Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-09-20
The Burning of the Bienvlllc.
New YonK, September Q

New YonK, September 8.
THE steamship MORO CASTLE, which
arrived to-day from Havana, brought
Captain Maury and forty.one of the sur
vivors of the steamer Bienville. The
number of passengers saved thus far re-
ported Is thirty eight, and the number of
officers and crew forty six, making eighty.
four in all to be saved The number
known to be drowned is nine missing
from boat No. 8, and probably drowned,
ten; unheard from, twenty-four; total,
1877.
Mr.. Lawler, of Albany, gives an inter-
esting account of the burning of the
steamer and the subsequent suffering of
the survivors He says:
About three o'clock on the morning of
the 18th, smoke was discovered issuing
from the hatch below the steerage deck.
The donkey engine was set at work, but
soon broke down, when the flames contin-
ued to increase. Orders were issued to
batten down the matches, and to prepare
to take the boats, and at seven o'clock
Captain Maury ordered the life boats
launched. They were seven in number
and ought to have been capable of carry
ing all the passengers. The number
placed in these varied from ten to thirty
two. The latter number was far too great,
and some of the boats were unseaworthy.
The sea was rough and terrified the
passengers, who, with no land in sight,
saw death staring them in the face. The
first boat launched contained twenty per-
sons and was swamped at the ships stern.
After much trouble, however, all the pas
sengers were saved. 1 should observe
that placing ten persons in some boats
caused an undue proportion to be thrown
into others, and in this way life was un-
necessarily sacrificed. The sun was blaz-
ing hot, SO that our sufferings were terri
BILE.
After we had left the ship about ten
minutes, the second mate, John Goff ap-
preached in another boat and signaled us.
He told us when he came alongside we
must take four more persons in our boat,
in which were already twenty. y.seven.
Three clalIbered in, and simultaneously
with the fourth going in our boat cap
sized and we were all thrown into the
sea. There were twenty-seven males and
four ladies. Incredible as it may seem,
the mate hauled toward his ship and made
no effort whatever to save us, not even
the ladies. The mates boat took on other
passengers at the steamer and subsequent
ly landed at James Point, Eleuthera
Island. At the time we were capsized we
were sixty miles from the nearest island.
Ten of our boats load were drowned
when she capsized. do not know their
names. A lady was among their num-
Der. l have no hesitation in saying that
the responsibility therefor rests ON one
whose reckless, heartless and inhuman
conduct in forcing four additional per-
sons into our already sinking boat under
threat, "Get in or III throw you in, that
we were precipitated into the water and
ten of our number drowned.
Words cannot express our eXcruciating
sutferings. After this we clung, as best
we could, to the gunwale of the boat for
several hours with heavy seas washing
over us, and the tropical sun pouring
upon our uncovered heads. We were
without food or water for forty.two hours,
there being but one lemon to be divided
among twenty-five survivors. After
clinging to the boat all these long hours,
the broken boat which was first capsiZed
drifted toward us; this was our only hope,
having no oars and no means by which to
right our own boat, and we could have
lasted but few moments longer.
One or two who had sufficient strength
managed to crawl into the broken boat,
and with their hands began the work of
bailing out our own boat. We all had on
life-preservers, otherwise none of us could
have survived. In the broken boat we
found one oar; finally our boat was bailed
anu we got INTO her.
A sailor named Peter Barry, who sub
sequently proved himself hero, impro-
vised a sail by using the skirts of ladies
and the shirts of men, rugged to the oar,
and we made our way, with this aid, as
best we could, toward land.
Before leaving the ship Captain Maury
told US that the nearest land was Wal
lands Island, and for this point we made,
taking our bearings from the sun and
Judging the hour, all having lost our
watches. Even now our sufferings were
intense. With wet clothing, the great
heat of the sun, and the pangs of hunger
upon us, we despaired of being saved.
Heavy seas were continually breaking
over us, adding to our misery.
About two o'clock the steamer explod-
ed with tremendous report, ndimmedi.
ately sank, bearing everything on board
with her. Nothing whatever was saved.
hope never to witness or experience
such suffering as attended us after this;
but cheered on by the sailor hero, all,
even the ladies, bore up with fortitude
and resignation. When night came we
took the stars for our bearings, and kept
before the wind with our strangely con-
trived sail. The waves ran thirty or forty
feet high, and we believed, although we
could see no land that we were near it,
We "coasted" all that night, endeavor-
ing to find q safe landing place. 1t was a
task of great difficulty, in the terrific
gale and tremendous surf which was roll
ing About three o'clock a. m. welanded
at Cat Island (San Salvador). 1t so hap.
pened that we landed in calm, under
the skillful pilotage of our heroic Barry,
although few moments later the storm
was renewed with redoubled fury
Cat Island we found TO be perfectly
barren, and for long time we believed II
to be uninhabited. Our feelings when
we found no human hands to relieve our
distress, and with neither food nor water,
no words can describe. Several of our
party started out to explore the island,
and shortly before daylight some of them
found several thatched huts.
Upon closer examination we found
quite colony of colored people living
in the huts, who were engaged in cultivat
ing ITuit for the New York market. They
lost no time in relieving our distress, and
administering to our wants in every pos
sible way. First they gave us in Oul
famished state, very little liquor. Soon
after they started fires and made Cruel
An hour later we were given chicken ano
other substantial food, with tea, coffee
etc Our inner wants having been salts
fed, the ladies were given dry skirts, and
hats, coats and shoes were distributed
among the men.
Stewart, the resident United States
Consul at the Island, was seen and in
FORMED OF our arrival, and at once did al
in his power to relieve as We theI
sought rest, remaining here under tht
care of the knd-hearted natives for ,
80 l,D