During a fog near midnight, June 11, two of the large passenger
steamers plying on Long Island Sound, Stonington line, between New
York and Boston, came in collision, while running at considerable
speed. One of the boats, the Narragansett, was struck near the middle,
her side cut open, and a smoke-pipe knocked over, which made a down
draught through the furnace, driving out a great sheet of burning
gas into the cabins and between decks, by which the vessel was set on
fire, at the same time the opening in her side caused her to begin
to sink. Some three hundred passengers were on board, and a frightful
scene of confusion followed. Happily there was a plentiful supply
of life-preservers, some life-rafts, and a few life-boats. There was
delay in lowering the boats, but the rafts, life-preservers, chairs,
and other floatables served to support most of the unfortunate people,
who, to escape the flames, were obliged to leap quickly into the
water. About fifty lives were lost; the remainder were rescued by
boats from another steamer, the New York, also by help sent from the
other damaged vessel, the Stonington.
It seems remarkable that so many were saved. This calamity illustrates
the necessity for further effort on the part of inventors to discover
new and improved means for fog signaling, saving life, preventing the
spread of fires, and keeping vessels afloat. Most of the large local
steamers that communicate with New York are veritable palaces,
built regardless of expense, and supplied with every known reliable
appliance for safety; but the occurrence of accidents like this and
their disastrous results show that much remains to be done before
navigation, even upon smooth waters, can be considered secure.
The life-rafts of the Narragansett seem to have proved more useful
than the life-boats in rescuing the drowning people, the rafts being
more quickly and easily launched, requiring less skill, etc.
The upperworks of our river and Sound passenger steamers consist at
present of a mass of light, dry woodwork, forming cabins that are very
comfortable and commodious for travelers, but highly dangerous in case
of fire.
The collision of river steamers above described was followed a few
hours later by a collision between two great ocean steamers, accounts
of which we give in another column.
* * * * *