The New York herald., 1872-09-07
A STORY OF SHIPWRRCK
Burning Of the BienViIle On Her
Way to Aspinwall.
MORE THAN TWENTY LIVES LOST.
The Slumbers Of the Passengers Broken
by the Cry Of Fire r
THE HATCHEs BATTENED DOWN.
Escaping from the Cracking
Decks in Small Boats.
SUFFERINGs OF THE SURVIVORS.
~water, Water Everywhere and
Not a Drop to Drink"
THREE DAYS OF THIRST.
Five Boats Reach the Land
The Sixth Lost.
Capsizing in the Surf OF Eleuthera Island
and Loss Of Nine Lives.
CRAZED BY CARE.
Anne Brain Wanders Away
and is Lost.
SEARCH FOR THE MISSING BOAT.
Captain Maury's Report Of the Disaster and
the Story Of the Chief Engineer.
FULL LIST OF THE SAVED.
Ferty-two Arriving Here by the Steamer
MORO Castle, and Thirty-flve at
Baltimore by the Schooner
William McGee.
NAMES OF THE LOST.
Heartrending Narratives of Dan
ger, Toll, Pain and Death.
ON the 31st Of August the disaster which hap
pened to the steamship Bienville, of the Pacific
FULL LIST OF THE SAVED.
Ferty-two Arriving Here by the Steamer
MORO Castle, and Thirty-ave at
Baltimore by the Schooner
William McGee.
NAMES FTHE LOST.
Heartrending Narratives of Dan
ger, Toll, Pain and Death.

ON the 31st OF August the disaster which hap
pened to the steamship Bienville, of the Pacific
Mail line, was meagrely announced to- the public
through brief telegram from Havana where her
commander, Captain Jefferson Maury had just ar
rived Tho detailed horrors Of this event for
the time left to the imaginations Of the friends Of
those on board the il-fated vessel, who have been
unable for several days to learn their full extent,
and have been, therefore, kept in condition of
fearful suspense. The anxiety has been shared by
the general public and they will be glad to receive
the news that by the steamer MOrro Castle arrived
yesterday morning Captain Jefferson Maury, Of the
Bienville, with thirty-one Of her passengers and
eleven Of her subordinate officers and crew. In
THE FIRST DESPATCH
from Havana, which 1t now appears must have been
altered either by mistake or intention from the in
formation which was given by Captain Maury on
hts arrival there it was stated that the Bienville,
leaving New York ON the 10th inst for Aspinwall
was discovered to be on fire on the morning Of
the 18th inst, In latitude rs degrees IL minutes
longitude "a degrees Is minutes. The first alarm
was given at fortyfve minutes past three O'Clock.
Smoke was seen ascending from the hatchcs. After
few revolutions the steam pumps broke down
and could not be worked. The matches were then
ordered to be battcned down, hoping to smother
the hre; the steam was kept on, but the flames
gained with such rapidity that at six O'Clock the
six boats were ordered to be launched and the pas
sengers and crew began to embark. Captain Maury
left the ship at halpast seven, after every one else
had gone. After pushing or one Of the boats was
cspsized. and ten of the inmates, two Of whom
were ladies, were drowned. After sunrise, how
ever, the boat was righted and bailed out, and
headed for Cat Island or San Salvador. where she
arrived In safety. The other boats, with the ex-
ception Of one, were reported to have reached the
Island OF Ell rthera, the missing boat afterwards
fioating to the beach empty. Some hopes were at
that time entertained that her load had been
taken ON board some passing vessel Nine lives
were lost BY the capsizing OF another boat in
attempting to land at Eleuthera Island. From
Eleuthera Island the saved escaped to Nassau after
being overwhelmed with kindness by the poor
negro inhabitants One Of their number, however,
Anne Brahn-who had become insane from the
terrible anxiety ana suspense Of their situation,
had wandered away from her friends and was sup
posed to have been drowned on the beach.
At Nassau every attention was extended to the
shipwrecked, as Is testified by all Of them. The
steam tug Anna and the schooner Dandy were
despatched by Vice Consul Saunders to search for
the missing boat, and the schooner william Nc.
Gee, starting for Baltimore, took thirtyfve OF the
survivors as passengers.
The news obtained after this first despatch was
OF 80 imperfect o nature as only to increase the
YuuAo SuSPonscs ropes anu learS were 10unueu
npon the supposed errors OF the telegraph, and the
arrival OF the next steamers from Havana or
other Southern ports was looked for with an agony
Of anxiety. The screw steamship Metropolis, from
Havana, has been overdue for two or three days
and the Morro Castle, which went by way of Mas.
sau, beginning her voyage at the same time, has
beaten her in speed.
HERALD correspondents went down the bay on
wednesday on board the HERALD steam yacht.
and lying on the mosquto-breeding marshes of
New Jersey ne waited patiently for the earliest
Sign OF the incoming vessels. crooked in the
cradle Of the deep" and swinging at anchor with
the whims Of the tide begot sort Of superstit0us
mood, and when out of the dense fog OF yesterday
morning sounded the deep-mouthed salute OF the
M0rro Castle he would not have been any more
surprised than would have become an ''ancient
mariner" the ghost Of the lost Henville had
loomed up In shadowy gloom to haunt him with
the sadness Of his errand. He wanted to learn the
f story OF her terrible humiliation from the Gap
tain, the passengers and the crew. Every steamer
which specked the horizon was eagerly scanned
with q glass until the mist set In on Thursday
night when the outward bound sailing vessels put
IN from fear Of the storm and nothing could