Norwich bulletin., 1913-01-16
BURNING OF THE
 SOUND STEAMER LEXINGTON Stonineton Steamer Was in DepIorabIe State, Wrote Judge Story in 184o.

In the issue of the Bulletin of last
 Monday mention was made of that
 day being the 73rd anniversary of the
 destruction of the Long Island sound passenger freight steamer Lexington,
 that ran between New York and Ston- tngton. The steamer was burned in the night while proceeding from New
 York to Stonington, and of the 107 people on board only 4 saved their
 lives. It was night of extreme cold and the passengers and crew suffered greatly. But for the breaking of the tiller lines running to the rudder. Cap- tain Childs might have reached Long Island shore, towards which he had steered the ship in time to have saved all on board. Joseph Story of Bos- ton, a judge of the U. s. supreme court, guished legal authority in America of his time, went through the Sound as a passenger on the Lexington on her last trip to New York from Stonington tion. A reader of the Bulletin calls attention to a letter written by Justice Story from Washington to his wife in January. 1s4o. few days after the shows that the ship was unseaworthy.
 Judge Story after referring to the winter domestic discomforts of his boarding place in Washington. writes:-
 But a more melancholy subject en- crosses ali my thoughts. The loss, the dreadful loss of the steamer Lexington. It was in that very boat on her last trip from Stonington to New York that 1 came on Friday night. If 1 had known that she was to run before I left home. I would never have taken passage in her.
 "On going on board I found her crowded with merchandise of all sorts; narrow, uncomfortable and every way disagreeabie. Almost every hour dur~ ing the night we were stopped by some mal- adjustment of the machin- A%i F@-, I,11 1% a time. I suspected all was not right and l remained awake nearly ali night dreading some explosion or fire. Others Of the passengers were in the same predicament. But as things were we were equally in peril to proceed or to go back. When I left the boat in the morning, came to solemn determination never under any circum- stances to go on board of her again, and I then had the strongest suspicion that some accident would soon take place If 1t had not been that we had an uncommon calm iii the Sound am far from being satisfied that my fears would not have been real ized.
 The boat was cranky and unmanage- able and the whole conduct was reck- less, rash and unjustifabIe. General Miller of Salem. who was in the boat with me, expressed the same fears as myself. I thank a good Providence for my escape from this calamity. The boat was utterly unfit for such a ser vice and I think the propretors guilty of the most gross misconduct. Indeed, it is marvellous that this boat the only one which has piled on the Sound and which has always been deemed unsafe by prudent persons, should have been selected by the proprietors as the regular line boat for the winter. I hope some public meeting will be called to denounce such misconduct. Poor Dr. Pollen! What a dreadful fate was hisi I am told that some of the passengers who came with me down the Sound were upon their re- turn among the sufferers. This dread ful calamity has spread general gloom over the city (Washington) but it will soon pass away and the usual round of heartless frivolity will re- sume it's reign.