Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1897-03-25
EIGHTY LIVES ARE LOST
An Ocean Tragedy Of Ex-
eeptional Horror.
ONLY FOUR WE'RE RESCUED
IlI-Fated Vile Ste. Nazaire-Was
Unseaworthy When She Left Port.

Iu-Fated Vile Ste. Nazaire-Was
New York, March 22.-Of eigty-two
persons comprising the passengers and
crew of the steamer Vile Ste. Nazaire,
which sailed from this port March 6
for Port au Prince, 'Hayti, only four
are known to have survived the disas-
ter which befell the craft few hours
later. These four passed through an
experience such as fortunately has been
the lot of but few, seeing one after an
other of the thirty-one others who left
the steamer in large boat perish Of
exposure to the cold or die OF hunger,
some suffering, during the seven days
in which they drifted helplessly with
out sail or compass, pangs that drove
their relief.
Among the survivors is Senior Tagado,
San Domingian, who was compelled
to witness the death of his wife and
four children without being able to al
leviate their sufferings. What became
of the forty-four persons besides these
mentioned above can only be surmised,
although there is remote possibility
that one or more of the three boats in
which they left the sinking steamer in
the midst of fierce storm off Cape
Hatteras, has been picked up by sail
ing vessel.
The Vile Ste. Nazaire was single
screw bark-rigged steamer of 2, $40 tons
register. She was owned by the Com
pagnie Trans-Atlantique Generate. The
accident vividly recalls the fate,of the
same companys steamer Vile de Havre,
which went down November 23, 1878,
with 226 people on board. The Vile
Ste. Nazaire was commanded by Cap
tain Jaguena, sailor OF experience and
ability. Hard weather was experienced
from the time the steamer left this port
until the water began pouring into and
over her, and it was determined to
abandon her. The passengers and crew
took four boats, the fifth having been
crushed in the attempt to lower it.
There had been no time to provision
the boats. 1t was night, and in the
midst of storm the transfer was made.
Captain Berri, manager of the West
Indian line of the Compagnie Trans
Atlantique Generate, was one of the 30
men who embarked in the larger of the
boats, and upon him developed the
command of that frail refuge for so
many souls. He, Senior Tagado, Lautz,
the third engineer, and Marie, the
ships doctor, are the only ones surviv-
ing. They were brought to Perth Am
boy yesterday by the schooner Hilda,
which came upon them March IA, as
they were drifting at sea with the dead
bodies of four of their fellow-p passengers
in small boat. The survivors were
almost dead from starvation and expo
sure, and were too weak to relieve the
small boat of the weight of the corpses.
The four rescued men were brought to
this city from Perth Amboy in the tug
Idlewild last night. Captain Berri is
being attended by DR.. L. Deplezze, who
entertains doubts of his recovery, and
declares that he must have endured
most terrible harships.
The Ste. Nazaire cleared from New
York for Port au Prince on March 6.
On the following day, according to the
story told by one of the survivors, the
leak was discovered, but it was moi
thought to be sufficiently serious to war
rant return to port. By the middle
OF the second day, however, the leal
had increased to a dangerous extent
and portion of the cargo on the por
side of the vessel was damaged by tn,
water, which had commenced to pou
in in great quantities. A terrible
storm arose on the night of the secon'
day, and the heavy seas, together will
the big leak, rendered the escape of tn
vessel from shipwreck an impossibility
Realizing that the ship was doomed
the captain ordered the four lifeboat
to be lowered, and into them crowde
the passengers and crew. The boat
were soon swept apart by the wind an
waves.
The boat which was found by tn
Hilda six days after the sinking of tn
steamship is the only one of the fou
boats that has been heard of. Thirty
FIVE persons, it is said, were crowde
into the boat from which the survivor
were taken. One by one all but tn
four rescued men died from exposure c
: hunger, or were swept into the deep b
waves which broke over the small boat
The bodies of the dozen who died i
. the boat during the first days of its tel
t rible voyage were thrown over boar
1 by the survivors. But those who with
E stood the elements and managed to liy
. without food or drink, at last becam
Q too weak to rid the boat of its ghastl
Q freight, and were compelled for days I
l. | ,razn nnnn tho stiffnnnl cnrnsns of thn