The Narragansett had taken on approximately 300 passengers at the North River Pier at Jay St. in New York City at 5:00 pm.
[1] Later that evening, at around 11:30 pm, in heavy fog, she collided with the Stonington near the mouth of the Connecticut River.
The Narragansett had a huge gash in the side of her hull, caught fire and burned rapidly.
Significant controversy followed the collision, as the captains of the two ships gave different accounts of the accident and the events leading up to it, and the crew of the Narragansett faced accusations of neglecting its duty.
[4] One of the passengers on the Narragansett was John Reilly of the Cincinnati Stars, who was en-route to Providence to meet up with his team.