New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-16

rho ,~,,,i,, If ,hr fire which rapidly envcloped
nm, ,.s,rov.1 the Sound steamboat Nutmeg
State on Saturday morning has not pee" ">,''
tanned and * likely 10 remain mystery i"'
character Of the cargo does not. however, >"N
tain the theory of Spontaneous commission" "''
tho probability seems 10 be that If the r'SponS'
hnrv could he traced it would be shown 10 rest
an same c1rclrsS person belonging 10 III" worn
inc fore. Of the boat. The flames ln'Nl'aolH
fonnd abundant atcrial TO feed on. ana III il'''
mor, than half an hour after ihc first alarm
was ,iy,n ihc last of those who escaped the
,,utain among them were forced +" jump over
board
There ar. conflicting accounts of the behavior
If the crew ana passengers in the sudden 'ih''
copry which confronted them. hut afl'r Il '"''
fpl sitting of contradictory rccolicctonS II seems
T., lac pretty clear that early reports 81 s"h'T"l
c,uarlire and brutality We're unjust. me n'S''
mouy Of the head waiter. Young rolor'u n''"'
an his point j. entitled 10 respect. for whoever
l.n may have dcfaultcd he showed conspicuous
int.llloence and bravery. He did not leave the
hoot until the last available moment ana SO
,onc ~ thore was anybody 10 he aroused or
bolncd ne seemed 10 give 10 thought 10 himself.
One of flc paS~engcr> whom hc had aWakehod
tolls Of seeing him calmly showing woman
how 10 adjust a life prrscryer. and others are
surc that his fidelity in the performance or Ms
dnnperou> duty saved mauy from pershing III
their brrIh> This brave fellow generously II
not altogether Justly says: "Thc crew behaved
..as we'll rs could I've expected. II was an awful
cline. ! tel YOU You couldn't expect every one
.,, keen his head" Some of thr crew evidently
did not keep their heads. and it has 10 he adj
= traVS lrSf
COMPLETELY. rendering ,hc work of launching the
boats and getting them away extremely dIthr"i-
Thu, one Of the women who were saved REPORTS
while abiding 10 bad conduct on The part ~ 'h'
crew that her husband pulled her down into q
boat 80 violently a> almost 10 break hey neck
ON fho whole. il appears That thoSr on whom the
PASSENGERS were entitled 10 rely did NOT haSrF
dessert their duty hui tried 10 perform il.
There evidently WAS lack Of skill ana en-
cheney in the work of rescue and especially IN
the launching Of tie boats. This Is loihl al
which in similar emergencies failure 10 make
Tie most of a brief chance + not unusual. but II
must DE added that II is not wholly inrNruSahl''
for the tackle by which lifeboatS are lowered II
case Of necessity is not perfectly adapted 10 lis
nurposc as the recent offer of a prize for fhe
hest Improvement shows. There was. however,
an fine Eutmcg state more humgling than there
ought 10 have been. which suggests the question
whether the crew had been properly trained ID
work which needs 10 he expcrtly done when
the demand arises There + much reason 10
believe that this extremely important detail IS
often neglected. especially on vessels running
over short courses II IS not unlikely 70 be
proved that the men were Incompetent TO put
the HfchoatS overheard swiftly and safely. but
the blame may not he chiefly theirs. If they
had not been taught they could not have been
expected 70 know how the thing ought TO be
done. or at least 10 do It well under circum-
stances Of confusion aud peril