The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-30
CANNIBALISM AND MADNESS
The Horrible Story Told by Pilot Mar
shall Bertrand and His Shipmate.
The Last Resort of Starving Men-Sixty
Hours of Misery in an Open Boat
Off the Delaware Capes.
BERTRAND's STORY.
Adrift in an UnmanageabIe Boat with Ma
MAC for a Companion.

Lewes (Del.l special TO PnlladelpnlA Prese.
The three-masted schooner Emma F. Engel,
from Georgetown s. G., for Baltimore, brought
into port to-day Pilot Marshal Bertrand and An
dres Peter Hansen, a Dane, two of the three
men who, on Monday morning, left the pilot
boat Turley in skif for the purpose of put
ting Thomas Marshall, another pilot, on board
the steamship Pennsylvania which was bound
for Philadelphia The third was Alfred
Swanson, Norwegian. They performed this
duty and started back to regain the Turley,
which was beating to and fro off the Five Faith
ON light-ship. The weather was very thick and
heavy sea was running, and they never
reached their vessel 1t was consequently, sup
posed that they had been lost Several pilot
boats were sent in search of them and one
cruised 800 miles off the coast without discover
ing trace.
Bertrand told the story Of their rescue this
afternoon, and the horrible cannibalism to which
the survivors were compelled to resort. Soon
after leaving the Pennsylvania they found that
in the darkness they had lost their bearings.
They had no compass on board, and not one OF
the Delaware lights was visible. Their frail
boat became unmanageable, and the wind and
sea seemed to rise higher with every passing
moment When daylight broke they were drift
ing rapidly out to sea before the strong north
west gale and then abandoned all hope, except
that they might be carried within sight of some
passing vessel. This was but forlorn chance,
as Bertrand knew that only by some lucky acci-
dent would their little craft which, for most of
the time was in the hollow of the SEAS be sighted
from the deck of any vessel All they could do
was to keep her as much as possible before the
wind.
The weather was bitterly cold, and they had
left the Turey in such haste that they had failed
to take their thickest clothing, to throw in
any water or provisions. Soon the spray, driven
by the cutting blasts froze upon their oil-skins.
and their stiffened muscles refused to do their
duty. One man attended to the helm, while the
others attempted to keep the boat from swamp
ing by constantly bailing her. All Monday, and
Monday night, and Tuesday they drove aimless-
ly about, suffering the extremes of hunger,
thirst, ard cold.
Towards dusk on Tuesday evening, the other
men, who were pilot apprenti ces, became deliri-
Gus, and, before Bertrand could control them
they threw overheard the oars ard everything
else that was loose in the boat Thus, left with
out any means of handling the skiff. Bertrand
can hardly explain how it escaped filing or cap
sizing He says that he occasionally sunk into
a stupor in which the rawlings of his shipmates,
the roar of the wind, and the lashing of the
waves, were curiously mingled in whatever re-
mained to him of consciousness.
He supposes that it was about midnight of
Tuesday when Swanson drew his sailors knife
from its sheath and made several plunges at
him, declaring that he would kill him and drink
ii 4<a
his danger, Bertrand declares that he was too
weak to make any resistance. and, closing his
eyes patiently waited for the death, that seemed
near and not unwelcome. But the deranged
man was himself too feeble to carry out his in
tention Exhausted by his long fast and clad in
his icy garments as in coat of mail, he fell,
shreking and gasping across the thwarts at
Bertrands feet. In few minutes he was dead.
The clouds had passed away, the moon had risen
and its beams fell upon the eontorted features of
the dead sailor, upon whose face the freezing
spume drift quickly formed a film of ice To
add to the peril of the remaining the boat
shipped great deal of water The bailer was
among the things that the crazy men had thrown
overheard, and Bertrand was forced to take off
one of his rubber boots to use in its place. Thus
he freed the boat from water, but his unpro-
tected foot was frozen. Hansen was so near
death as to be incapable of rendering any assist
ance and, except when he was ravng, he laid
like alog.
When the sun rose on Wednesday morning
Bertrand eagerly scanned the horizon in search
of sail, but he saw nothing. AS his glance fell
upon the corpse of the dead sailor, it occurred to
him that here might be tine means of proonging
life until rescue came. Horrible rs the idea of
cannibasm was TO him, he realized that nothing
else renamed between them and death. He
reused Hansen, and was happy to discover that
his mind had comparatively cleared, and that he
understood what was said to him. The cold had
not abated, but the sea had gone down, the day
was bright, and Bertrand knew that if they
nj T,iOh thav in
likelihood be picked up as they could not be out
of the path of the coasting vessels.
Then came the supreme moment Bertrand
indicated to Hansen what he proposed to do, and
the latter agreed with him. With the small
remnant of strength left them they tore the
stiffened oil-skins and the under-cothng
from the dead and left a portion of
the body exposed. Into his breast and
shoulders they plunged their knives and
eagerly sucked the blood from the wounds
They Immediately felt refreshed and the tor
lures which they had experienced were alayed
Pausing for moment in their work. they re
turned TO it and cut strips of flesh from the
corpse. Each devoured a little though Bert
rand says it was with a loathing which only the
conviction of self preservation could enable him
to conquer. Then they laid back under the gun
wales of their craft, occasionally raising their
heads to scan the waters for a sail.
They were scarcely conscious of the passage of
time, but, when the sun was touching the West
ern horizon, Bertrand passing its disc the
outline OF vessel not more than mile distant
and headed almost directly toward them. The
welcome vision terminated him, and springing
to his feet with some vigor, he stretched himself
to his full height in the stern sheets, and, draw
ing off his oilskn coat swung it high above his
head. just at this moment fortune aided him.
the boat mounting high upon the crest of long
roller so that it was thrown into full view of the
lookout on the forecastle of the vessel For a
moment she held her course, and he feared that
in the fading light they were not seen. A mo-
ment more and knew better for she cama
around before the wind which was still blowing
from the westward her foresail, mainsail and
spanker were swung out wing and wing, and she
was headed straight toward them.
The rescuing vessel proved to be the Emma T.
Engel, which in the storm had missed making
the capes of the Chesapeake. As she Deared the
hapless castaways she launched boat, and by
o'clock of Wednesday evening they were com