, 1880-06-13

~N3A~@
from the accounts OF the passengers, seem
to have done anything to s'op
the panic. Lights were hnally Wo-
cured, and the passengers 1oughe
for chairs. mattresses, life-preseEvers' anu
every article which would possibly nd 10
float them. There were heroic men IN thas
struggling mass of terrified human beings
and there we're. too, cowardly creatures, WHO
f1,ot advantage of the weakness of. Women
and children to save their own worthless
lives.
IN Tho confusion and terror OF the moment
husbands were separated from wives, and
children from parents, and all fought but lot
ono ohiect-to grasp the life which was fit
ting from them. Some, weaker than the ON
ers, faintetl; some prayed, While all shr1eheo
wildly for aid
IN THE MIDST OF THE TCMCLT
the Narraaansett was discovered to be Oh
fire, The bow Of the Stontngton had pene--
trated the boiler of the other boat, the burll-
ing Goals of the furnace had been scattered
on the oiled woodwork Of the steamer. anu
now to the fear of death by drowning was
added the horrors Of a death by burning
This increased the pa1ic, and a rush was
made for the boats; but there were no on'cets
at thcirposts to stop them, and the passengers
cut them alrift and piled into them like sheep
The first to reach the water was over
crowded, and it was swa1nped, but the 9th
ers were put adrift with their precious car
rors. The steamer was settling, the heat
from the fire was growing too severe 10 w
borne, and men, women and chllo!eai
plunged into the dark waters with chairs,
mattresses, planks, and whatever they conlu
lay their hands Oil. One mother had left her
bub:s III her stateroom, and tho tire anu
smoke fought her back as she attempted tn
resrue them, 20 that stle was obliged to leave
them to per;s!. III the flames. Another
1ru1'Ep WITH 11ER uAuE INTO THE WATER,
already filed with struggling men and Woli-
ell. and the little one was wrenched from Her
ernsp and sucked beneath the waters.
The incidents of that terrible night are full
of suffering and agony to scores OF human
beings. While these terrible scenes were be-
ing enacted on the Earragansett, the officers
Of the Stoning1on seemed to have lost their
heads completely. The passengers, after oe
ing assured Of their own safety.-the fear OF
which had for q time filled them with horror,
urged the officers to send boats to rescue
the drowning passengers OF the Maria
Ea,lsett. : After long delay 1ne
boats were lowered, and then 1t
was fo,,1,tl there were no plugs to stop the
water-holes. To supply these created another
DELAY, aud all the time the cries for help were
ringing Of, the night air. The boats were
finally rugged and manned, but the lnen knew
nothing ut handling the oars, aid the result
was confusion and lnrcli loss OF Invaluable
time. At once at work, however, the boats
of the Stonington did we'll and rescued many
Of -
TIE DROWNING MEy AND WOMEN.
The men worked with a will, which made
up in some degree for the lack Of discipline.
But other and more effective aid was at hand.
Capt. Lanphear, Of the City ot New York,
bound FROM New London to this city, sighted
the burning steamer, aud bore down upon
the disabled vessel. The boats of the City OF
New York were SOON in the water, differed
and manned by sailors who understood their
work and did 1t heartily. For IN hour and a
half the boats floatea around among the
drowning passengers whose struggles i'll
the water were made visible by the
light of the burning steamer, and the
work of rescue was not given up so
long Is q ,cad was to be seen Ut a cry for
hell, heard Women were pulled into the
boats by the hair of their heads when they
were Just ready to give up the battle, and
men who Thought themselves strong fell
down apparently lifeless on the decks of the
Stonington and City OF New York after be-
ing rescued.
Several persons who were taken on board
the :stonington died from sheer exhaustion
and fright after having battled in the water
for nearly two hours. The women exhibited
in most cases
4 1IEE0rsM AND 4 C.AI.MSEss
which Is not looked for in their sex, while
the cowar,lire and the se!tlstness were re-
served for the men to practice.
Several instances OF cowar,lly brutality on
the part Of men are given in the stories of
the survivors Of this night OF peril,
but a1l agree in the statement that tho
women proved themselves veritablc hcroines.
The Narragansctt was burned to the waters
edge, and then the hull, with her entire cargo,
SINK In eight fathons Of water. No accurate
list Of her passengers was kept, and many
who sailed in her are not now known. 1t is
therefore
1Mrt,ss!B1.E TO ESTIMATE THE EXACT LOSS
of life. 1t is hoped not more than twenty
five or thirty lives were lost, but 1t will be
Some time before the correct record cali be
made mp.
1t is difficult to assign any cause at this
time for this terrible disaster, or to locate the
blame, but thorough Investigation is
to be had. Mr.. Matthews. the United
States Inspector Of Steamers of this
port, says the regulation provides distinctly
that when passing through a fog steamers
must blow long blasts with their whistles at
intervals Of not longer than one minute, and
It is the testimony OF nearly all the survivors,
that the NarraEansctt did not comply with
this regulation, and it certainly seems inl-
probable that the collision would have oc-
Cured II she had.
s-of:r OF A PASSENGER
The Posts extra has the following account
Of the disaster from 4 passenger OIL the Ston-
ington: "Soon after the steamer left the
Providence the weather beca,le thick. By
II o'clock nearly everybody was i'll bed, and
all OIL board quet. At about :45 there was
q sudden crash, and III moment there was
terrible confusion. Men. women, and chill
dre,l, III all stages Of uudress, rushed fran-
tically from their berths. and rushed to the
upper decks. For few moments everybody
thought the boat was sinking, and there was
a struggle for 1ife-preservers. The officers
%1,o1 4 far