The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-06-26
NICOL DISASTER.
Thirty-six Persons Supposed TO Have
Lost Their Lives or
Sandy Hook.
The Whole List viii Probably Never
Be KnOwn-Seven Bodies
Recovered.
The Captain of the Boat Places the
Blame On the Passengers
Themselves.

persons were drowned by the capsizing
Of the tug James ID. Nicol, on Sandy
Hook, Is not yet known. The excursion
lists were from all over the east aide,
from College Point, from Brooklyn,
and even from Hoboken, and il Il
probable that some OF those drowned
win never be reported or heard from
again.
The catastrophe 10 rendered more
narrowing by the fact that most OF the
men were married and leave large
families. The highest estimates iii Last
nights dispatches were probably with
in the mark, for today ii il thought
that not less than 80 persisted. So Ear,
however, only seven bodies have been
recovered.
The Capitalize Story.
Captain John Hyde, commander OF
the illfated tug. was seen at the ofice
Of the owner Of the tug. He lie q young
man, % years OF age. and says that be
has had a masters license for the past
four years. For the first time Captain
Hyde told the story at the disaster:
II could count but % passengers on
the tug when she left the second stop
ping place at pier =. East river. There
were i've men in the crew, making 6S
all told. We had Teen lying OF Sea-
bright at anchor, when the wind began to
freshen. We soon raised anchor. III.
tending to leave. We were about three
quarters OF an hour from the shore. The
sea, when we started, was not vegy
heavy and hardly any spray came on
board. The passengers. thinking that
they might get wet, all crowded d the
port side. / asked them to divide MP
and part take the starboard side. but
no attention was paid to my request.
The sea was somewhat choppy. but not
what would have been called heavy.
Outside, some distance from shore,
it appeared much calmer than in shore.
] thought if we ran for some
distance, we would make better
weather. We were in no apparent dam
ger, except for the people crowding to
the port side of the boat. Isuddenly
saw a heavy swell bearing down on "a.
closely followed by a second one. I
called out to the passengers to take the
starboard side of the boat, but ii was
not done. The first sea boarded Ms
clean over the bow, and rushed AFT.
The second followed closely, also
boarding us over the bow, and washed
down the port side. This wes caused
by the heavy list ON the boat.
When the first wave hit MS, I cried.
For Gods sake get over TO the other
side I pulled the whistle rope, too, as
a signal of distress, and seeing the
great danger, tied it down. It kept
blowing until the Nicol went down.
After the boat had careened under the
second swell, Al Hammond. = deck
hand, and myself climbed through the
starboard windows Of the pilot house,
and went overheard. There were d
number of people struggling In the
water, all around. The life raft was
q the spot where the tug
sank, and / made for il. There
were . number Of passengers on IL.
hanging to il, and their struggles can.
sized il. AS 1t went over, I was struck
by Ii and went down. When I arose
10 the surface, ! managed 10 grasp lit
again. The members OF the crew 0f
the boat, Pilot Raymond Kelly, En-
gineer John Farrell. Fireman Louis
Hockie. AL Hammond and Steward
James Fleming, were all picked up By
the ting Sayrs.
II vas at the wheel from the time
we left the dock, until the accident
occurred. except q short time while ak
anchor, when ! went below for dinner.
It has been stated that ! was intoxi-
Gated. am not . drinking man, and
touched no liquor whatever. / do not
think the boat was overcrowded, and
had the passengers acted as / told them,
we would have come through all right =