The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-18
THE ST. MAURICE (CAxADA) HORROR.
Twelve Lives Lost by the Carelcssness OF n
Pilot.

Twelve Lives Lost by the Carelcssness Of n
Pilot.
Three Rivers Canada tOct. l1 correspondence Que
bee Mercury.1
Levi Copeland, one OF the SURVIVORS, gives the fol-
lowing account Of the accident lie Says:--"We lett
the Piles for Latnque Thursday morning on board
scOw owned BY r. B0yce. OF that place, and had on
board thirty-elght men, seven horses and fifteen
tons Of provisions and shanty rigging. We reached
the Makinac that night and starred about daylight
the next morning, expecting to make the Matawin
before dark On arriving at the eddy formed by the
Pointe Chateau, mile above the Makinac, the
horses which mad the sc0w In tow were taken on
board and the men took TO the oars and paddles with
the view OF crossing over to point where the
horses could again be landed passenger named
Thlvierge was standing on the cabin with the sweep
oar in his hand steering, when some observed that
they had gone too far up the eddy to cross with
safety, as the river was swollen ana the current
strong. Just then the pilot, man named Desaul-
ners, took the sweep, saying he could put her
moment the current struck her bow she dipped,
filed and turning bottom up and was sucked into
the vortex OF tine whirlpool.
Of age, son OF T. Boyce, who was himself on board
managed, with tire passenger Thivierge to secure q
small bark canoe and reach the shore, although In o
sustained. Thivierge ran to the hakInac for
wooden canoe which was there, but before he re-
turned the scow mad rolled over like log two or
three different times, washing of those who had
succeeded in scramDling up on the bottom; but
most fortunately, a. last partly cleared the whir.
stuck in sand reef and some twenty six persons,
all Of whom must have been expert swimmers,
again succeeded In reaching the scow. Little Boyce
was sitting on the shore, crying, fearful
TO put out to the scOw, when his father,
one Of the twenty-six, ordered him to come on
a. with the canoe he could take them all OF. The
little fellow obeyed and his father and Desaulniers
the pilot, getting IN, made for the shore. Desanl-
niers was In the STERN and probably In the excite
ment OF the moment padded too rapidly, and the
canoe, already half full OF water, became sub
merged and sank within twenty feet OF the shore.
They we're all swimmers and struck out manfully,
but the eddy drew them back. B0yce and his son
went down TO rise no more but Desaulniers reached
the land The wooden canoe now arrived from tho
Makinac. and Mr.. A. n swezy, on bis way down
IRON the Tuque with two empty barges. came along
at the same time, and the survivors were taken
ashore and cared for.n
1t Is ascertained that twelve persons have been
lost. Among these are 7. B0yce and his son Alexan.
der, from the Piles. Alexander Soucis, OF Three
Rivers, leaves wife and several young children. ID.
Young, OF Sc. Maurice, leaves wife and six small
children. Mr.. Broule, OF st. Maurice, leaves
Q wife and eight children. Mason is also
from st. Maurice but 10 not married. Young Stron-
neck 10 from the Piles Raymond, Lacourse and
Car0n are from below Quebec - are also the other
two whose names have not yet transpired. None Of
the bodies have been recovered. The scow has been
About half OF the provisions VIII be saved but the
small articles and mems clothing are . complete
loss.
This is the most serious accident which has
occurred on the St Maurice since numbering opera
tons commenced there. Thevierge whose name
the narrative 70 be among the saved. Is at rst
feared that the accident might have been the result
OF drink, a. the mon generally are drunk when leav-
Ing the Piles; but In this instance Il 10 stated that the
men were all sober, and had not this been the
case tho loss Of life would have been still greater