Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-04-30
SEVENTY LIVES LOST.
FRENCH BRleANTlNe STRUCK BY AN
tcE5ERe AND is SUNK.

The Ill Fated valiant Had on Doatd
Many Fishermen on Their Way to st,
Pierre-Four Picked Up at Sea After
Terrible Suffering and Privation.
st. Pierre. Miqueion. April 2s.-Four
men, whose arms had been frozen and
whose faces were drawn by the hunger
which had driven them to cannibalsm
have been brought here by the French
barkentine Victor Eugene.
They were all who survived of the
company Of 70 of the brigantne Vail
liant, bound from ST. Malo, France. to
this port, which struck an iceberg on
April 16 and almost Immediately foun-
dered. They were transferred to the
hospital. They are nearly dead from
hunger and exposure, and it will be
necessary to amputate their arms.
The Valiant sailed from old st. Malo
a month ago. Her passengers were
fishermen who were on their way to
work for the companies which send
out smacks for Goldfish. These fisher
men come over from France every sea-
son and return to their homes to spend
the winter.
The wretched survivors are hardly
able to tell of the suffering and the pri-
walton which they have undergone The
vessel was on the Grand banks, in the
region of fog and cold. The lookout on
the night of April 16 saw a cloud of
green mist before him, which became
a glistening wall Before he could give
cry of alarm there was a crash, and
the bow of the vessel curled up like a
thing of pasteboard, and a blow as Of
a great hammer shook the craft from
truck to keelson.
The men rushed from forecastle and
hold. They felt the deck settling be-
meath their feet. Masses of ice broken
from the berg fell upon the forecaste
head and shot over the greasy planks
There was cry for the boats, a fren-
zied searcn in the storeroom and galley
for water and provisions and a life
and death scramble for the boats
Dying of Hunger and Cold.
One of the boats was swamped. The
fate of another is unknown The third
the dingy, contained seven men. They
had provisions for only two days. The
slender rations gave out. The air was
intensely cold. The thinly clad men,
chilled to the bone and weak from lack
of food, barely kept 1.-The boats head
to the sea.
One of them. a white haired old fish
erman. who had sailed from ST. Malo
for many years, died on the third day,
and mis- body was thrown overheard.
A second died on the morning Of the
fourth day, and benumbed arms com
mltted him to the sea.
A third died, and his body rested up
on the seats. The survivors looked at
the stiffened form of their comrade
They read the same thought in each
others eyes. They exchanged no words
Cannibalism was added to the priva-
tions of the sea. Two others followed
him the next day.
The barkentine Victor Eugene sight
ed a boat on Monday. The skipper
thought he saw the bodies of men lying
across the thwarts. He sent a boat
The four men, who, from weakness and
the cold could hardly lift their heads
were taken from the dingy.
The men were well cared for by the
crew of the barkentine. They were
transferred to the hospital as soon as
the Victor Eugene reached her pier 1t
is doubtful IL the men in their weaken
ed condition win survive the shock of
amputatlng their arms
The valiant was a wooden brigan-
tine of 15S tons. She was built at Shell
bourne, n. s., by w. S. Kelly. Her
owners were L. Coste & Co. of this
port She was "a feet long, % feet
beam and 10 feet in depth. Her port of
registry was St. Malo. She was COM
manded by Captain Pierre.