Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-09-07
MID-OCEAN.
Burning of the Steamer Bienville.
Vivid Narrative of a Survivor.
They Reach Guanahanf after HOrri
bHe RxnAriAueaa

| 0aVana, Drought OapC. maury ana Al OF the
survivors of the steamer Bienville. The
number of passengers saved thus far report
ed is 50, and officers and crew 46, making
"a in all known to be saved. The number
known to be drowned is 8, the number
missing from boat No. 5, and probably
drowned 10, the number unheard from is
1 "a; total 127.
E. 81. Lawler, of Albany, gave an inter.
esting narrative of the burning of the steam
er and subsequent suffering of the survi-
vors, he says:
About o'clock the morning of the 10Th,
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 still contin-
uing to increase, orders were issued to bat
ten down the matches and prepare to
Take to the Boats.
At Z o'clock Capt. Maury ordered the life
boats launched. They were seven in num-
Der and ought TO have been capable of car
rying all the passengers. The number
| placed in them varied from ten to thirty
| two. The latter number was far too great
and some of the boats were unseaworthy.
The sea was very rough and the terrified
passengers with no land in sight saw death
staring them in the face. The first boat
launched contained twenty persons and was
swamped at the ships stern. After much
trouble, however, all the passengers in the
boat were saved, and l shall observe that
in placing ten persons in some of the boats
caused an undue proportion to be thrown
into others, and in this life was unnecessar-
lily sacrificed. The sun was
Blazing Hot
so that our sufferings were terrible.
After we had left the ship about ten
minutes, the second mate, John Goff, ap-
| preached in another boat and signalled us.
| He told us when he came alongside that
we must take four more persons in our
boat in which there were already twenty
| four. Three clambered in and simultane-
ously with the fourth getting in, our boat
capsized and we were all thrown into the
sea. There were twenty-seven males and
four ladies. Incredible as it may seem, the
mate passed towards his ship and made no
effort whatever to save US, not even the
ladies. The mates boat took oD other
passengers at the steamer and subsequently
landed at James Point, Elluthern Island.
At the time we were capsized we were dis
tant
go Miles
from the nearest island. Ten of our boats
load were drowned when she capsiZed. l
do not know their names. A lady was
among the number. | have no hesitation
in saying that the responsibility therefor
rests upon the one whose reckless heartless
and inhuman conduct in forcing four Sddi-
tional persons into our already sinking boat
under the threat, "Get in or I'll throw you
in," that we were precipated into the
water and ten of our number drowned.
Words cannot describe our excruciating
sufferings after this. The sun was intensely
hot and we clung as best we could to the
gunwales of the boat for several hours,
with heavy seas washing over us and a tro-
pical sun pouring upon our uncovered
heads. We were
without Food or Water AZ HOuIs,
there being but one lemon to be divided
among twenty-five survivors. After cling
ing to the boat all these long hours, the
broken boat which was first capsized drifted
toward US. This was our only hope, hav-
ing no oars and no means by which to
right our own boat, and we could not have
lasted but few moments Longer. One or
two, who had sufficient strength, managed
to crawl into the broken boat, and with
our own boat. We all had on life preserv-
ers. Otherwise none of us could have sur
vived. In the broken boat we found one
oar. Finally our boat was bailed and we
got into her. A sailor named Peter Barry,
who subsequently proved himself
Hero,
improvised sail, using the skirts of the
ladies and the shirts of the men, and rigged
it to the oar, and we made our way with
this aid as best we could toward land. Be-
fore leaving the ship Capt. Maury told US
that the nearest land was Watling's Island,
aud for this point we made, taking our
bearings from the sun, and judging the
hour, all having lost our watches. Even
now our sufferiDgs were intense. With
wet clothing, the great heat of the sun and
the pangs of hunger upon us we despaired
being saved. Heavy seas were continually
breaking over us, adding to our misery.
About 2 o'clock the
Steamer Exploded
with a tremendous report and immediate
ly sunk, bearing everything on board with
her. Nothing whatever was saved. / hope
never to witness or experience such suffer-
ing as attended US after this; but cheered on
by our 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
contrived sail. The waves ran
80 or 40 Feet High
and we belle Ved, although we could see no
land, that we were near it. We coasted all
that night endeavoring to find safe land
ing place. 1t was task Of immense diff
Guilty in the terrible gale and tremendous
surf which was rolling. About
8 O'Clock a. m. we landed at
Cat Island, (San Salvador.) 1t so happen
ed that we landed in calm, under the
skilful pilotage of our heroic Barry, al
though few moments later the storm was
renewed with redoubled fury. Cat Island
we found to be perfectly barren, and for
long time we believed it to be uninhabited.
Our feelings when we found no human
hands to relieve our distress and with
neither food nor water,
No Tongue Can Describe.
Several of our party started out to explore
the island, ard shortly before daylight some
of them found several thatched huts. Upon
closer examination we discovered quite a
colony of colored people living in huts,who
are engaged in the propagation of fruit for
bLo NEW Il Vi ualhcLs AuCJ lOS6 uO
in relieving our distress and administering
to our wants in every possible
way. First they gave us in
| our famished state a very little
| liquor. Soon after they started fires and
made a Cruel. One hour later we were
given chicken and other substantial food,
with tea, coffee, etc. Our inner wants hav-
ing been satisfied, the ladies were given dry
| skirts, and hats, coats ard shoes were dis
tributed among the men. Mr.. Stewart, the
resident United States Consul at the island,
| was soon informed of our arrival, and i'm
mediately did all in his power to relieve us.
| We then sought rest, remaining here under
the care of the kind d-hearted natives for a
day. On the evening of the 18th, Stewart
provided a sail-boat to convey us to Nassau.
We
| Reached Nassau
about midnight of the next day, where We
found that Capt. Maury, with two or three
other boats, had already arrived at Nassau,
where we remained two weeks. The peO-
pie did all they could to make us comfort
able, and raised a subscription of f10S for
our benefit, as we were entirely destitute.
It is certain that
Over 40 Persons are Missing,
as there are no doubt that twenty were