Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-11-29
DREADFUL SUFFERlNGS.


DELAWARE PILOTS COMPELLED
By HUNGER TO EAT THE DEAD
| BODY OF 4 COMRADE.
-----es-N
The Helen L. Angel, q three maste
schooner from Georgetown, 8. g., fl
Ba ltimore, arrived In the Break ate
on Thursday with pilot Marshall Be
trand and A Alfred Swanzen, q Norw.
gian sailor, who, with another Norws
gian, have been IN issing since last MOI
day. On that day, Bertrand with til
two sailors and another pilot, put of /
q skif from the pflot.boat Turley. I
put the pilot on the steamship Penn
sylvania, which was off the Break
water, on her way to Philadelphi ia
Bertrand put the pilot aboard the Penn
IeylvsniA, and started back to th
Turley in the skiff with the Norwegia,
sailors. There WAS heavy storm pre-
vailing and the skiff failed 10 reach tn
pilot. boat and was given up for lost
The Angel pick ed up the two survivor
on Friday night So miles southeast O
five' fathom lightshfp.
| In an interview with Bertrand b,
gave the following account Of the ter
rible ordeal OF suffering through which
he had passed since leaving the steam
ship Pennsylvania last Monday morn
Ing. Since last Monday morning at
o'clock the skiff containing Bertrand
and his companions had been tossed
| about at the mercy of q gale tha1
scarcely abated for q single hour. Il
was bitter cold during the who le time
and the men were poorly clad, theil
| scanty garments heing wet and frozer
all the tune. Tuesday evening botf
Norwegians became delirious, and il
their rawlings all the oars and every
thing loose was thrown overheard, thui
leaving them without any means OF
propelling the boat.
The unknown Norwegian about mid
night Tuesday was 40 deranged that he
unsheathed large knife and started
for Bertrand, intending to kill him that
he might drink his blood, but, pros.
trated by thirst and hunger, and hall
frozen by the icy wind, he fell in the
boat, and after few sbrieks he gasped
and died.
Wednesday morning the survivors,
almost mad with hunger, thirst and
cold, stripped the dead man Of his
clothing and carved and ate a portion
of his flesh. just before the Angel
picked up the survivors the mutilated
body of the dead man was thrown
overheard.
1t rained and hailed Tuesday even
ing, and Mr.. Bertrand was kept busy
bailing the boat with one of the rubber
boots, persevering in his work in spite
Of his half frozen condition and the
rawlings of his delirious companions.
Up to the time they were picked up
they had neither food nor drink since
Monday. beyond the salt water and
human flesh.
Wednesday evening, about g O'Clock,
Bertrand saw avessel, the Angel, about
a nile to the westward, and hailed her
with his oilskin coat. Daylight was
fast fading, and they were afraid they
would not be seen by the vessel, but she
saw them, and took them On board
about an hour later. They found they
were IS miles eoutheast of five. .fathom
lighJship, the place they lost the pilot.
boat last Monday morning.
it is reported that bark passed the
lost men Tuesday morning, and not.
withstanding their hailings and demon.
stratioDs paid no attention to
them. Bertrand is all right beyond
his frozen feet, and lie desires to OK !.
tend his heartfelt thanks to his rescuers
for their kind treatment.
The surviving Nor wegian, Alfred
Swanzen, is aboard the pilot. boat Tur.
ley, and is doing we'll.
A despatch from Lewes to the Balti.
more Sun, dated Nov. 28th, states the
stories told by Bertrand and Hansen,
the pilot and seaman picked up by the
schooner Emma T. Angel, both agree
that the flesh of Swanzen, their dead
companion, was eaten. Bertrand, how.
ever, denies that he partook of it. Han
son admitted that he ate pieces of
Swapzen's flesh and thinks Bertrand
did. ~"
In speaking Of Swanzen, Bertrand
says he was raving of his mother and
sisters in Sweden, and still drinking
sea water. drank no sea water, but
only moistened my lips with it, and
now and then chewed the sticks of some
matches had in my pocket. 1 had a
tooth brush with me, and dipped this
In the salt water and brushed my teeth,
taking care to spit out the water. In
this way kept my mouth moist, 80 that
my tongue did not swell or my lips
crack. would think Of pure, fresh
water and have an awful longing for it.
and then I would drive it from my
mind, but 1t always came back.
1t was horribly lonely, for the
other two men were dumb most of the
time. although tried to cheer them up
by saying that we we're steering for the
land. I would have given anythin for
even q dog as a companion, and my
God. would have given a barrel of.
diamonds for drop Of fresh water.
About 2.30 o'clock on Tuesday
morning, Swanzen, who was lying in
the bottom of the boat said he was
frozen. He spoke once more of his
people in Sweden, then groaned several
times and died. Hanson woke up soon
afterwards anc asked what was the
matter with AL told him that he was
dead. Then Hansen said. I'll eat him.
Where my knife?' gave him his knife
aud he cut through Swanzen's Clothes.
and cut him open to drink the blood
and liquids from his body, but there
was nothing to drink, and then be cut
off about three pounds of flesh from
SwAnzen's thigh. He ate part of it
and offered me piece, but my stomach
revolted against it, and my piece was
lying in the bottom of the boat when
we were picked up"
At this point Bertrand's memory
again failed him.
After Hansen had eaten the flesh. "
Bertrand resumed, it seemed to ease
b i'm and he went to sleep. took his
head between my legs and beat his
face to keep it from freezing, ss it was
blue with cold. Just before Swan
son died he threw the oars over board
Hansen who is q Dane, is not vet ~
years of age. He Is q shamblino
round-shouldered fellow with a pood'
full face, and evidently just such a
mind as it indicates. His story agrees
In the main with Bertrand's, save that
he rather weakly asserts that Bertrand
ate some of the dead mans fiesh-in
fact, asked for it--and says he thinks
that the young pilot also drank n u,tlo