The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-09-12
The Spanish Brig NaciOnal Dashed to
Pieces in a Cyclone.
Sailors Washed Overboard-The Captain
and Five Of the Crew, Floating ON the
Ocean, Die Of Hunger and Thirst
Three Survivors Picked Up
and Brought to This Port.


broad Atlantic. The ,errors OF the latest ocean
horror are not only the Kissing OF cyclone the
mountainous and maddened blllow ana the drench-
M Storm but to these hunger, thirst and death
adde's fate that strikes the sturdiest mariner with
fear and despair. II was the doom or the Spanish
brig Nacional tons, bound from Aguadilla, Porto
Rico, TO Barcelona, Spain to meet all these dsas-
ters and, on the Goth OF August, to go down
IN mid ocean with part OF the crew, while the
balance noated at the viii Of the waves for five days
and nights on a portion Of the deck-house, without
food or water and then one by one, dropped uncon-
scious into the abyss until but three left to tell
the tale. This terrible occurrence, Which Is one OF
the most remarkable shpwrecks on record, VIII un
doubleday be placed among the most fearful.
THE BRIG NACIoNAL
q thoroughly built craft, capable OF encounterng
the roughest weather, left Aguadia on the 18th Of
August last with 500 bales Of cotton and sl4 bags
or coffee, under command Of Captain Pablo Berda-
geur. who with q crew OF nine men and boy
started on their voyage to the port OF
Barcelona, with Joyous songs and hearts pea ing
high with the prospects OF safe and speedy passage.
They proceeded pleasantly for the space OF eleven
days thar their wishes seemed certain OF falfment,
but the hour Of che dreadful catastrophe when
sent many OF their souls TO 1nal judgment came
soon after.
CYCLONE
On the 2Sth OF August the wind had been blowing
fresh and continued into the night, but 1t was
nothing like gale OF wind The next Gay, the 2oth
the tempest burst upon them, and so sudden was
the cyclone, or revolving hurricane that no time
could be had 10 reef the sails. Efforts were made
TO run before the storm, but the attempt
was fruitless, the vessel preaching TO, and
the high-rollng sea carrying every portable thing
before it and almost enguinnQ her. With every
second the maddened wind blew more Iuriousy
ana tore the sails nom their astenngs as II they
were paper balloons, ana other seas washed the deck
from stem 10 stern and every boat was carried into
the ocean. Nothing could be done with the vessel
The gale gave whirling direction. This was the
been got before the storm she might have lyed and
ridden out the cyclone in safety.
THE CREWS EFFORTS.
Captain Berdaguer communicated to his crew, as
well as he could, their perm, but at The time be had
no fear that the vessel would be wrecked. lie lelt
the severity OF the terrible storm, but was confident
That he had good vessel. The "broaching TO" was
unexpected; 1t came suddenly as the storm, ana
desperate work was necessary. AS soon as
tins occurred the sea poured upon deck
and down the companionway and lorecaste
In Volumes untll IL was lOur or Ave
feet deep. The masts were attempted to be cut
away, but the wind was blowing worse than hur-
Tlcane, roaring louder than thunder, and the sea
chopping terribly ugly and d2shing in wildly from
all quarters, until az last the ulasts as one more
n1ghtiul mass OF seething waves struck them went
by the board. During the first moment OF tue YES
sells calamity some OF the crew were below, and
when the sea poured Iii upon them they found them
FIFTEEN FEET UNDER WATER,
and they only fought their way, strangliug and
pasping, TO tne deck by The utmost neroisln and
GOODNESS. One of these furious seas haa swept TWO
al the men VINO were at the wheel overheard, and
they were instantly lost.
Nothing could be done it was found. The mate
and one or two Of the crew lashed themselves to the
sfumps OF the masts. The captain obtained his
chronometer ana log book, meaning 10 them II
possible, and then the nine souls
AWAITED THEIR FATE.
They were not long In suspense. The vessel, by
the heavy humping 1t had received, began to go to
pieces and its dismemberment was soon complete
and In the gales, tornadoS, cyclones flashing seas
overwhelming waves and the whited forms OF the
crested pillows there was but little cheer for the
almost drowned mariners. At last, drifting about
subordinate to the waves, a vast, Wild sea washed
ike the report OF cannon over them and Instantly
The captain and the seven men and boy found them
selves on portion OF the deck house. which mad
been split from the hull,
FLOATING IN MID-oCEAN,
with these frau, thin planks only beneath them.
