Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1899-10-21
.AFLAME ON THD SAND.
Steamer Nutmeg State Destroyed
and Ten Lives Sacrificed.
HEROIC WAyoHMAy MET DEATH.

But For the Bravery OfSamuel jayne
the Loss of Life Would Have Been
More AppallIn9-Charges Of Coward
ice Against the Crew Not Sustained.
New York, Oct 16.-Ten persons
lost their lives and az many more were
injured by the burning, early Saturday
morning of the Bridgeport line steam
boat the Nutmeg State, off Sands
Point, Long Island sound.
The dead are: Charles Anderson.
Waterman on the boat; Patrick Cof-
fey, mate; John Connors. member OF
crew; Bernard Hcndry. oiler; Samuel
Jayne, Bridgeport. Conn, baggage
master; Thomas Murphy, member OF
crew; Nils Nilsson. member of crew;
Mrs. Mary Lagser and 3-year-old
daughter Rose; unknown man. passen-
ger.
There WIS panic aboard the Nut
meg State when the cry Of fire aroused
passengers from their sleep. The YES
sci was burning fiercely amidships.
Passengers tell stories of cowardico
on the part OF the crew. but others
deny their statements. Seven OF the
nine known victims of the disaster
were members Of the crew.
About hundred persons were in
peril, but prompt aid from others YES
sells ma6s the loss of life much smaller
than Lad been feared.
After passengers and crew had left
the burning vessel she was sent at full
speed toward the beach, where she
lies, total wreck.
Samuel Jayne. baggage master who
lost his life. is described as the hero OF
the fire. He discovered the outbreak
and gave the alarm. He ran about
awakening all he could, and the flames
were raging fiercely when at last he
tried to escape He was then on the
upper dock, and in jumping struck his
forehead against the guard rail. Stun
ned, he fell into the water. and when
the yacht KiSmet went to his assist
ance he Was almost dead. tle died soon
after aboard the yacht. Had he not so
couragepusly made his way through tho
smoke to alarm the passengers the
loss of life would have been much
greater.
The work of taking passengers off
the doomed vessel was done none too
soon. She carried Il large cargo, In
Guiding casos of cartridges. AS the
fire made its way down into the hold
there was a series of explosions, which
increased the fierceness OF the flames
and destroyed the last chance of say
ing anything from the wreck.
The charge was made by several sur
viyors that some of the crew acted in
a cowardly manner. pushing the wo-
men to one side and getting into the
lifeboats, regardless of the safety OF
others. Other passengers, however,
assert that the crew acquitted them
selves we'll All reports agree that
Captain Brooks, who is seaman OF
long experience, was one of the last
to leave the burning vessel.
All that remains OF the Nutmeg
State ara the twisted and blackened
arms of steel and iron surrounded by
the huge copper bottom. which lies
in the surf. Somewhere In the debris
are believed to be the five bodies, but
it will be some days before these can
be reached. These>are supposed to be
in the forward part of the hulk, where
the men of the crew were imprisoned
by the fire.
The bodies of Mrs. Mary Lager, SO
years old, and her 3-yearold daugh-
ter Rose were washed ashore Saturday,
and the body of an unknown man was
picked up by yacht and taken to
Stamford, Conn.