The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-15
Bodies Drift Ashore.

DGdEl, a mile east OIL Tine 0laHAuS WFSGhs
One was the body of a woman about
Is years and the other a girl Of 4
years.
The Nutmeg State with over 100 per-
sons on board bound from Connecticut
towns to New York, was discovered ON
fire about $40, when she was within
few miles of Sands Point. l.. 1. The
flames We're in the bow of the boat
between the forward cabin and the
donkey engine room.
The fire was ON the main deck and
seemed to be a small affair so7 Captain
c. NJ. Brooks, not wishing to needless
ly alarm the passengers, ordered the
crew called to work as quickly as pos
sible, with buckets and hose. For about
twenty minutes the flames DID not seem
to- be- dangerous and the men appeared
to have them in check Suddenly they
burst into a furious blaze amidships.
Passengers Were Frenzied.
Baggageman Samuel Jaynes was de-
tached from the fire fighters and sent
to alarm the passengers and all the
members of the crew who were in the
forward part of the boat He ran
through the passageways on the several
decks, shouting to the passengers and
the sleeping crew. He remained amid
ship crying out warnings until he was
board.
The passengers, in various stages of
frenzy, rushed from the state rooms to
the upper deck. Life preservers were
given them and many of the men as
sisted in putting them on the women
and children.
By this time the entire middle section
of the Nutmeg State was burning
fiercely, ard the people forward were
completely cut off from communication
with those on the after part OF tie
boat. This left the people on the rear
decks in a most perilouS situation as
the life boats ON the anlidships davitS
were surrounded by flames, and there
We're few of the crew in the rear to give
aid.
AS the flames continued to spread
both forward and aft. the pilot headed
the steamboat at full speed for the
beach at Sands Point.
Draft Swept the Fire.
The draft swept the fire toward the
rear of the boat The passengers in
that part of the boat went as far back
ON the rear deck as possible but were
enveloped with black smoke and the
flames We're leaping toward them.
threatening in few moments Co roast
them alive. They htVddfed close to the
rear rail in fear, waiting for the steam
er to strike the beach.
With shock the Nutmeg State
struck the rocky bottom. and people
seemed to shoot from all parts of her
like shot from q sling They jumped
in the water and-t to reach the life
boats which had been launched from
the forward part of the vessel. All
the passengers were in the water but 81
few moments, but many of the n8e1n-
bers of the crew had become 1mDris-
oned in the forward part of the ship
below deck by the flames. There WAS
no outlet in the thick sides of the
steamboat except the small port holes,
through which no man could squeeze.
Laaped Into the Sea.
The first person to leave the burning
steamer was Baggagemaster JayneS,
who gave the alarm to the sleeping
passengers. When the smoke and
flames forced him from amidshtns he
was almost exhausted, and made
leap for the sea. In doing so he struck
his head against the guard rail and was
stunned, falling into the water helpless
A launch from the steam yacht kismet
picked him up and carried him TO the
Kismet, where tine brave fellow died
shortly after being taken aboard.
The Nutmeg State had hardly struck
the beach when several passing craft
came to her rescue, sent out ElGe netasS
and picked up the passengers strus-
Cling in the water.
An unknown woman passenger, al
though provided with a life belt, was
seen to fall back to the blazing deck
A man passenger who was trylnes CO.
keep himself afiGat ON an oar became
exhausted and was drowned.
towards In the Crew.
When it. became apoargnt that the
Nutmeg State was doomed to destruc-
tion. the dozen on 50 of her freight
handlers are said to have taken posses
sion 81 the first Of the life boats launch-
ed. They fought back any Of the mem
or women who tried $to5 get into. the
boats. and refused to take the chill
dren. It was impossible for Captain
Brooks to control the rowdy. coNaFdlN
freight handlers. and they. were utterly
oblivious to the perils Of the passeI5'
gers.
When +Ie passengers were forced
from this life boat it doubled the de-
nands on a second. which was lowered
and a wild scramble OF the panic
stricken people ensued. This boat was
overloaded and overturned 1t could
not be righted in the water and men,