The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1897-03-25
FRENCH LINE STEAMER LOST,
A Story Horrible Even in the Annals o
the Atlantic Ocean.

Story Horrible Even in the Annals OF
the Atlantic Ocean.
New York, March 19.-The steamer
Vile de St. Nazaire, belonging to the
French line to the West Indies, sailed
from New York March for Port-au-
Prince with thirty persons on
board, and has not since been reported.
She was a bark-rigged screw steamer of
2,64O tons register. The World this
morning publishes the following:
The schooner Hilda, that plies along
the coast between Perth Amboy and
Savannah, came into port last night,
bearing story horrible even in the
annals of the Atlantic o,ean. She car
ried in her cabin four passengers whom
she had picked up in boat on Monday
ten miles off shore. 1t was Captain
Reims, skipper of the Hilda, who first
sighted the boat. As the schooner drew
nearer, the outlines of human figures
were made out. On the PROV of the
boat they saw the words, "Ville de st.
Nazaire." A boat was lowered, and
the chief mate rowed to the helpless
craft. Nearer and nearer they came,
and the faces of the sailors gradually
came into view. At the bow of the
boat, and apparently in charge of the
party, was an old man wearing the
uniform of ships officer. The mate
presently recognized the face, hollow
and sunken with the cold and want of
many days, the features Of Captain
Jules Berry, one of the best known of
the commanders of the Havre branch
of the French line, and now long trans
ferred to the West Indian service. Be-
hind him on the center seat were two
half-dressed, coatless, hatless men.
hugging themselves together from the
blast Of the cold wind, and gibbering
at the startled faces of the Hilda's sail
ors. At their feet was fourth man.
The old man at the PROV opened his
lips, but no sound came from them.
One by one the men were lifted in.
In the stern of the craft was fifth
man. One of the sailors touched him
ON the arm and began to draw him
gently forward, when he slid quickly
off the seat and settled lifeless heap
in the boat. Three more corpses were
in the boat. Then the sailors towed
the dreadful freight back to the Hilda.
Nothing could be done but consign the
dead to the sea. Captain Berry and
the three men were looked after and
partially brought back to life and rea-
SON. All they could tell was that the
St. Nazaire had somehow been wrecked
or abandoned, and that these men were
the survivors of those who had taken
to the boats, but how many were dead
and how many were living remained
untol until midnight Tuesday, when
Captaiun Berry. the first to recover,
was able to gasp out some words OF his
story.
Eight. /" were his first words in an
swer to q question. 'Eight-there
were more than eight; there were
eighty souls on the boat when we
abandoned the st. Nazaire. OF all
these, we four are only left. The
others starved or froze where they sat.
They died in all ways; they sank.
dropped OF one by one, except where
they went mad and then some jumped
into the sea, and ended in that way.
The captain was the first to 90. The
men were quiet till they saw the
women die, then they got raving, stark
mad. All are here now. One, my
comrade, Dr.. Marie. Stants, our engl-
neer. and Tagardi, the first mate.
m, ~. III rar tell now