The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1880-06-16

THE SOUND HoRRoR.-The collision be-
tween the steam boats Narragansett and
Stonington, Of the Stonington Line, which oc-
CURED about IL o'clock on Friday night on
Long Island Sound, continues to be topic of
almost universal discussion. The Narragan-
sett, on which there were from 300 to $50
passengers, took fire after the Stonington had
crashed into her, and began to sink. The
scenes on board were appalling. The coward
ice of portion of the crew and the inefficiency
of the rest left the passengers without aid or
assistance save such as they could provide for
themselves. A boat was lowered and capsz-
ed, and then the despairing passengers seized
life-preservers, chairs, mattresses, &C., and
cast themselves overheard. Three small life
RATS on the hurricane deck were flung into
the water, and afforded support for fully 100
persons. A large number of the passengers
were women and children, and the sufferings
Of these, aggravated by the cowardice and
brutality Of many of the men, were simply
terrible, Mothers had their children carried
away from them on the waves, life preservers
and chairs were wrenched from their hands,
and in several instances they were prevented
from seeking safety on RATS aud floats occu-
pied by men, A married lady from St. John,
New Brunswick, was treated in the most in
human manner by the men on one of the life
RATS, who drove her off when she tried to
cling to the side. In her desperation she fin-
ally seized small rope at the stern, and even
this the brutes tried to pull out of her hands
when the sea broke over her. When rescued
by life boat her hands were lacerated and
her body black with bruises received from
floating spars aud oars. Another lady,
mother, turned the key on Der two children
in the state room, anil went on deck to see
whether there was danger. When she return /
ed, flames and smoke filed the saloon and she
could not find the door of her state room. The
mother was saved but the children were burn
ed to death. Two ladies died of grief and
exposure while on the return to Stonington.
One of them, Mrs. Checkley, of New York,
died in the arms of two Sisters of Charity 10
minutes after reaching tho StoniDgton's deck.
An unknown man, swimming to escape from
the burning steamer, was sucked by the cur
rent into the aames and died horrible death.
The water was filed with huudreds of people,
supporting themselves, some with life preserv.
ers, some with chairs. and some with shutters
and doors torn from the cabins, and all crying
for help. Captain Lamphear and tho noble
hearted sailors from the steamer City of New
York, in six boats, aided by two or three
boats which the Stonington's crew were in-
duced, after considerable interval, to launch,
finally came to their assistance, and, after an
hour or more of hard work, succeeded in res
cuing many of the passengers. Twenty two
bodies have been recovered thus far, but it is
thought that the loss win probably prove to
be between 80 and so.
The Narragansett was burned to the waters
edge, and will prove total loss. She was
insured for $3.50, 900, and valued at $250,000
without her cargo. 1t is thought that the to-
tai loss, including the effects of the passen-
gers who lost everything, will reach $500, 900.
The Stonington was only slightly damaged.
Capt. Young, of the Narragansett, and one or
two of bis officers did what they could to pre-
serve order among their panic stricken crew
and passengers. OF the 60 in the Narragan-
sett's crew all but one are said to have saved
themselves. A large proportion Of the lost
are women and children. The all but unani-
nous statements of the passengers show that
at the time of the collision the governmental
regulation as to the blowing of whistles was
grossly violated. Though dense fog pre-
vailed, the whistles were only blown ut inter-
yals of from to 10 minutes, whereas the law
is that they shall be sounded at least once "a
minute. s..