The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-15

Continued From Page l.
About 5.3G in the morning I was taking
a BATH when the pilot shouted that the
boat was afire. l jumped into my
clothes, went on deck, and saw to get
ting out the boats. 1 sung out to the
passengers who had rushed on deck, to
come to the forward part of the prone
made deck If they had done that they
would hardly have got their feet wet,
but they would not. They rushed to-
ward the stern.
1--WE had four lifeboats and six life
RATS aboard We got them all over,
excepting one that was burned The
officers did their duty, 1 think. After
I had got the boats out 1 went to the
pilot house and stayed there until it
caught fire. We turned the boats head
to Sands Point. The fire started, some
where amidships so far as l can learn.
When things got real hot, which they
did, of course, 1t was every body for
himself among the passengers and
crew. Everybody got excited and
things were generally mixed all around.
One boat l got out was swamped, be-
cause the passengers rushed it under
water.
pilot Weatherwax, the chief cook
and myself We're the last to leave the
boat We went over the side down on
a rope, and We're picked up by a
launch"
Pilot H. C. Williams of the City of
Lawrence said:
Before o'clock this morning we
were travelling along slowly towards
the city on account of the haze, and
when off Sands Point 1 made out a
steamer which L at first was unable to
recognize as passenger boat. She was
/ several miles away on our port bow.
Later l noticed smoke rising from the
amidships section of the distant
steamboat. Then / realized what was
happening and awakening Capt. Da-
Wis steps were Instantly taken to rend-
| er assistance. The GREY were called
! and ordered to get the life boats in
readiness for lowering.
! This was done with alacrity and che
small boats were dangling from the
/ davits as we approached the Nutmeg
| State. Soon we saw people floating
| about in the water, and then the life
! boats were let go. Six boats were sent
| adrift in ALL First Mate Murphy and
| Quartermaster Staples, in charge of
| the boats, took charge of those pas
! sengers who were floundering above in
| the water. A number were clinging to
| small boat
| Ten of the unfortunates were picked
up in short time as possible. We
| must have rescued altogether over 20
persons. We afterwards took the bag
gagemasters body from the yacht
Kir set and brought it along. 1t was
sight I don't want to see again; SO
many people in the water struggling
for their lives. Some Of them were
! exhausted when we got them aboard
but they came around all right when
warmed up on their way to the city. y
Joseph Hawley of Bridgeport, one OF
the passengers on the Inflated steam
er. said:
when l reached the deck, the crew
with the exception Of the firemen, who
were imprisoned between the decks, and
and the captain and the pilot who were
at the wheel, were panic-stricken. They
were rushing backward and forward
their faces drawn with horror, wiring
ing their hands, accomplishing moth
ing.
las soon as l got my lungs full of
fresh air and could breathe, / Naid:
/ Why don't you try to help those men
1 lower the boat?' Some one lowered a
woman and two little children into the
boat. A young husband lowered his