The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-06-24
The Story of the Narragansett Disaster.

/ CLARENCE Il. LEONARD and his wife, Min
ME Leonard, both lately connected with Mis-
/ Nelson's company, were on board tn
/ wrecked steamer. Mr.. Leonard gives thu
] following graphic description of the col
! lision: "The moment the other ship strucl
! US the lights went out and scene of intens,
/ excitement followed, Some one struck
! light, and women and children We're hur
| ryin% about and screaming in the most alb
| ject terror. Some one called out, Get yOm
| life-preservers,' and there was at once rusl
for them. | got a couple, and tried to faster
one on TO my wife, but there were no buckles
or straps to it. They were practically use.
less. We rushed out with the crowd
and when we reached the stern the bow OF
the vessel was seen to be in flames, which
rose high above the stack, and | expected
every second that the boiler would explode.
| There seemed to be no officers or deck
! hands about to give orders, assist with the
boats or any thing. Hundreds were Jump
ing in the water, and my wife, in a sudden
course, and an officer, the only one we saw,
pushed q raft to us and we got on. The
| flames burst out on the vessel within foot
Of us, and we were both ScOrched. Five OF
six others got on the raft, and while we
were floating about we picked up about a
score of others. A great number went down,
to my certain knowledge. We drifted about
Herbert Bright, of Boston, gives his eX-
perience:
I" AS soon as the collision occurred rushed
up TO the cabin. In few minutes the fire
broke out. Two men were standing at the
time near the door of their staterOom. As
the flames kept increasing and it seemed as
il we would all be burnt to death. one
Of the men said to the other, / don't
intend to be burned to DEATH, and TAX
ing pistol from his pocket shot himself in
the forehead. The other had 4 pistol also,
but he waited a minute as if debating what
TO do. The terrible scene seemed to make
him desperate, and in moment he followed
the example of his cOmrade. | didn't stop
to look at the men, rs | was occupied in TAX
ing care of myself. l then went on the hur-
ricane deck, where, in company with six or
seven men, / tried to lower one of
the life boats. We did this in such
hurry that the boat filled with
water and when we jumped in it capsized.
Three of the men, think, were drowned.
two or three women, succeeded in climbing
back on to the steamer by means Of ropes on
which the boat was suspended. One of the
women had a child in her arms and both
were saved. About fifteen feet from the
boat when she capSiZed was a little girl,
twelve years of age, holding in her arms
baby. She was floating supported by life
preserver. We then went to the hurricane
deck and lowered another boat. We drifted
in this for about twenty minutes, padding
with our hands, until we met another life
boat, from which we got two oars. After
rowing around for half an hour, and picking
up as many as we could, we rowed TO the
City of New York"
DR.. Kittredge, of Fishkill Landing, one of
the survivors Of the Narrag ansett, states that
he stayed on board of the steamer y lille the
Il re was lrOrreSSinr fill il rot so hot he had
to jump overheard, and during that time he
did not see a single officer of the boat nor
hear an order given, and the life boats We're
not lowered until the flames had made
great progress. He and his son were picked
up by boat from the City Of New York.