The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-30
A SURVIVORS, NARRATIVE.
Hansen's Story of the Suffering, the Death
and the Cannibalism.


Hansen's Story of the Suffering, the Death
and the Cannibalism.
Hansen was seen by representative of the
Press. He said
After we had put the pilot on the steamer
Pennsylvania at o'clock Monday morning we
let go the steamer and started for the pilot boat
We could see the boat plainly and also the light
ship at Five Fathom bank, but the pilot boat did
not see US and the harder we rowed for her the
faster she went from us. We halloed and sig
naled but to no avail, the boat did not see US,
and appeared to be trying to get away from US.
We gave up the chase for the pilot boat and
tried to make the lightship, but the wind was so
strong against US that we could not make any
headway.
About o'clock saw bark, supposed to be
the Viator. We rowed to her and were within
line s throw. We asked the captain to take us
aboard, and he merely waved his hand in a neg
atve manner We asked him for water, and he
refused. We asked him for piece of hard
bread, and he refused. The captain then
squared his sails and left US. There were three
of US in the boat. Pilot Marshall Bertrand, Al
fred Swanson, a Norwegian, and myself AS
darkness came on Monday night it extreme
ly cold, and we all lay down to sleep. The pilot
and were in the stern of the boat and Swanson
in the bow.
1--WE had not been down long before Swanson
unsheathed large knife and began to sharpen
it. The pilot got up, went to him and asked
what he was going to do, and he said: L am 60
ing to cut you to get some blood The pilot
said: 1T is no use for you to cut me- and then
took the knife from him. Meanwhile Swanson
was crazy, and, being angered, he threw all the
oars overheard. l went to sleep, and when
awoke Tuesday morning saw Swanson dead in
the boat"
Did you see him def"
mo; know nothing about it. The weather
was quite fair on Tuesday The pilot tore up
the inside planks and made oars and mast, to
which he attached clothing for sails. We sailed
all day Tuesday, and we were both very thirsty
and hungry Tuesday night was very fine the
moon was up and very bright, and it shone
down upon US, and into the glistening and glar
ing eyes of our dead companion. 1t was a
scene so chastity that it will forever remain
stamped upon my memory. We had been
drinking salt water since Tuesday morning,
but it did no good. Wednesday morning when
1 awoke was so thirsty and hungry that was
weak and dizzy.
1--WE drank salt water but the more we drank
the more we wanted and SO great was our thirst
and so growing our hunger that we were driven
to cut open the body of our dead companion.
We had removed all his clothing and divided it
between us. / cut open his stomach in the hope
of finding water At noon | used my knife
again. The pilot asked me for piece OF the
flesh. / cut him piece and gave it to him.
my brain began to reel, and l knew nothing
more until the pilot awoke me and showed me
vessel about ten miles away He cheered me up,
aud we took sticks and tried to paddle to-
ward her, but we could not make any headway,
as our oars were only two inches wide. The
pilot took of the sticks and put shirt on it,
and waved 1t until the vessel saw US and com
menced to bear down u.s. When the vessel
reached us it proved to be the Emma F. Engel,
from Georgetown, S. c., for Baltimore. The
captain took us on board and treated US very
kindly. He changed his course and brought US
into the breakwater, where we arrived at
o'clock this afternoon"
What did you do with the body of your dead
companion"
90 before the Emma F. EDgel came up we
threw it overheard, and when it touched the
water two sharks about ten feet long grabbed
the body and that was the last l ever saw of
poor AL"
"Why did you throw the body overheard when
so near the schooner?"
"Wby. it was so carved and manged, and, be-
ing naked, it was not fit for human eyes to rest
upon"
did the pilot do anything for youl"
Yes If he had not rubbed my limbs and
given me part of his clothing / would not have
been telling this sad story to you"
'How do you feell"
II am all right except my hands and feet are
frost-bitten"
The story of the pilot indicates that he was the
only one of the two to see the death of their un-
fortunate companion. and he is, therefore, the
only witness of the occurrence. Bertrand is in
a leaden sleep, which renders it impossible to OBJ
tain any details from him Of the exact facts of
the case.