the collision
took place and clung to broken spar. He
saw boat lowered from the Narragansett
overturned, and the occupants he thinks
were all drowned.
It is said that five minutes after the COL
lision there were five feet of water in the
hold, and in ten minutes the steamer burned
to the waters edge.
THE SCENES SUBSEQUENT
to the collision are described as heartrend-
ing. One old lady was struggling in the
water, and when they pulled to where she
was, it was discovered that she clasped an
eight months old infant, her grandchild,
closely to her breast. Both were picked up.
The collision, fire, and sinking of the
Narragansett occurred within such a short
time that many in their rooms asleep at the
time must have been lost. The shrieks and
cries of terror of men as we'll as women were
terrible.
Clarence Leonard and wife, recently of
Booths theater, were passengers on the Mar
ragansett. Mr.. Leonard said, at the time
of the collision the lights were out. He
cried: "For Gods sake, light the gas, that
may save my wife," Somebody did light
the gas, and Just then q man ran through
the saloon, shouting: "Put on your life pre-
serversr' With some difficulty we found
two in the room and tried to fasten them
to our bodies; but, being without proper
fastenings, when we got into the water they
we're more of an impediment than use. They
worked over our heads and we were without
support. But we finally managed to get
hold of the ropes of
LIFE RAFT
and were lifted upon it. The raft was 80
crowded my wife tainted. She kept cramped
on her knees for some time. Dozens of per-
sons were clinging to the ropes around the
raft, and making frantic efforts to get upon
it. The raft was six inches under water
through the weight of persons clinging to it.
The raft was finally towed by row boat to
the City of New York.
Mr.. Leonard speaks in strong terms
against the conduct of the officers and crew
of the Narragansett. He says the captain
was one of the first to enter life boat.
A Mrs. Osborn threw her six-year old
child from the main deck to him and then
jumped for the same boat and was rescued.
She had nothing on but her night clothes
and the child was naked.
THE sHR1EKs OF THE DYING
and pleadings of those in the water for as
sistance, was something never to be forgot
ten.
A lady passenger, on the City of New York
said when she saw the Narragansett, the YES
sci was all in flames. We heard screams
Oh, such screaming! 1t seemed as if it
never would end. 1t came from the boats
and from the water. Everywhere were peo-
pie floating with life preservers, moaning
and crying out in dispair. Some of the poor
wretches drifted by US out of hearing, and
their cries lost in the distance wrung
our hearts. We could not help them. Our
boats came and wen. bringing loads of men,
women and children, picked up from both
vessels. There were altogether about $50
of them. They said there were as many
lost. Some had lost their wives and some
their children or their husbands, and their
misery was heart-rending. Some of the
children rescued we're stark naked, while
very few of the women had anything on but
their undergarments.
1t is said the officers did not let the pas
sengers know the true state of affairs, and
many women were induced by them to re-
turn to their staterooms, thereby losing time
and life. The children saved were in the
main naked, while women for the most part
we're in night dresses.
The disaster has caused intense anxiety in
this city and throughout New England, where
the passengers in general belonged.
Mr.. Leonard adds: deck hand in life
boat beat the fingers of an old lady desper-
ately clinging to the side of the boat. She
begged to be saved, but was finally compelled
to let go her hold, and was probably drowned.
A passenger says there were between four
and five hundred passengers on board; that
all the berths and staterooms were engaged;
and that there must have been great many
lives lost. He adds: The Narragansett was
running at pretty fair rate of speed at the