The Newtown bee., 1899-10-20
LOCAL AFFAIRS. The Burning of the Nutmeg
 State.

The Burning of the Nutmeg
 State.
 LIST OF THE DEAD BELIEVED TO MUM.
 BIER THIRTEEN AND POSSIBLY MORE.
 The steamer Nutmeg State of the Bridgeport line was burned to the water 8 edge SAturd AY mt rling, and Is now lying fl wreck on Old Ht n reef of Sands Point a few miles rom Port Washington, l.. l. The Nutmeg State, with number of pas sengers on and bound from Connecticut towns to New YuIk left Bridgeport about 3 a. m. The steamer was discovered atre about 53O o'clock, when she was | within few miles of Sands Point, l.. l. Just how the fire started will never be ] known. |. Chief Cook Brown first saw smoke at 30 o'clock and immediately exported to Capt c. M. Brooks, who had just gone to his stateroOm. Capt Brooks immediately made an investigation, and the flames were located in the bow of the boat between the forward cabin and the donkey engine rom. The fire was on the main dt ok and seemed to be 8 small , flair, so Capt Brooks, not wishing to needlessly alarm the passengers, ordered | the men called to work as quickly and as quietly Rs possible with buckets and uose. For about twenty minutes the fl Lmes did not seem to be dangerous anu the men appeared to have them in con trol. Suddenly the flames burst out amidships. BagRageman Samuel Jaynes was detached from the iire-hghters and sent to alarm the passengers and all the members of the crew who were iR the fUr3 part of the boat. He ran through the ways on the several decks rhouhnG to the passengers and sleeping crew. He remained amidships crying out wsrnings until he was forced by the | fl hmes and stlfllng smoke to jump over board. The passengers, in various ages of frenzy, rushed from the state r oms to the upper deck. Life preserv CTS were given them and many Of the men assisted in putting them on the women and children. By this time the l entire middle section of the Nutmeg State was burning fieTcely and the peO- pie forward were completely cut if from Communication with those on the after part of the boat. This left the people on ne rear decks in perilous situation, as the lfeboats of amidships davlts were SUI funded by flames and there were but few of the crew 70 give aid, AS the fl .mes continued to spread, both for val d and aft, Pilot Weatherwax headed the steamboat at flu l speed for the beach at Sands Point.
 The wind swept the fire 10 the rear of the boat. The passengers went as far back on the req deck as possible, bu were envelOped ln black smoke, and the tilmes wCr ,apipg toward them, threat
 mir 2 in few moments to roast them alive. They huddled clOse to the rear rail 10 fear, waiting for the steamer to strike the beach. Win shock the Nut meg State struck the rock bottom, and people seemed to shoot from all parts of her like shot tr m sling. They Jumped into the water and tried to reach the life boats which had been launched from the forward part of the vessel.
 All of the passengers were in the water out few moments, but many of the members of the cr3w had become impris- Oned in the forwi r part of the ship be- low decks by the fl Ames. There was no outlet in the thick sides of the steamboat except the small pOrtholes, through which no man could lqueez9. The first person to leave the burning steamer was Baggageman Jaynes, who gave the alarm to the sleeping passengers. When the mOke and flames forced him from amid ships, he, almost exhausted, made leap for the sea. In doing so he struck bis head against the guard rail and was stunned, falling into the water helpless. The launch from R. Roger Maxwell's steam yacht KismeC picked him up and carried him to the ksmet, where the brave fellow died shortly after being taken aboard. The Nutmeg State had hardly struck the beach when several passing craft came to her rescue. The tugboat w. F. Reed and the Kismet were first on the spot, and after the 60 came the Hartford liner City of Lawrence. The i kr1 thn Na1fS Sfof Town the Souad, several miles in her wake, and when she arrived on the scene put out six lifeboate, which were sufR cient to save Il the peep l3 who were in fhe water. Sidney 6lather of East Orange, N. J., had his V fife snd four Chil- dren aboard the burning boat. He would not lump. With the assistance Of his wife he lowered the chile r n into the IauLch of the Kismet, and with the as distance of two other men lowered his wife from the boat. They were convey ed to the City of Lawrence. An un- known passenger afraid to jump into the water, although provided with life belt, was seen to fal back to the blazing deck and wassroastt alive. When it! became apparent that the Nutmeg State was doomed to destruction, the dozen or so of her fir tight handlers are said to have taken possession of the first of the life- boats launched. They fought back any of the women or men who tried to get into the boats, and refused to take the chiliren. It was impossible for Capt Brooks to control the rough, cowardly set of men, and they were utterly obliV ious to the perils of the passengers. When the passengers were forced from this lifeboat it doubled the demands on second. which was lowered, and wild
 nF fhp papic tripkpO naOn1p en- sued. This boat was oveI )aded, and overturned. It coul1 not be righted, and the men, women and children r3mained Tn the chi ly water, clinging to the boat until help arrived from the few passing craft.
 The tugboat Reed ran under the stern of the Nutmeg State, and some of the passengers jumped from the burning boat to it's dC ok. Then the tug went for ward and made an effort to save the i'm prise ned men in the crews qusrIrs. The boat was so intensely hoT that it drove the tug away, and it again turned l it's attention to picking the peoplepup | from the water. It made another at. tempt, and some of the tugs men chop ped away some woodwork at the bow of the Nutmeg State. Two of the firemen were saved, but the other men of the crew, who Irobably were exhausted from the smoke, were unable to climb through the hole before the Reed was again f, reed away from the ship on &C., count of the spread of the fl Ames. It is believed that seven men of the Bridge DC rs boat, inc1udT g Mate Patrick Go fey. were burned ta death in their quarters below decks af the bow. Capt Brooks was the last to leave the Nutmeg State, and iust & few seconds befl ra him Pilo, Weatherwax and F. J. Hurlburs oi
 Bridgeport left the burning decks. The