The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-02-22
STARVING At SEA.
An Appalling Tale Of Shipwreck,
Hunger and Death.
A FATAL LEAK.
The Bark Maria Waterlogged and Drift
ing with Her furnishing Crew.
ONE OF FOURTEEN SURVIVES
A Horrible Story Of Cannibalism in
the Mid-Atlantic.
WAITING THE LAST GASP
The Threats Of the Dead Cut and Their
Hearts and Brains Devoured
A Horrible Story Of Cannibalism in
the Mid-Atlantio.
WAITING THE LAST GASP
The Threats of the Dead Cut and Their
Hearts and Brains Devoured.
DRAUGHTS OF PUTRID BLOOD
Starvation and Death During Thirty.two
Terrible Days.


BOSTON, Feb. 81, 1877.
One of the most appalling tales of shipwreck and
starvation that has ever startled and Mortified the
civilized world reached this city yesterday in
letter from Captain Kane OF the American schooner
F. b. Macdonald, dated from Goree, on the west
coast OF Africa, on January "a
DOOMED BARK.
The British bark Maria, Captain Grayson, sailed
from Darien, Ga, on the 21st OF November
last, with q cargo of timber for Belfast, Ireland.
She was 500 tons burden, and was built at Var.
mouth, Nova Scotia in 1863, and was classed A2H
at Lloyds. Her crew numbered fourteen including
the captain and officers
THE FATAL LEAK.
Shortly after leaving port the carpenter reported
q serious leak The weather had been rough and
1t is supposed that some Of the cargo shifted with
the rolling Of the ship and damaged her frame and
sheathing Notwithstanding the efforts of the crew,
the leak gained steadily on them, and the ship be-
gan to settle lower and lower in the sea.
ON HER BEAM ENDS.
The cargo being timber, the ship did not sink, but
the weight Of her masts caused her to fall over on
her broadside with her spars in the water.
STRUGGLING FOR LIFE.
The unfortunate crew managed to scramble over
the bulwarks and gain the side OF the ship that was
out Of water, and chung with desperate grip to the
channels and rigging in the hope Of being seen and
rescued from their dreadful position.
dashed BY THE WAVES
While thus hanging on for their lives the sea fro
quently made a clean breach over them threaten
ing them with death and exhausting their rapidly
failing strength in their efforts to retain their hold
OH the ships side.
THE MAsrs BREAK OFF.
The laboring of the wreck in the heavy sea threw
such an immense strain on the masts, which were
alternately buried in the waves and lifted above the
relieving the ship of their weight
wATERLOGGED AND MANAGEABLE
The result was that she righted again, but lay
buried IN the sea, warterogged and unmanageable.
Everything movable on her decks had been swept
away. Her boats were destroyed, and the crew,
after another desperate effort, dragged themselves
to her decks, which were under water.
NO FOOD OR FRESH WATER.
All this time the unfortunate crew had been fam
ishing with hunger ana thirst. The ships stores
we're beyond their reach, being slowed below, and
the consequence was that all the horrors OF starva.
ton stared them in the face.
While drifting thus helpless at the mercy Of the
waves they seen by the ship City OF Montreal,
Captain Mudgett, bound for Liverpool One of the
unfortunate crew had already died OF exhaustion
and hunger, but the surviving thirteen eagerly
watched the approaching sail in the hope OF being
rescued.
But the captain OF the City of Montreal could
not approach them near enough to render them
any assistance. The tremendous gale that was
prevailing at the time and the terrific
seas that were rolling made it impos.
sbIe to reach the doomed Ship and her
starving crew. The City of Montreal was obliged
to abandon them to their fate, and filed away for
her destination. The glaring eyes that followed
her receding form and the thirst-bistcrcd tongues
and lips that endeavored to give utterance TO de.
spairing yet appealing cnes for succor made even
the horrors OF the dreadful storm appear less ap-
pang than the mute despair that was pictured on
every wasted countenancc.
ANOTHER SAIL
The unfortunate vessel was again sighted on the
1lth of December by the Italian bark Madre Figli
in latitude 80 deg 81 min, longitude Al deg OF min
but no assistance could be rendered to her crew
on account Of the heavy sea, and they were again
abandoned.
FAMINE AND DEATH
After the departure Of the Italian bark all hope
OF human succor seems to have abandoned the mis-.
cradle men on the wreck. The dreadful gnawing
Of hunger rendered them utterly savage One by
one the poor wretches died OF sheer starvation.
while their surviving messmates crouched watching
for the last breath to depart.
TOO TERRIBLE TO CONTEMPLATE
vors cut his throat and drank the still warm but
almost putrid blood. The wasting effects Of hunger,
thirst and exposure reduced the frames of the
miserable creatures to mere skeletons, and caused
their blood to decompose almost In their veins.
Yet the living tried to live by these dreadful
draughts and watched with eager eyes Tor signs OF