The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-04
NICHOLS FAMILY BROWNS.
SIX BRfDGEPoR REsIDENTS AND
THREE OTHERS LOSE THEIR LTyrG

bradley Nichois aud win. warren n. Nicheus
ava Wire ana The,r Tive Chiidrcn Issst IN
n Schooner Near key Teat-Thres Chin-
dron er tho Vessels Captain Also lest,
KEY WEST. Fla, March 3. The schooner
6peedwell. Capt. William Collier, from Marco,
Fla. to this place, capsized Off Marquesas Koy
at $3.50 o'clock this morning and nine persono
were drowned. Among the lost were Bradley
Nichols and wife. Warren u. Nichols and his
wife and two children, of Bridgeport, Conn. Mi.
Nichols. ST.. was 65 years old. Warren b. Nichols
was his son. The schooner was n boat of % tons.
She was owned by Capt. Collier. and he was
bringing her to Key West to sell her TO Capt.
Samuel Gates,
The Nichols family, who had passed the SEN
son In south Florida, took passage In her, In
tending to catch the steamer that loft this after.
noon for Miami and go thence to New York. In
addition to the six members Of the Nichols
family and Capt. Collier the schooner carried
r. w. Bates of Cambridge. Mass, who was
saved, and three boys Of the Captain. aged 4, q
and 8 years.
These children with the Nichols family were
all in the cabin. Capt Collier had the wheel
and a sailor named Jesse Green was on tho looh-
out. Capt Samuel Gates, who was to buy the
schooner, was in q bunk In the forecastle. 40
$3.50 o'clock, very Unexpectedly to Capt. Collier,
a black cloud In the southwest developed into q
fierce squall. He ran forward and called Capt.
Gates to help get the foresail and jib of, but
was too late. AS the schooner rolled over, Mr..
Bradley Nichols struggled out on deck. but fell
overheard and was drowned. The younger Mrs.
Nichols got her head and shoulders out Of the
companion way, but at that moment the rising
water swept across the deck. Waving her hand
in farewell to Capt. Gates. she fell back and dis.
appeared.
Tho others in the cabin were not seen. As the
schooner sank she righted. and Capts. Collier
and Gates with Mr.. Bates and the sailor got into
the rigging. Then the yawl came up from the
hull and was caught. When the squall passed
the four survivors bailed out the yawl aud goo
ashore at Marquesas Key and came to this place
in a sailboat. A steam yacht party has gone to
recover the bodies. Mr.. Bradley Nichols 10
said to have been a man of wealth.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn.,. March 3.-Bradley Mich
OILS and Henry @. Knight were business partners.
the largest real estate operators in Bridgeport
perhaps In Connecticut. They did business un-
der the firm name Of Bradley Nichols &c Son.
Mr.. Nichols and his wife had been travelling in
the South since the LIST Of last December. Later
they were Joined by their son. Warren B. Mich
OILS and his wife. and the two children Of the lat
ter, Charlotte and Bradley G.. Nichols. Mr..
Knight and his wife went South several weeks
ago, and the Knights have since accompanied
the Nichols family.
Bradley Nichols was reputed to DO worth sew.
eral hundred thousand dollars. He had opened
many new tracts of land about tho city. AID was
the chief owner of the handsome Nichols Ster-
ling building ct Main and Congress streets.
Mrs. Nichols was 81 years of age. Warren B.
Nichols was slightly over 40 years old. His two
children. who were also drowned, were very
young.
Mr.. knight had been a partner of Mr.. Nichols
for q number Of yoars. Previous to that he had
conducted Q large real estate business Of hie
own. The fact that the whole family were
wiped out prevented any private dispatches
being received by the only surviving member Of
the Nichols family, William J. Nichols. WIN was
also his fathers partner. 1t 10 supposed that
his address was not known at Key West. He
knew nothing Of the disaster until informed 40
his club tonight by a reporter. He will start
for Key West tomorrow to recover the bodies
of his relatives.