Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1872-09-12

Loss OyTHE PACIFIC VI. g. CO. -
STEAMER BlENVILLE.
& Over Forty Lives Lost.
Horrible suffering Of tho Survivors.

1920 AAsAI VI TIC SURVIVORS,
/ Mr.. LAWYER, of Albany. gives an interest
ing account Of the burning Of the Pacili,
Mail Steamship Company's steamer Bieil
vile. After detailing the breaking out o
the fire and the attempts made to subtlue it
he says:
AT o'clock Captain Mauly ordered thu
life-boats to be unclled; they were seven
in number and ought to have been capable oi
carrying all the passengers the number
placed in them varied from 10 to 80; the lat
ter number was far too great, and some OF
the boats were unseaworthy the sea terrified
| the passengers, and with no land in sight
| they saw death staring them in the face the
first boat launched contained 20 persons and
was swaniped at the ships stern after much
trouble. however, all the passengers in the
boat were saved. should observe, that the
placing Of ten persons in some of the boats
caused an undue proportion to be thrown in
to others, and in this. way life was unneces-
sarily sacrificed. The sun waSblaziny hot.
SO that our suffering was terrible; after we
had left the ship about ten minutes, the sec
ond mate. Jno. Geoff, approached in another
boat aud told u.s.. when he got along side,
that we must take four more persons in
our boat, inwhieh there were already 81:
three climbed In, and simultaneous with the
fourth going in the boat capsiZed and we were.
all thrown into tie sea there were 81 males
and four lidies; incredible rs it may seem tie
mate hauled toward his ship and made no
effort whatever to save us. mol even the ladies':
the mates boat TOOK on other passengers at
the steamer, and subsequently landed at
Elcnthera island at the time we capsizcd we
were sixty miles from. the nearest island ten
III orr boats load were drowned when if.4aal,
sized; don't know their names a lady was
among the number; lraye no hesitation III
50, Ing tfsH1 rue responsibility rests Oh the ons
whose heartless, inhl,naD cOnduct,in forcing /
iour additional persons into our already sink
ng boat, under the threat, '.get in or I'll
throw you in!'' and by that we were precip:-
tated into the water and ten Of our number
Words cannot express the txcrll-
eating suflerinfs. as the sun was intensely
hot; weciung us best wes could to the gum
vale OF The boat for several hours, with Il
heavy SEA. washing over us, with 4 tropical
sun pOuling down upAn our uncovered heads. /
without Iood or water for Al hours, and there |
being bit one lemon to be divided among %;
after cliaging to lle boat all these long hours
a brokenboat drifted towards us. This w:.s
our Oniy Hope. Having no oars and no means I
by which to right our own toaf. we could |
not have lasted but u few moments longer, I
One or two who had sufficient strength man-
aged to crawl into the broken boat. and with I
their halIls began bailing out our own boat
We all hid on lfe-preservers, otherwise nome
Of us could have survived. Lii the broken
boat we nnnd ore oar. Finally orr boat was
Daiied AMI we got into her. "A sailor named
Peter Barney. who subsequently, proved him.
self a heho. improviscd a sail, using the skirts
oil the laiss rugged to the car. and we fnlde
way witlithis aid as best We could toward
and. Before leaving the ship Capt., Mauryl
old It's the nearest land was WattIand's
Island. ard for this point we made, taking
,nr bearings BIZ the sun. Even now our suf-
erings we're intense; with wet clothing. the
treat h ga; of tile sun, and tileepangs OF hum
scr, we tRspaired of being saved. heavy seas
continually breaking over us and adding to
,ur misery.
About Two o'clock the steamer exploded
With tremendous report and Immediately
ans, beaing everything OIL board with her
Nothing whatever was saved. hope never
o MitnessOr experience such suffering as at
ended nsafter tlfis; but cheered on by our
ailor hers. ALL even the ladies', bore up with
ortitude md resignation. When night came
ve took the stars for. our bearing and kept
efora tfleWind with our strangely eonfriyed
all. Thewaves ran thirty or forty feet high !.
nd we believed, although we could see no ,
lnd, that We were near il. We coasfud all
hat night. endeayoring to find safe landing =
lace About three o'clock Il. M, we landed :
|. Cat Island. San Salvador. It so happened !
l:at We landed in calm, although few g
later the Storm red0ubled its fury.
aJ Island we found perfectly barren, and !.
If a long time we believed it TO be uninfab- :
ed. Our feelings, when we found no hui +
ran hands 10 relieve our distress, and with / =
either foed nor water. no words can des- I,
'ibe. Several parties started out to explore 3.
ie island md shortly before daylight found
,Veral tharhed huts. Upon closer exanlin-
jon We dicovered quite 4 colony OF colcred
fruit for the New York market. They y
st NO. time in relieving our di tress, admin
tering to cur wants in every possible way. 3
irst, they gave US, in our furnished state, n
IF little liquor; then, after hey started the
'es they natte some cruel. and about an
,ur later We were given chicken and other
bstantlal food. with coffee and tea. and
II inner wants having been. satisfied. the
dies were girs ii dry skirts, and hats, coats Il
ID shoes were distributed among the men.
cwart, the resident u Consul at the IS. s
I'D, was soon informed OF our arrival, and
once did all in his power TO relieve MS. /
Z all thensonght rest, remaining here mn 50
I the care pf the kind -hcarted natives dur g g
! tile day, and on the evening of the 18th =, ~
ewart proSitl0d sail boat to convey us toll rr
ssali WE reached The latter place about a
.l.s.rl.t Al. ~ - I,,, ,In, xxa f.,.,,,.I haf co
- - - s.I,sS IS - = - :, -, us
~. MauI5s Will iWO Oair1 uoa. :. 1udu dt- an
ldy arrived. We remained there two
eks. The people did llhey could to make
comfortable, anil raised d subscription of s,
D8 fer our benefit, as We were entirely des- {,
lte.'
i il certain that over forty persons are
sSing. III filrre Is no doubt that ~ were
,Nned, while one boat with 80 persons has u
beeli heard from.