River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-01-06
THE VILE DU HAYRE.

THE VILE DU HAYRE.
Further Particulars Of the Loss Of the
! Steamer-Ioterestfng letter from IA
Lady Survivor.
From the New York Times.
The latest European mails brought
some interesting letters from the survi.
vors of the Vile du Havre disaster to
relatives in this city. Among them is
the following:
LETTER FROM MISS BULKLEY.
ONBoARD SHIP TRIMoUNTAIN, Nov. AZ.
My DEAR BRoTHER-I hardly know
in what words to commence my letter
to you. We are overwhelmed with the
great calamity that has befallen us; yet
j feel that it is due to you and our
friends at home that | should make an
attempt to write, and rs my strength
begins to return / will try to employ a
few hours of our life on shipboard by
writing you letter, which
will be mailed on our arrival
on land, if God wills it
/ that we are ever to see the shore
again. almost wonder that my hand
does not refuse to hold the pen which
must tell such a tale of woe, but ex-
cltcment and the necessity of daily
action seem to give me a strength I'M
natural to myself. Our journey from
New York was Cminous from the be-
ginning. The vessel was stopped for
an hour and half the same evening of
our departure, for arranging the ma
/ chinery. The next day was pleasant,
but on Monday and Tuesday the
weather was rough. A dense fog set in
on Wednesday, and continued three
/ days. The state-rooms leaked badly,
so that we were very uncomfortable.
This was owing to the bad con-
ditlon Of the deck. Many Of
the passengers felt apprehensive,
and few of us expressed our mutual
/ fears to each other.
/ On Friday the sky was clear, the Stars
shone brightly, the wind, which had
been ahead throughout, changed to the
westward, and, although we had no
hope of reaching Brest until the fol.
lowing Wednesday, our fears were
Gained, and after a pleasant evening IN
the saloon of the ship we all retired
with more quiet hearts than we had
known since we started in the Vile du
Havre. A little after we were arous-
Ell by terrific crash, fierce sound OF
the whistle, and human shrieks; L rush
ed into the hall. The staterOoms were
dark. | met first a steward, who an
swered me nothing; then the surgeon OF
the ship, who said. 'rien du TUT. How
ever, l called out TO Helen and Lallie
10 dress themselves 40 once then went
again 10 the hall, and met Mr.. Bel.
KNAPP, who told me to get upon deck as
quickly as possible. Then heard that
there had been a collision. NV idea
was at once that we must get ready for
the lifeboats, so | told the children 10
put on their warmest clothes, and take
their satchels with their valuables. We
were dressed in a moment Could not
pass the staircase. II was just there
the collision had taken place. ! did
not know this at the time, but seeing a
crowd there, / felt there was not mo-
ment 10 lose, SO hurried back with the
children and rushed up the Storage
stairs On deck all was confusion and
darkness, great flames bursting out of
the yentilator, the life boats filed with
= sailors yelling and screaming. We
walked down the deck 10 the front of
the saloon cabin, Just where we bid YOU
all "good-by. On the right | saw q
life boat black with sailors. at once
said TO myself there is no hope for ms
here, these men will swamp the boat.
1 was desperately calm, knew
we were in peril, yet never dreamed
that we could be sinking, A great ship
doomed up before us at a short dis.
lance, aud then | thought there must
be help Miss Murray and her brother
and Mrs. Plat, Mrs Sturgis' iriends),
all stood by us also Judge peckham
and his wife, from Albany MIR and
Mrs. Montague, with their young
daughter. We were all perfectly calm.
A young man named Mr.. Wait, son Of
the proprietor of the Brevoort
House, came up aud told
me he was going 10 try, with several
gentlemen, to cut away q life boat Tor
us. Poor fellows Had they found
an AK or knife five minutes sooner,
they might have succeeded, but IN an
other moment the mast fell, with an
awful crash, just by us. "Good God,
! woare shipwrecked,' cried Mrs. Plat .
| but still hoping that there might be
! some organized system OF rescue GO
! ing on which we did not see, replied
: Perhaps II has been cut away on
purpose We could hear nothing Of
what the danger was. Mrs. Plat burst
), out IN an eloquent song OF PRAYER
I4allfa as1 Nth uaiaw .T,rn. - -. u