New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-30
LOSS OF THE LEXINGTON.
BURNED IN THE SOUND AND l4O LIVES SAC
RIFICED.
CAPTAIN CROWLEY. ONE OF THE SURVIVORS.

CAPTAIN CROWLEY. ONE OF THE SURVIVORS.
RECALLS THE DISASTER OF 1910.
Captain David Crowley. of the stonington Line has
been off on vacation of three VEGAS, the first he has
enjoyed in sixty The other day the veteran
went TO j. W. Miller. president OF the line. and said:
Mr. Miller ! am getting TO be old timber"
Not bit OF 1t. Captain" was the reply. "Thercs
no old timber In IT, Take week or two of and
you'll feel young as ever
So the old fellow has been having good time In
New-York Brooklyn ard Boston, lie Is seventy
vc,rs old and has been the employ OF the stoning
ton Line these sixty years. lie was on the oregon
when she was wrecked on Flood Roca' ana NJ aoo' or
1858 WAS on the Vanderbilt when she went ashore 10
"a storm on January 13 he celebrated the hfty-thrd
anniversary OF the burning Of the Lexington by giving
a graphic description OF the scenes enacted on mat
awful night. when 40 passengers met death Ill the
waters OF Long Island Sound
The Captains vacation will probably be permanent
rs the owners Of the line determined TO retire MIN
with comfortable pension.
The Lexington was about go feet long. ana was
built By Commodore Vanderbilt for speed. She was
hog backed-that is her forward and after lower decks
were much the surface OF the water IMAM inc
deck In the waist. Her beam was 90 feet. ana her
motive power a single walkingbeam engine WIN
n stroke Of 10 feet and a cylinder 80 inches In dame
ter The Ben Franklin was larger boat. but not 80
ong and. like the President, had two engines.
The Lexington had made several trips between New
Yor, and Providence and was considered something
wonderful for her time She made the trip from New
York to Providence In twelve hours. On January 10.
1910 she left pier at o'clock with LA people on
board and large freight Of general merchandise ana
cotton. Daniel Webster had engaged berth ana
was on the way TO the pier when hailed by some
friends who Invited him into the Aston House to have
a parting drink. He fingered with them there I'LL
II was too late to catch the boat Clarence Dorr. OF
Boston, also had berth, and actually went on board.
Int no so threatening
ashore deciding to sail on the following day.
The weather just about such as 1t was early In
January this year. The East River was nearly frozen
over. the ice extending up as far as arts Island ana
the Lexington had no little difficulty In getting
through The thermometer was 10 degrees below
zero The boiler Of the Lexington was In the centre
of the vessel low down in the hold. Above 1t was
hood. which made part Of the dcck and on Which
large part Of the cotton was stored.
There was no such thing as n stacroom ona Sound
steamer in those days. neither was there on the Lex
Ing ton diningsaleon. grand saloon. The pas
sengers all sat In the cabin whore the tables we're
placed. The Passengers ate in the after cabin tLo
officers and crew In the forward cabin
The night very dark Abont O'Clock AFTER
all had been supper. Crowley. who was the second
mate. heard a riISting on deck. noise as OF manv
people moving hurriedly about lie was in his shirt
sleeves about to lie down. and upstairs without
uniting on his coat TO what the matter When
he reached head OF the Stairway he saw that the
boat fire. and Immediately ran aft TO tell tho
| cantain. The latter came on deck and went TO the
pilot housr and his first order was TO head FOR the
shore of Long Island. distant about two and half
miles,
Crowley then went forward and found the first mate
rottinr the fire engine to work. This one OF the
old fashioned tub engines fitted with brakes ana
| suction hose. and operated by hand The nose was
attached and the end dropped over the side INTO The
water But the boat going very fast through
| "a
| oncntIy The end OF the hose merely skipped ana
bounced along Oh the crest OF the waves. The pump
would not draw and the engine was OF no use. ms
flames gained rapidly. and 1t soon plain that
! there was 70 prospect OF saving the vessel!
The passengers became crazy with fear and utterlv
bevord control. Some huddled together In the cabln
and prayed the most Of them ran out on deck ana
Joined In n mad scramble for the boats The Lexns'
ton vas now about two miles from Eatons Neck.
which Is 10 the rorhward of Huntington L. l. crow
Icy ran aft and met the captain WHO had ieit tue
pilot house and was experimenting the lowering OF one
| ~ tbc boa,s The Rev. DR.. Charles Follen. Uni
tartan preacher and Instructor In Harvard Ihi'
yersity. was leading In PRAYER.
Thu, starboard boat was filed while hanging on the
davs the passengers crowding into II I'LL there was
scarcely breathing room. ana al cr'nh1' f"i "oN"
sake. cast us of!
somebody unlocked the forward tackle and the bow
Of the boat dropped down in the water. spling Tie
occupants. Not Of them was ever seen agan'
The lifehoat lowered all night and cast on win
twelve or fifteen people In IT, but they never reached
land alive. Three weeks aiierward II was iouhu ias'
I'm the Ice In smlih,own Bay. with every person on
board frozen still. The port boat got away IN gooo
shape. but was never heard from.
The flames had now spread across the vessel amid
ships The paddleboNcs We're on ir" ana the caoiu
was furnace. The passengers were divided INTO TWO
groups-one the bow, the other In the stern. some
jumped overheard in their fright and We're drowned
Others were rushing hitler and thhcr. sia,ching any
article ,uld float ready TO throw themselves INTO
the water with only Il bclaying pin for support. one
man got hold Of u small piece oi men plank anu was
about To lean over ths side. when half dozen others
| seized him ana II terrible fight followed The PLANK
was split In pieces the Size oi Ai'oii"s" anu AN"
Dr. Fcllcn found tub which ad n GSsn h mse Sut Tf
over the side of the vessel that he might get III IL
and himself. ,, -
My friend. my GOOD iriena'' he plcaueu' h''p "'
crowley besough, him not to take the tub; as there
| sisted and finally had his way. Crowley helped MN
in and dropped lin in the water, where he became
Harry james Finn. the actor pet Of the Boston
was one Of n "c o Iuii wiia and
| nve children TWO o whom afterward went on the
stage. Bo,lon gave the family benefit at wiien
o't Charcs EIcrlc another actor well known. was
q FHpr w. with $50 600 in his possession Isaac Davis
John L. wnscw and Mr. Enrrr, OF Boston, , a. E ANS
pCrow,rv Iarchcadcd and in his shir, sleeves. pulled
nrce of plank OF the notwithstanding. built to pro-
tcct the cotton. and jumped ON'iboiru. Inc pink
was not large enough TO sustain him in the chorpv
! sea and he was on the point Of giving up hope when
no. saw three bales of cotton floating Two were
an ur" and dropping his plank he swan 10 the other
! and climbed on H. The board was found afterward
at place Just of Mount Sinai. or Old Mans Har
Dor. 49,. -, Ia.
| For dny-four hours he driftcd on that bale going
over seventy miles In Il noriheastcrly direction when
overcome with desire 10 sleep he would get OIL the
hale and float awhile In the water He suffered nor
rihy from the cold. both hands and f,"t being irpasl
onrr or twice driven close 10 land. ON Tues
dav night after being In the water twenty four hours
La was 80 close that he thought seriously or SWIM
ming ashore but the fear that he might become ex-
hnu,tnd him. Later the night he
vas driven close to Eanlkncrs Island. near New Haven
Then the wind shifted and the bal" was blown IN the
dr.cion of Long Island. At O'Clock Crowley drifted