This was the afternoon OF the Goth Of August.
Little did these men know what was in store
for them. Little in the MIDST OF that horribly
angry ocean did they reflect what their surering5
and their deaths would be. Hundreds OF miles from
shore, with nothing to cot and in vast desert OF
water, with water water everywhere, but not a
drop TO drink"
TwENTY-FoUR HOURS.
The storm subsidized in part almost as suddenly rs
IL CAME Dut The sea was running ugly and danger
OuSy. The men moved cautiously about the frail
work that kept them from the bosom of the ocean,
and at first calmly talked OF their condition. Con.
staBt watches kept for sail, but appeared.
Nigh;fal drew on and without anything to stop the
gnawng OF hunger or The queDching OF thirst, they
again dashed themselves as before and awaited day.
1t was with heavy hearts that the sufferers re-
turned TO their places with but little nope left
1oundly that night the first, and when
DAY AGAIN DAMNED
these poor Spanish men looked one to another.
shook their heads but said but little. The rest Of
the story can soon be told Day passed, night again
came, and hunger and thirst Inaddened the weakest,
and in their deiirlum, they jumped overheard.
Thus went out the life OF Jose, the cabin boy ana
thus terminated the existence OF others. The third
and fourth days TWO OF the crew died and dropped
Into the sea. The fourth day the captain sue
cumbeS and his body fell into the watcry waste.
The fifth day but three remained, the mate, Pablo
Aslna ana two OF the crew, AuguStin Oblol and
Joaquin Peres. Lash.ng themselves 40 the wreck,
but with their hands so as they could use them as
well as their exhausted condition would allow them
TO- tnese men were also about TO give up IN despair.
FIVE days clinging 10 wreck--Gve days without
FOOD OR WATER
There are not many similar cases on record. The
testimony Of the three SURVIVORS is that after the
third day the thought OF food scarcely entered their
minds, but the burning thirst nearly drove them to
distraction. Five days without q drop Of Waterl
what miracle OF suffering? what ner0ism that can
outlive such terrible ordeals 1t came to be
through This fearful parcning that the men could
hardly talk Each tongue was swollen and hung
within the mouth AS II touched the roof OF the
month 1t seemed u glue there ana scaled OF III large
pieces.
DELIvERANcE AT LAST
On Saturday morning, the Cd inst, the first sail
that was seen by the men Oh the wreck came In
sight, and new hope was born IN the wretched be-
mgs. Fortunately The vessel approached them, and
was near enough to observe their signs O! distress
III proved to be
TIE BARK GAzELLE
@! New Haven, Conn, Captain Black. bound from
sugar and moiasses and the story Of these walls of
the ocean Is best told IN the unpretending words OF
the Vessels logbook as fonows:-
September lat 90 TO- lon 81 l7-At half pas three p NJ
passed several bales OF cotton when we lowered boat
znd picked up two OF them. At fur r. NJ.
persons on board making signals OF distress pulled
them and found what appeared to be the upper part OF
vessel with cabin house. On this and
two OF the OF the Spanish brig Nacioua from Aqua
dilla, p r. bound to Barcelona, with coffee cotton.
We took them on board and cared for them.
The portion OF the deck all that left OF the brig
wrecked on the 10Th of August Subsequently picked up
other bales OF cotton fourteen in ALL when away
ON course.
YES, 'CARED F0R.r
As the boat OF the Gaelic went along side OF the
wreck 1t was evident That the three men we're IN a
oerlshIDg condition, and could not have lived many
hours longer. They were kindly lifted on board and
very attention pald TO them by the kind hearted
captain Black and his crew. When taken on they
we're almost Naked as they had been for three days.
he washing seas having torn their clothes into RIB
oDs and IN that manner some portions OF them
lung to their bodies. The sun had fearfulIy Bills
cred them. and great blOtches were on their faces
ands, arms andb 0dies. The mate was the stronger
I the tr,c bur his right hand was badly mangled
Fn atm, and hoI