Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-10-15
VESSEL bDRNED-E|GAI LOST
The Nutmeg State Entirely Destroyed
in Ling Island Sound.
FLAMES SPREAD RAPIDLY-THE
CITY OF LAWRENCE STOOD BY
TO RESCUE PASSENGERS AND
CREW, BUT SOME OF THE
BURNING STEAMERS LIFE
BOATS CAPSIZED WHILE
TRANSFERRING PASSENGERS.

NEW YORK, October 1.-THE
Bridgeport Steamboat Company's steam
er Nutmeg State, which left Bridge
port at o'clock this morning, caught
fire three hours later of Execution
Light and was totally destroyed.
At II o'clock it was known that eight
had persisted, as follows: Samuel Jayne,
bagga gemaster OF the steamer, picked
out Of the water by the yacht Kismet.
died on board; Barney Hendry, oiler
on the steamer; unknown woman; Pat
rick Coffey, first mate; Terence Brady,
Of New York, cabin boy; Charles An
derson, Thomas Murphy, John Connors,
all of the crew.
Several persons were injured, includ-
ing Henry j. Wilt, OF Philadelphia, and
his mother and Mrs. H. Pudcell, of New
York.
The steamer City of Lawrence came
in sight soon after the fire was discov-
cred and stood by to rescue the pas
sengers and crew. The Nutmeg States
lifeboats were launched as soon as the
City of Lawrence got within hailing
distance, but several of them capsized
and it was feared that some passengers
were drowned
There were between 80 and 40 pas
sengers on the Nutmeg State, Capt.
Brooke said He said that he was afraid
some of them were lost. Everything
possible was done for the passengers.
Of cfD ar
which was coming down to the city,
saw the fire and steamed over toward
the burning vessel Boats were put out
from her and by heroic work the pas
sengers of the Nutmeg State were
taken aboard the vessel, together with
the remaining members of the crew,
and brought to the city.
Samuel Jayne, the baggagemaster.
was lost. He got out of the hold in
which the fire was and jumped over
board to escape the flames. A passing
steam yacht which had sailed as close
to the burning boat as she dared steam
ed up to the man, as the yacht owner
saw him trying to swim, and Jayne
was picked up. When he was laid out
on deck he was dead. Patrick Coffey,
the mate of the vessel, was in the lower
part Of the hold when the fire started.
He could not get out and he was burned
to death.
An oiler whose name the captain
could not remember was also victim.
He was in the hold, could not get OUT,
and died from inhaling fame.
o. j. Hurlburt, Of Bridgeport, a pas
senger, was asleep when the fire was
discovered He said the fire was first
seen by Baggagemaster Jayne, who,
after arousing all the passengers he
could. jumped overheard and died from
injuries which he received from strik-
ing a portion of the vessel. THE fire
broke out about 6:05 o'clock. and in
few minutes was in possession of the
boat amidships," said Mr.. Hurlburt.
"Lifeboats and RATS were thrown over
board as quickly as possible, and the
passenger were put on them. Some OF
the lifeboats were so overcrowded that
they capsized, but the passengers, many
of whom had life preservers, chung onto
to the side ropes until the yacht Kismet
arrived and rescued them"
When the City of Lawrence reached
her slip in East river she had on board
the surviving passengers of the Nutmeg
State and the members of the crew who
had been saved.
Among the injured are Harry ]. Wilt,
of Philadelphia, and his mother, and
Mrs. H. Purcell, of New York.
The Nutmeg State was valued at
$4,000 and, including the cargo, It is
estimated that the total damage done
by the fire will foot up in the neigh
borhood of 5000, 900. The vessel was
built some years ago at Noank, Conn,
and her gross tonnage was 1,124 tons.
She was propeller craft and had three
decks.
The steamer City of Lawrence came
I'D to her pierin East river with some Of
the passengers Of the Nutmeg State.
Ambulances were sent for. Capt. Chas.
Brooks, OF the Nutmeg State, reported
that the steamer was total loss. The
vessel was in twelve feet Of water, a
mile east Of Sands Point. on the Long
Island sound.
Capt. Brooks reported that the Nut
meg State left Bridgeport at 3 o'clock
this morning. She was two hours late.
He said that the first he knew OF the
fire was when he saw a blaze around
the smokestacks. The fire was burning
rather briskly then and he got some
men to work in trying to put out the
fire. The steamboat was then five
miles east of Execution light
On coming near Sands Point the cap
tain directed the bow OF the boat dead
ahead for the beach, and he ran her
ashore about mile east Of the point
Capt Brooke said that the vessel went
into 1919 feet of water before she
grounded and settled.