The Indianapolis journal., 1899-10-15
NUTMEG STATE BURNED
PASSENGER STEAMER DESTROYED
AND EIGHT LIVES LOST.
Several People Injured and others
Possibly DrowDed-Marine Casualty
in Long Island Sound.

NEW YORK. Oct. 1.-THE Bridgeport
Steamboat Company's steamer nutmeg
State, which left Bridgeport at 3 O'Clock this
morning. caught fire three hours later on
Execution light and was destroyed. Eight
persons are konwn to have perished, as
follows
SAMUEL JAYNE. baggage master OF the the
steamer, Picked out of the water py the
yacht kismet; died on board.
BARNEY HENDRY, oiier on the steamer.
DNKNOWN WOMAN:
PAIRICK COFFEE, first mate.
TERRENCE BRADY, of New York. cab
in boy.
CHARLES ANDERSON. of the crew.
THOMAS MURPHY, of the crew.
JOHN CONNORS. of the crew.
Several people were injured. Among them
are:
HARRY ]. WILT, of Philadelphia, and
his mother.
MRS. II. PURCELL. of New York.
The steamer City of Lawrence came in
sight soon after the fire was discovered and
stood by TO rescue the passengers and crew
The Nutmeg States lifeboats were launched
soon as the City of Lawrence got within
hailing distance, but several of them cap
sized, and it is feared several were drowned
The Nutmeg State took fire at o'clock
while we'll out in the sound, and after the
passengers were taken off she was beached
by her captain AT s o'clock she was prac-
tically total loss. The steamer City of
Lawrence came up to her pier in East river
later with some of the passengers of the
Nutmeg State. Ambulances were sent for.
Samuel Jayne. the baggage master, got out
of the hold in which the fire was and
jumped overheard to escape the flames. The
steam yacht Kismet, which had sailed as
close to the burning boat as she dared,
steamed up TO the man, as the yacht owner
saw him trying to swim, and Jayne was
picked up. When he was laid out on the
deck he was dead. Patrick Coffee the mate
of the vessel. was in the lower part of the
hold when the fire started. He could not
get out and was burned to death. Barney
Hendry an oiler. was in the hold and died
Captain Brooks reported that the Nutmeg
State left Bridgeport al o'clock this MORN
ing. She was two hours late. He said the
hIst he knew of the fire was when he saw
blaze around the smoke stack The fire
as burning briskly then and he got some
men to work trying to put out the fire. The
steamboat was then five miles east of Ex
eCutiOn light She was headed directly for
Sands Point, and all steam that could be
got up was put on her. She made good
time, while a state of the most intense ex
citement reigned aboard the vessel. On
coming near Sands Point the captain di
rected the bow of the boat dead ahead for
milo east of the point. Captain Brooks
said the vessel went into twelve and half
feet of water before she grounded and set
tied.
There were between thirty and forty pas-
sengers on the Nutmeg State, Captain
Brooks said. He said he was afraid some
of them were lost. Everything possible was
done for the passengers. The City of Law
renee, sound steamer which was coming
down to the city, saw the fire and steamed
over towards the burning vessel. Boats
were put out from her, and by heroic work
the passengers of the Nutmeg State Were
taken abroad the vessel together with the
remaining members of the crew, and
brought to the city.
o. j. Hurlbut, of Bridgeport passenger.
was asleep when the fire was discovered.
He said the fire was first seen by Baggage
master Jayne, who, after arousing all the
passengers he could, jumped overheard and
died from injuries which he received from
striking a portion of the vessel. THE fire
broke out about five minutes after o'clock,
and in five minutes was In full possession
of the boat amidships,' said Mr.. Hurlbut.
Lifeboats and RATS were thrown overheard
as quickly as possible and the passengers
were put on them. The lifeboats were so
overloaded that they capsiZed, but the
passengers, many of whom had life pre-
servers clung on the side ropes until the
yacht Kismet arrived and helped them.
The Nutmeg State was valued at $l50,0O0
and including the cargo the total damage
probably will reach 100000 The vessel was
built some years ago at Noank, Conn.,, and
her gross tonnage was 1124 tons. She was
a propeller craft and had three decks.