The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-03-03
HERO OF BOAT
DISASTER DIES
]. HurIburt, Valiant in
Nutmeg Stale"
Wreck, Succumbs
For Many Years Was N Y.
Messenger for American
GraphOphone Co,

Preston J. Hurlburt, New York mes
senger for the American Graphophone
Company for many years. died, sud-
denly. this morning at his nome, 26
Colorado avenue, at the age of 66.
Mr. Hurlburt was stricken with
heart disease while dressing at his
home this morning and died before
medical aidscould reach him. He was
in his usual health yesterday and Sat
urday had made his customary trips
to New York for the Graphophone
company. Medical Examiner Garlick
is Investigating the case this after
noon.
For an extended period Mr.. Hur1-
burt was the manager for the Western
Union Telegraph Company in Provl-
dence, R. L, but in recent years he
had. lived in Bridgeport and had filed
various. positions in the service of the
Graphophone company He was espe-
cialIy valued for his faithfulness and
judgment and all sort of missions
were entrusted to him with absolute
confidence that they would be carried
out with care and Intelligence. He
went to New York every week day
and very seldom failed to make his
appearance at a given time in the
Tribune Building where the executive
offices of the GTaphaphone company
are located.
There was one occasion, however.
when he did not come at his usual
hour. It had been a sultry day and
he made the journey by the night boat
so as to reach New York in good sea-
son. The steamer was the Nutmeg
State" which caught fire and went
ashore of Sands Point, October 15.
1899. Though many lives were lost
three or four brave men did all that
they could for their dying fellows and
remand on board until the other
passengers were sally on land and the
unfortunate craft kee1ed over. Among
the last to make their escape was Mr..
Hurlburt Only one man came after
him and very close behind him at
that His satcheI Contained lzsllaas
documents and papers of the greatest
Importance and he reached New York
q few hours later, by train, bringing
everything intact He went down a
rope with one hand and held onto the
satchel with the other.
President Easton, in speaking this
morning of Mr.. HurIburt's yalor and
loyalty, voiced the sentiment of all
who came in contact with him. He
said it was a matter of genuine sor-
row to him that SO valuable a man in
every day emergencies, as well as in
the great one when his life was endan-
gered, should be lost to the company
Mr.. Hurlburt was born in Great Bar
rington where he learned to telegraph,
He was an operator in Bridgepot when
a young man, also at New Haven
where his reputation became fixed and
his services were sought to. take the
heavy press report, in Providence, in
the closing years of the Civil War A
few years later he was appointed man
ager.
Walter p. Phillips says of Mr. Hurl-
burt, in one Of the historical articles
he has written for the electrical press:
early environment has much to do
with our development. Mr.. Hurl-
burt had in his home town the bene-
fit of the society, in his youth of
franklin Leonard Pope, the partner
and associate of Edison and one of
the greatest men of his time who was
killed in making a dynamo eonnec-
ton while yet a young man. When
Mr.. Hurlburt arrived in Providence, in
1866, to take the press report he was
perfectly equipped for his work and
he grew as the years passed and be-
came the most finished operator Prov
idcnce had ever had, taking into ac-
count, as a whole, his sending, receiv-
ing and penmanship.'
Mr.. Hurlburt leaves wife and two
sons Arthur C. Hurlburt, Advertising
Manager for the Colts Patent Fire
Arms Mfg. Company, Hartford, Conn,
and Jarvis S. Hurlburt, Of the New
England Telephone Co, at Providence.