The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-03-19
THE LOST ST. NAZAIRE.
The Marine Disaster More Ter
rible Than First Reported.
sEVENTY-EIGHTLIVEs SACRIFICED
or the Four Men Rescued Engineer Stauts
and Or. Maire Are Rapidly Recovering.
Captain Berris Condition Still Serious.
Other Marine Disasters.

and DR.. Malre Are Rapidly Kecoverin.
Captain Berrrs Condition Still seriou
Other Marine Disasters.
New York, March 19.-It Is now be
heved that 70 persons in all were los
by the laundering of the French lin
steamer Vile de st. Nazaire off Cap
Hatteras. OF the four survivors tha
reached this port all but Captain Berr
are on the steamer La Normandie
which Is lying at her pier here. Berr
was sent to the Hotel Marin. Their
Agent Forget. of the company, had al
interview with him in the forenoon
He found Berri perfectly calm at first
but unable to collect his senses, ant
finally the agent gave 1t up and wen
to the office of the steamship line, No
Bowling Green.
An examination of the passenger lis
shows that there were but II passen.
| gers in all on the ship, but the crew
list numbered II men.
Engineer Stauts and DR.. Marie have
| so far recovered from the effects OF
| their terrible exposure as to be able to
be up and around the salons of the La
Normandie. Both DR.. Marie and En-
gineer Stauts were very reticent in
talking about the loss of the ST. Naz-
aire. They declared, however, that 1t
was not true that the occupants of the
frail boat had been without food. They
had still plenty of provisions when
they were picked up by the Hida
Both admitted, however, that they suf-
fered torments for lack of water.
Engineer Stauts stated that there
was no unseemly haste In taking to
the boats The women and children
were first sent over the side Of the
sinking ship, and then the passengers
followed. Then the officers and crew
Of the doomed vessel took what places
remained.
Through his physician. Captain Berri
said: 1.-THE supply Of food and water
on the small boat was exhausted the
first day. and then began the awful
struggle In which 81 out of the 35 per-
sons in the boat perished.
Mrs. Tejada and her four children
were among the first to succumb After
the water gave out few biscuits re-
manned. Many of the men were almost
choked in swallowing the dry stuff,
and in desperation they drank of the
salt water. Those who commenced to
drink the brine could not stop, and in
a few days they became maniacs and
died in maniacal convulsions Others |
who resisted the temptation to drink |
the salt water could not stand the de-
privation and died from hunger Those |
who remained had not strength enough
to move, and when the boat was pick
ed up there were four of the dead with
wi I 7
induce the unfortunate people to keep
from drinking the salt water and to
set themselves to fight DEATH but what
l said had little effect"
Albert and Louis Dumers. who went |,
down with the i'll fated craft. were
brother and nephew, respectively, of
IIipolito Dumers, head of the foreign
fruit importing firm of Dumers g. Co.,
of this city. Albert Dumers was a
wealthy Cuban planter. and his resi-
dcnce was az San Diego, Cuba, where
a wife and four children, who survive
him. now reside. He had prospered
until the breaking out of the Cuban
insurrection but short time ago his
extensive plantation was conffscated
He determined to engage in the plant
ing business in San Domingo and was
on his way there, with his nephew,
Louis, when the steamer foundered
A representative of the Associated
Press called at the late residence of |
Ramon Jimtnez, in Brooklyn, and con-
Veyed to his friends the first news of
the loss of the steamer Vile de St
Nazairc. Mr.. Jiminez was a passen-
ger on the steamer, and was returning
to his home at Port au Prince, whittier
he had been summoned by letter
from his mother announcing the death
of his father. Mr. Jiminez was
teacher of languages, and had resided
in Brooklyn for about six months. He
was % years old On his return to
Port au Prince it was his intention to
make his residence there, and continue
the business of his late father
The Vile de st. Nazaire was valued
at $500, 600. Her cargo was valued at |
ESQ 900. and she carried S25 900 in gold.
Agent Forget said he did not know
whether the cargo was insured or not.
The Vile de Brest, Of the French :
inc steamers. which left for West In
lian ports today. will sail over the
route taken by the st. Nazaire, and
Will keep a sharp lookout for the miss
.
officials of the French line, said today
hat If either of the boats lived through
he storm it will probably be at this Z
line near Chesapeake bay.
There have been many fatal ship
wrecks near where the st. Nazaire q
vent down. 1t Is but a comparatively A
ew years since the Spanish line
teamer Viscava was sunk off Hat
eras by the steamer Cornelius Har-
raves. resulting in the drowning of o.
0 persons The Evening Star founder q
d there in 1866, and 254 were drowned =
'he slOop Of war Banbridge, in a cy~ ~
lone in 1863, went down off the tenn d
estuous spot, and a coored cook who
'as picked up day or two afterwards
n a bit of wreckage told of the loss
f every one of his. shipmates The
'entral American. bound to this city
rom AspinWall, was wrecked off the
ape on Sept. l2 1857, and $50 persons
erished. a total Of $1,000 600 in gold Il
elonging to returning miners going
own with the vessel. There have been
lany expeditions since to find the