The New York Times, May 24, 1860
One Man Fatally Injured and Several Badly Wounded
A fearful conflict occurred yesterday afternoon on board the packet-ship Wm. F. Storer, Capt. TRASK, between the officers and the seamen. Early in the morning the vessel’s crew were shipped and she was hauled into the stream near Bedloe’s Island, preparatory to her departure for Liverpool. The seamen, as is invariably the case, were partially intoxicated at the time they embarked and their frequent potations in the interval before the vessel was ready to go, rendered them very disorderly. In order to secure their services, the officers nailed up the forecastle where the sailors had secreted their liquor, and at 3 o’clock the anchor having been raised, a steam-tug started down the Bay with the ship in tow. Soon afterwards some of the crew came aft and demanded of Capt. TRASK that the forecastle should be opened, but on his refusal to comply with the request, the men declared that they would not work, and immediately inaugurated a disturbance. Marlin-spikes, belaying-pins, and other missiles, were thrown at the officers upon the poop deck, until finally the captain had to fire several times upon the mutineers, who returned the shots without doing any damage. Meantime, the captain gave orders to have the vessel towed back again, and anchored. This was done, and a signal of distress was displayed, but the battle was kept up without intermission, and the steward of the ship, who had been assisting the officers to keep the rebels from the poop, received a shot in the head which laid him insensible on the deck, and which is believed will speedily result in his death. B.W. CARE, the second-mate, was also felled with a handspike, and received a terrible scalp-wound.
The mutineers, some 12 in number, themselves had not escaped unscathed, a ball from the Captain’s revolver having penetrated the arm of one of them, an American, named ROBT. CRAIG; and several of the rest were cut and bruised in a shocking manner. By this time boat’s crew No. 2, of the Harbor Police, Coxswain NESBITS, had discovered the signal of distress, and at once started for the vessel. It was a difficult matter for the Police to get on board, as they found no ropes hanging over the side, and no assistance could be rendered by the officers of the ship. Having finally succeeded, the crew were driven back to the forward part of the vessel, and by dint of great exertion they ware secured. A miscellaneous collection of deadly weapons, consisting of pistols, sheath-knives and slung-shots, were taken from them, and JAS. DILLON; WM. SMITH and ROBERT CRAIG, the ringleaders, with the wounded men, were taken on shore, while Coxswain HOLLAND and crew No. 1, which subsequently came up, was placed in charge of the vessel and the remaining mutineers. At the Station-house the wounded were attended by Dr. ANDREWS, and the steward, whose name could not be ascertained, was afterwards removed thence to the City Hospital. The vessel bears evidences of a hard conflict, all the cabin windows having been broken by the missiles projected by the crew. Much praise is due to Officers NESBITT, HARVEY, GARLAND, CONNERY and COULD, of the Harbor Police, for the promptness which they showed in overpowering the mutineers.