The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-11-01
SOUND STEAMER BURNED
The Nutmeg State Raced For Lite
With a Raging Fire.
HEROIC WORK OF RESCUERS.
The Steamer Discovered on Fire In ths
Early MornIng-she Was Headed For
Shore at Once and Beached Near
Sands Polnt-over One Hundred Per.
sons Were in Danger.


Shore at Once and Bsached Near
Sands Polnt-Over One Hundred Per.
sons Were in Danger.
New YonK CRY (speclaD. .-Allthat is left
OF the steamer Nutmeg State Of the Bridge
port Line, which caught fire on her way
from Bridgeport to this city Is blackened
hulk on tho sands just above Pros.
psct Point, about |. two miles below
the village Of Glen. Cove. Among the
dead are: Samuel Jayne, Of Bridgeport,
baggage master; Patrick Coifey, mate OF
Nutmeg State; Thomas Murphy, q member
Of the crew; John Connors, one OF the crew;
an unknown woman, passenger, drowned
IN unknown child, passenger, drowned
and an unknown man, passenger, drowned
The catastrophe was one OF peculiar hon
ror because 1t happened so near to help, sc
close to shore. The lack Of trained handt
to handle liieboats appears to have been
one OF the causes OF fatalities, though. had
the passengers themselves been entirely
traotable all Of them at least might have
escaped.
Captain G. NJ. Brooks, the commander,
as soon as he saw the futillty OF trying to
sxtlnguish the flames, decided to run his
vessel ashore. Boats were lowered, and all
arrangements were made to save the lives
OF passengers and crew, numbering over
one hundred persons, After all who could
be seen had been provided for In the small
boats Captain Brooks ordered that full
steam be turned on, and the Nutmeg
ot,I. -. L.odod Bor tb hooob Sbo ruaS
sent ashore near Sands Point, the flames
AMI smoke attracting many craft that way
for'hours after the disaster.
1t Is believed that nearly all OF those who
lost their lives were caught In the burning
vessel. SO prompt and energetic was the
work OF rescue that, In the judgment OF
several witnesses, nearly every person who
managed to escape from the doomed ves-
sci was picked up by some one OF the res
culng boats. Several members of the crew,
however, were caught In the lower part OF
the boat, and were unable to get to the
deck. These men met death as II In fire
trap.
The first two boats lowered from the
burning steamboat capsized, and there
was intense excitement among the pas
sengers aboard the Nutmeg State. All had
been routed from their berths at half-past
FIVE o'clock, and men and women, not wait
Ing to dress or gather their clothes,
scrambled into the cabins and on the
decks. Flames already were eating their
way toward the bow and the stern, and
great clouds Of smoke we're rolling up the
staIrways. The cracking of tho flames
added to the terror OF the passengers,
In the Wild confusion from the time the
fire was dlscoveredto the time the last man
came of the blazing hulk 1t seemed to be
q case OF selfish consideration for their own
personal welfare only with everybody on
board. The crew. according to the passen-
gers, used brute force In getting the first
opportunity to escape. The passengers
trampled over each other IN their Efforts to
crowd into tho life boats, and 1t was e1-
tremely difficult to lower the boats or to
take any sane measures to save the passen.
gers.
After the two llfeboats were capsized and
the passengers and crew left founderlng
In the water, the crews and passengers in
the other bouts refused to listen to the en-
treaties OF those in the water, and dozens
of the women aud children and half dressed
men had to cling to the upturned craft un.
til boats from the City OF Lawrence picked
them up.
The body OF woman and OF q child about
four years old, evidently mother and
daughter, were washed ashore about half
a mile above the place where the Nutmeg
State was forced ashore. The woman was
partially clothed and parts Of her dress
Showed unmlstakable signs OF contact with
The fire. The child wore only cotton slip,
evidently night dress. The supposltion
Is that the mother, crazed with fright,
seized her child and jumped into the water.
Harry 4. wilt, OF Philadelphia, had a
thrilling and exhaustlng experience, which
made a hero OF him. He supported his
aged mother and a woman he did not
know, Mrs. Henry T. Purcell, OF this city,
ln the water for IN hour, and they were
all finally rescued. Several times he feared
be would have to give up the struggle and
drown with his mother aud Mrs. Purcell.
Willis health is not robust.
Samuel Jayne, baggage master, who lost
bis life, Is described as the hero OF the fire.
He discovered the outbreak and gave tue
alarm. He ran about awakening all he
could, and the flames were raging flercely
when at last he tried to escape. He was
struck his forehead against the guard.
rall. Stunned, he fell into the water, and
when launch went to his assistance hs
was almost dead. He died soon after
aboard O Yacht. II he had not so courage
ously made bis way through the smoke to
alarm the passengers the loss OF lie would
have been much greater.
The work OF taking passengers Oh the
doomed vessel was done none too soon.
She carried a large cargo, including cases
OF cartridges. AS the fire made Its way
down into the hold there was series OF
explosions, which inc' eased the flerceness
OF the fames and destroyed the last chance
OF saving anything from the wreck.
The charge was made by several sur
vlvors that some OF the crew acted In
couardlY manner. pushing the women to
one side and getting into the lifeboats, re-
gardle,s OF the safety OF others. Other
passengers, however, assert that the crew
acquitted themselves we'll. All reports
agree that Captain Brooks, who Is sea-
o. an OF long experience, was one OF the last
to leave the burning vessel.
The Nutmeg State, a wooden screw-pro-
peled boat, which was built seven years
ago and was flrst-class craft OF her kind,
belonged to the Bridgeport Steamboat
Company. She was 1907 feet long, 94.2
feet wide and had depth OF Is feet. Her
net tonnage was 1872. She was double
decked.
Body Picked Up by q Yacht.