Morning journal and courier., 1880-07-24
The Narragansett Investigation.

Important Testimony of the Captain of
 the "City of New YOrk''-He Intimates
 There Was CareIessness.
 The investigation regarding the Narragan-
 sett disaster was continued at New London
 yesterday.
 First Officer Mercy, of the Narragansett.
 was recalled and stated that he was not fa-
 miliar with the gas arrangements on the
 steamers, but knew that gas was taken in at
 both ends of the route. During the years he
 had been on the Narragansett he had never
 known the gas to go out but once and then
 in heavy gale. He was on the steamer when
 she was last inspected and remembered that
 lot of life preservers were then condemned
 They were put away in different parts of the
 vessel, some in the forecastle and some aft
 He had never heard any order given to put them ashore. It was intended to recover them at the earliest opportunity. The con- demned preservers were not put where they would be accessible to the passengers
 John M. Johnson, private detective of the Narragansett, said that just before the col ision he heard the Narragansett blow whistles which were answered by another steamer with one faint whistle. He said to the stew ard, That is the Stonington, " and soon after he heard another whistle from her, two points on the starboard bow and the steward said She Is going to strike us.' He thought that if the male passengers the Narragansett had acted one-half as well as the women there would not have been five passengers lost. He saw no extra mattresses on the steamer on the night of the collision. He had, however, seen mattresses in use when one-half of the berths were unoccupied
 Horace c. Lamphere, master of the steamer City of New York, testified that his boat left New London at 1O:4O, with a light southwest wind From New London to Bartlett's they met no vessels. Bartlett's was made about 11:10, and they then steered west, quarter south, for Cornheld on that run he met the City of Boston, and heard her blow one whistle, and answered with two; after pass ing the Boston, it was about twenty minutes, before we reached Cornfeld. If whistle is two points on either bow, it can be told which side it is on, but it is difficult to tell when a whistle is only one point. We passed Cornfeld about 12 o'clock. It would not vary more than minute, for the run from Bartlett's to Corn heid was made in 40 minutes. The distance IS twelve miles. After passing Cornfield and in about seventeen minutes we heard boat blow four whistles, and soon after four whis- ties more and then hauled sharp up to the northward. Soon after that we saw the light from the Narragansett and within 1 LuAnubc Tdu dCEOSS bu6 DOW or the SGOQ1nQtOn I and was told by the captain he had been in 1 collision with the Narragansett; Captain Nye l asked him to pick up all he could in the wa | ter and then come to him as he was disabled. l Three boats were lowered on the starboard 1 side and two on the port commanded by of- | dcers of the steamer and manned by the | crew. In ten or fifteen minutes one of the | boats came back with a raft on which were | probably fifty. There were three boats on | the New York that were not launched He | did not consider it necessary to launch them. IS there were plenty of boats for the rescue of the passengers, including those of the 5tonington and Narragansett He could not tell how many were rescued by the boats of the New York He heard the number es- imated as high as POO. He did not know now many passengers his steamer took from he Narragansett and Stonington. Food and lquors and blankets were given to take the place of clothing. The New York arrived at Ter pier in New York about 10 a. m, and learly all the passengers were landed by |,