The daily gazette., 1880-06-14
The escue Fatally Delayed.


ton, Captain Geo. F. Nye, of the "Old
Reliable" Stonington line, bound to
New York from Stonington, ran into
her sister steamer Narragansett, Cap
tain w. S. Young, of the same line,
bound in the opposite direction, and
cut her down so that she sank in be-
tween thirty and forty minutes. Be-
fore sinking and five minutes after the
collision the Narragansett took fire.
From 300 to $50 people were aboard
her. They jumped into the water or
sank with the steamer. The Stoning-
ton and the steamer City of New York,
which was in the Narragansett's wake
picked up some $50 persons. 1t was
supposed that the rest are lost. Twen-
ty-five are known to be and many are
missing, but the Narragansetts pas
senger-list went down with her. The
collision occurred three miles from
Cornfeld Point and between five and
six miles from Saybrook, Conn.
According To the common story of
many eye-witnesses derived from all
sources, by telegraph as well as at New
ork, the collision occuret in this wise.
The night was dark and cloudy, with
some indication OF rain, when at ) p. NJ.
on Friday the Narragansett left her pier
in New York. About 1870 heavy fog
set in and continued up to and after the
time of the accident. There was no sea
and the water was very smooth when
the vessels met. Both Of them were car.
rying full lists of passengers, and at the
hour of the accident most of the passen-
gers on both boats had retired to their
staterooms. Neither vessel appears to
have sighted the other in the narrow
channel where they met and pass very
closely, until they were too near zach
other 20 check their headway or back
water. The Stonington struck the Mar
ragausett on the starboard side at about
the point of the forward gangway, and
the joiner-werk and guards we've ripped
away aft to the boiler-room. Soon after,
il was discovered that fire had broken
out, seeming to come first fIom the en-
g:ne-room and then from the broken gas
tank, and within a few moments the
steamer settled down; then after burn
ing above the water-line for half an hour
went down until her hurricane deck, or
what remained of it, was knee-deep be-
low the sea level, and all her pa sengers
were in the water, drowned, floating on
debris, in boats, in RATS or swimming,
and the Stonington and City of New
York were doing their best TO pick up
the survivors.
The foggy night had driven most of
the Narragansett's passengers either into
the saloon or TO their berths. When The
collision occurred the Narragansett lis
ted far over TO port and then, settling
back, began making water rapidly. At
the crash all or nearly all If the lights
went out on both steamers. On the
Narragansett it was evident that the
blow had sconnected the pipes from
the tanks of burning gas under pressure,
with which the vessel was lighted. In
the darkness the greatest confusion at
once apOse. Such part of the deck
hands and officers Of the company as
were on duty began at once to make
examination of the extent of the lnju y
done and very soon it was found that
sinking was inevitable. Captain Young
had the fire alarm struck, aud the hands
set to work vainly to put out the fire.
Some of the passengers as they came
out of their ST state-rooms and asked as 10
that it was of no consequence, and some
of them went to rest again, while in
some of the state-rooms the shock las
sufficiently strong to send the doors
flying open and in others the rackipg f
the woodwork jam4ned the doors fast,
aud the inmates were compelled TO
crawi out of the windows of the rooms
where it was possible, or to burst open |
the doors. The majority Of the passen-
gers saved, and who were first to reach |
the rescuing vessels, came from the |
state-rooms on the upper tiers, and some |
of these are of the opinion that MANY |
of those III the lower tier were unable |
to escape from their rooms. When the
Narragansett careened after the accident,
tn Stonipgton backed of, and before
she conld be put under way and brought
up beside her sister ship she discovered
that the latter was on fire and then held
off. While the half-clothed passengers
Of the Narragansett were running
wildly about the fire came in great
sheet of flame froIc the engine-rooID,
and moment later there was sharp
explosion, and strong flash OF light
told that the gas-tank had burst. The
darkness then was more intense than
ever until the hsmes, finding nothing
to check them, ate along among the
light woodwork of the uppor part of the
vessel, and the water for m ny hundred
yards around was brilliantly illumina-
ted.
A HEARTRENDING SCENE.
Joel S. Perkins, dealer in manufac-
turer's supplies at % Letitia street who
was on the Narragansett, describes he
disaster:
was wakened by the loud crash and
hastily donning my close l seize life
preserver and rushed upon deck. There
a heartrendlug scene present itself. Men
women and children in every description
of deshabille came rushing from their
staterooms, screaming for help. Shortly
after the collision the fire broke out, and
in few moments the vessel was mass