Evening star., 1897-03-19
AN ACCOUNTING ExPERlENC
Story Told by the Only Passenger Saved
From the st. Nazaire.
Saw His Wife and Baby Perish Before
Limit of Endurance Reached.

]. de D. Tejada the only passenger who
escaped from the wreck of the Vile de St.
Nazaire, which recently foundered off Hat
teras, as related in yesterdays Star. tells
graphic story Of his experience. He said
to a New York Journal reporter:
'At o'clock Monday morning / was
notified that all hands must take to the
boats. The summons was imperative and
hurried. l was fully dressed, but my poor
wife was forced to go on deck attired only
in a night robe and thin underwear. The
children had nothing on hut their night
clothes. tried to dress them, but there was
no time. We went on deck.
Passengers I'm the First Boat,
THE ship was wallowing in the seas, her
deck almost on level with the water. The
men were making efforts to get the boats
overheard. We clung to the deck, my wife,
my children and l. all shiver:ng with fear
and the cold. The wind was very high, and
seemed laden with ice
The passengers-all but Sauoranel-we-e
ordered to get in the first ooa:. My wife
and children were helped in and then the
male passengers followed while the sailors
steadfed the craft in the waves.
The boat was provisioned and equipped
with rockets and flags, but we had no
water--not a drop. All the fresh wafer on
particular disturbance, considering the cir
cumstances. The seamen in boat were
instructed to obey the commands of Capt.
Berrf, who was given charge of every thing.
When We put away from the ship there
were thirty-seven persons in the boat. We
were nearly swamped several times before
we got clear of the laboring hulk.
ours was the first boat away. We wait
ed for the others. and as daylight broke
there We're four boats on the ocean, each
filled with human beings to the limit of its
capacity, and in all the four boats not a
drop of fresh water. 1t was frightfaily
cold, and the waves broke over continu-
ally. The boat half full of water all
the time, and it was only by constant effort
that we succeeded in keeping her bailed
out.
Hoping Against Hope.
LAS soon we got III the boat wrapped
my overcoat around my wife and took off
my jacket and much of my other clothing
for protection for my babies. All day long
my wife and 1 hugged the little ones close,
hoping against hope that We might sight
ship before the sun went down. But it
was vain hope Darkness fell Monday
night. with the wind and sea unabated and
the pargs of thirst affiicting all of us.
Tuesday dawned in a leaden atmosphere
that reeked with cold. The waves broke
over the boat and the bailing was kept up
continually.
Captain Berri tried to locate the other
DOdlS, Dut tney Hdt Sllpptu away lToul Us
in the night, and We were alone on the
ocean, thirty-seyen of us, all thirsty and
cold.
Tuesday afternoon were electrified
by the sight of a steamer of the Clyde
lire. think. away off, almost out of sight.
We signaled with all the energy that could
be expected of men i'm our condition. but
without avail. She went away. out of our
sight. but long after she had passed from
our view we gaZed hungrily al the line of
smoke she left trailing on the horizon. |
After it was an assured fact tina. the ship |
would not pick up the San Dominican |
sailors began to faiter. Before night eight \
of them had died.
Food Unfit to Eat. !
''They died easily of hunger and exhaus- |
ton. The first that died slipped from his |
seat into the water in the bottom of the |
boat and lay there motionless. l think he |
drowned because he lacked strength to get |
up again. I tried to keep the sight from |
my wife, but she saw it. My babies were |
all but insensible but / kept them warm |
as L could. 1t would not have been so bad |
had We plenty TO eat. But the biscuits we |
had We're wet and moldy. They were COW |
cred with green scum. 1t would sickea |
one to eat them.
drew out, wrapped in a piece of paper. a
section of biscuit. 1t was still damp and |
looked like a piece of burnt omelet. The |
green scum was plainly apparent. Careful |
inspected and placed ii under his pillow.
'Tues sday night, ne said. 1.-The San Do
minican sailors died like sheep. Twelve of
them passed away in the darkness. They
dice quietly. Some CT them slid overheard
When the boat careened, and we did not
hear the splash as they sank in the ocean.
When morning dawned there were eight or
ten bodies floating around in the bottom Of
the boat. OF the thirty-seven who had en-
tered the boat. but seventeen were left.
And my wife and babies were still alive.
Captain Berri said would have to
throw the corpses overheard. They were
floating from one end of the boat to the
other, rolling from side to side with The
molten of the waves. The stiffened corpses
knocked against the feet of my wife, who
was sitting by my side. 1t was Of no use
to ask the sailors to help us. They were
the first to give out. Captain Berri and
the officers of the ship, assisted by the
male passengers, consigned the bodies to
the sea.
Prayers for the Dead.
THE operation was simple. prayer
was said and the corpses were lifted to the
sloping cover of the boat and allowed to
slide off. They went off behind swiftly
and We never saw them again.
"wednesday afternoon my baby Nellie
died in my arms. Before We threw her
little body overheard 1 cut with my knife
a lock of her hair from her head and put it
into my BOSOM
drew out a long pocketbook of red leather
dravx p,1r1 linz 1a.,ly Of h.s- -