SS Narragansett
Passenger Sidewheel Steamer · United States · Lost 1880 · Long Island Sound & the Connecticut Shore
One of Long Island Sound's deadliest steamboat disasters: two sister ships collided in fog and one burned with passengers trapped aboard.
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The Vessel and Her Loss
The sidewheel steamer Narragansett of the Stonington Line was carrying roughly 300 passengers from New York toward Providence when she collided with her sister ship Stonington in thick fog off the Connecticut River's mouth. The collision tore open her hull, and a fire broke out that spread rapidly through the wooden steamer while many passengers were still asleep. Dozens of lives were lost. The disaster prompted a public inquiry into the conduct of both crews.
Vessel
- 1867
- Not established
- Not established
- Wood
- Not established
- Not established
- 1633
- Steam, sidewheels
- Providence and Stonington Steamship Company (Stonington Line)
Loss
- June 11, 1880
- Collision
- Long Island Sound, near the mouth of the Connecticut River, off Cornfield Point
- Long Island Sound
- New York City → Providence, Rhode Island
- Not established
- 300
- 30
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Accounts differ: some sources describe the burned hull as later towed to port and rebuilt, others describe her as a total loss.
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- Not established
- Position not established
- Cornfield Point, Old Saybrook, Connecticut
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (65/100)
Sources disagree on the exact death toll and on whether the burned hull was ultimately salvaged and rebuilt or was a permanent loss.
Collision narrative, casualty estimate, route, and date.
ConnecticutHistory.org (CTHumanities)
Collision details and location near the Connecticut River mouth.
