The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-01-04

that she would not put 10 sea that night.
Many Of the passengers therefore went 10
bed. but several remained up. Finally the
lights were run up at the lnsurasce-Signai
station and the vessel shot out into the
darkness, The vessel was nearing Point
Judith about half-past 2 O'Clock III
the morning, when she was struck
on the port side just above the
yheel-house by schooner. The crash
was a tremen dous one, and brought the
Messengers terrified from their berths.
! There were three travelling dramatic COM
panies on board, and the widest confusion
reiened in an instant. The ladies were be-
/ side themselves with fear. and several men
lost their presence Of mind. Many ladies
| tainted, and general rush was made for
the Hfe-preseryers, everybody thinking the
steamer was going 10 sink. a few gentle
men and, il is said, some OF the officers ell
deayored TO calm the passengers, but 1t was
a long time before anything like order
could be restored, and the managers OF the
companies did all in their power in the
same direction. One or two very nervous
upset the remainder. and it was not until
assurance was brought that the steamer
was uninjured that they could be made to
believe they were out OF danger.
EXPECTS OF THE BLOW.
The schooner disappeared as mysterious
w and suddenly rs she came upon the
steamboat, not even leaving her identity
behind. What became of her nobody
could tell, and whether she sank or iloated
is not yet known. II was supposed that
she carried away her iibboon and foremost
i'm the collision and stove in her bow when
il crashed through the steamers guard.
The night was so dark that all trace OF her
was lost in an instant, and the Newport
| kept right on her way. a number OF gem
/ tlemen among the passengers sent mes
SAGE to the captain requesting him to put
| into New London. He returned reply
| that he could not make that port in the
storm that was raging, and that he was
/ obliged TO keep straight on for New York.
The Newport showed plainly that she
/ had come through trying ordeal. Her
rails and sides and Spars were covered with
piled-up frozen snow, and the ugly cash in
/ her side told how violently she had been
/ hit, great black timber teeth standing out
/ from her side in uncomfortable contrast
with the shapely, slightly lines and color OF
/ the rest. The overturned range and uten-
! sils belonging to the kitchen strewCd the
deck and deep dark hole yawned from the
| interior. On the upper deck the stateroOms
and scattered beds and furniture demon
strated how violently the schooner had
visited there and how fortunate il was that
no one had been put to sleep i'll those rooms.
Men were put TO work soon after the steam
er arrived TO set things to rights, and she is
to be lowed to the dry-dock this morning
for repairs.
Captain Simmons told Herald reporter
Yesterday that the accident was unayoid-
able so far as he was concerned. He did
not see the schooner until she ran against
the Newport, and he caught no more than
q glimpse OF her as she passed away in the
storm. The Newport had taken every pre-
caution to guard against collision or acct
dent. She was blowing her whistle and
had all her lights set. The schooner came
from the opposite direction, and struck the
/ Newport before any one could see her. 1t
was impossible to see any distance ahead,
and the impression was that the schooner
failed TO show lights. He thought they had
been struck by mOderately-sized coal
schooner. What amount Of sail she was
carrying he could not tell.
SCENE OF TERROR.
A somewhat different account OF the
scene was given by Mr.. Frederick Dubois,
the manager OF the CONFEDERATION Opera
COMPANY, which was on the steamer. 81
had 1ifty-three people under my Charge
he said, land | assure you | never saw
ANYTHING like il in the whole course OF my
life. | would not go through il again for
Manhattan Island. Ii was awful. The
people became frantic. | did not go TO bed
at all; | was afraid to. The wind was
dreadful. One OF the ladies Of my cOmpa-
ny sat up with us all night in the saloon.
We were huddled around the stove. Mr..
John Howson and some other gentle
men were with us. That dim. lone
| ly cabin, and the creaking and the
/ grooming, and the nervous women-l
never shall forget it. Then the tremendous
crash and the certainty that we were all
lost. rushed up stairs to the screaming
women and did what | could 10 get some
order among them. They rushed from the
stateroomS as they were, shouting, crying,
| fainting. and terrified almost TO death.
They had nothing on but such garments as
! they had retired in. and while some rushed
| for the life-preseryers others dropped on
! their knees and prayed. With very few
exceptions the men were as bad as the
women. They came pell-mell from their
rooms, thinking Of nothing, caring for no.
| thing but to save their own lives. J
think we struck the schooner. She was tear
| ing along before the wind, and we dashed
against her. i don't think she had any sail
up at ALL don't know about the lights,
but saw no sail on her as she glided past
us. ii she had struck It's she would have
gone right through us and hurt the hull
instead OF glancing of. | don't think the
Newport was ringing any fog-bells or
showing any lights before the collision.
She blew signals often enough afterward;
| heard none previously. | shall go by rail
in future. The Newport was wrecked not
long ago and had Il big hole stove in her by
the rocks"
81 was in bed when she got that blow"
said Mr.. j. b. Polk, the actor. "The
whole of the Strategists Company was
there, and the Big-Four Combination and
the CONFEDERATION Oliyette Company.
One OF the Big -Four came dashing out OF
his cabin, with his stockings in one hand
and life-preserver in the other. He
jumped into boat, and one OF the other
four followed him, holding preseryers and
knives TO cut the ropes. The scene was
one OF the widest terror ever witnessed.
After the collision q fire broke out. 1t was
lucky that the fire in the range was low
The cook had been late, and he had not
made up his fires. That saved the steamer
from destruction by fire. As it was, the
| boilers were thrown out OF place at least