Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-03-19
ElGHTY-TW0 SOULS ON BOARD.
ALL But FOUR OF THESE PROBABLY
FOUND wATERY GRAVES.
Steamer spranE Leak the Second
Day Out and Went Down in
storm on Cape Hutteras-
An ocean Steamer
on Fire.

which sailed from this port on March for
Port Au Prince. Hayti. only four are known
10 have survived the disaster which befeil
the craft a few hours later. These four
passed through an experience such as,
fortunately, has been the lot OF few. see
ing one after another Of the thirty-one
others who left the steamer in the large
boat perish of exposure to the cold or die
of hunger. some suffering during the seven
DAYS in which they drifted helplessiy. with
out sail or compass. pangs that drove them
10 madness before death came to their re-
lief.
Among the survivors is Sen0r Tagado,
San DOMINICAN, who was compelled to wit
ness the death of his wife and four children
without being able TO alleviate their sut-
ferings. What became of the forty-four
persons beside those mentioned above can
only be surEised. although there Is Il re-
mote possibility that one or more of the
boats I'm which they left the sinking steam
er in the midst OF fierce storm off peril
Gus Cape Hatteras has been picked up by
a sailing vessel which has not yet made
q port.
The Vile de 81. Nazaire was a single
screw. bark rigSed steamer of 26i9 tons
register. owned by the Compagnie Trans
Atlantique Generate. The name and own
ers only too vividly at this juncture recall
the fate of the same company's steamer.
Vile de Hayre, which went down on No
vember % 1875. with 226 persons on board.
The Vile de ST. Nazaire was commanded
by Captain Jacenau, a sailor of experience
and ability. Hard weather was expert
enced from the time the steamer left this
port until the water began pouring into
and over her. and it was determined 10
crew took the four boats. a nth having
been crushed in the attempt 10 lower IL.
There had been no time TO provision the
boats. Ii was night and ir the midst of a
fierce storm the transfer was made. Cap
tain Berri. manager of the West Indian
line of the Compagnie Trans-Atlantique
Genersle, was one Of the thifty-five men
who embarked in the largest of the boats.
and upon him deyolved the command of
that frail refuge of so many souls.
He. senor Tagad9Si ga ON, MIS-; Lautz; the the third
the only ones surviving. They were brought
10 Perth Amboy. y. J.. yesterday by the
schooner Hilda. which had picked them up
on March II as they were drifting about at
sea with the dead bodies of four of their
fellow passengers in one of the small boats
of the lost vessel. The survivors were al
most dead from starvation ard exposure.
and were too weak to relieve the small
boat OF the weight of the four corpses. The
four rescued men were brought to this city
from Perth Amboy on the tug Idlewild last
night. Captain Berri was taken 10 the
Hotel Martin. Two of the others were put
on board the French line steamship La
NormandIe at her pier in this city and the
fourth was taken TO the house of a friend.
Captain Berri is being attended by Dr. !.
to the patients recovery. and who de-
clares that the man must have endured
most terrible hardships.
The Hilda passed In at Sandy Hook at
$40 yesterday afternoon and proceeded on
her way to Perth Amboy in tow of the
tug Idlewid, reaching that place about
No word of the wreck was given out at
Perth Amboy. The tug Idlewild. having
left the Hilda at her dock. brought the
a Comma
TrPns-Atlantique Generate at the foot of
Merton street in this city. Il run of about
the evening. The news was at once tele-
phcned to Mr.. Forget, agent of the French
line steamers, and he made such disposi-
tion as he could for the comfort of the
sufferers. The facts of the disaster were
kept from the public for some time. and
cIly became known toward midnight.
Mr.. Forget has preserved sthe utmost
ret!cence on the subject. He was very en-
phgtic in his declaration that the Vile st.
Nazaire. while old boat, was perfectly
seaworthy. She had been inspected. he
added. not long ago and was then shown 10
be sound.
81 have the greatest sympathy a man
can feel said Mr.. Forget. for the rela-
tiyes of those who went down in the wreck.
From what / hear. the crew of the St
Nazaire acted no other parts than nohle
ones during the trying time. Captain
Jacenau was an old and faithful employe
of this company. on many occasions he
has shown his bravery. The storm must
have been of extraordinary intensity 10
have wrecked the lifeboats in the manner
IL did
A terrible storm arose on the night of
the second day. and the heavy seas. to-
gether with the big leak. rendered the es-
cape OF the vessel from shipwreck an i'm
Realizing that the ship was doomed. the
captain ordered the four lifeboats 10 be
lowered and into them crowded the pas
sengers and crew. The boats were soon
swept apart by the wind and waves. The
boat which was found by the Hilda. six
days after the sinking of the steamship.
Is the only one of the four that has been
heard of. Thirty-five persons. ii is said.
were crowded into The boat from which
the survivors were taken. One by one all
but the four rescued men died from eX-
posure or hunger. or were swept into the
deep by the waves that broke over the
small boat. The bodies of those who died
In the boat during the first days of its ter
riblc voyage were thrown overheard by the
survivors. but those who withstood the
elements and managed to live without food
or drink at last became too weak TO rid the
boat of its ghastly freight. and were COM
PEELED for days to gaze upon the stiffened
corpses of their unfortunate companions.
Mr.. Forget could not tell when he would
be- able to make formal statement as 10
the loss of the steamship. Statements
would first have TO be taken from the four
survivors. These would be attached TO the
statement OF the agent and forwarded to
the French consul. He, in turn. would re-
turn his finding TO the home government.
The st. NaZairc WAS one Of the West
Indian fleet OF the French Transatlantic
Steamship Company and WAS employed be-
tween this and West Indian ports. She
cleared from New York for Port de France
on March 8. On the following day, accord
ing TO the story told by one of the sur
vivors. leak was discovered. but II was
not thought to be sufficiently serious 10
warrant return TO port. BY the middle of
the second day. however. the leak had in
creased to dangerous extent, and a por-
tion of the cargo on the port side of the
vessel was damaged by the water. which
had commenced 10 pour in in great guam
titles.
far recovered from the effects of their ter
rible experience as TO be able to he up and
around the saloons of the steamship La
Noimandie where they have been taken
10 r.cuperatc. Both We're very reticent in
talking about the loss of the St. NaZaire
They declared. however. that II was not
had been without food They had still
plenty Of provisions when they were picked
up by the Hilda. Both admitted. however.
that they suffered torments from lack of
water.
Engineer Staub stated that there was no
unseemly haste in taking to the boats.
The women and children Were first sent
overheard Of the sinking ship. and the pas
seEGers followed. Then the officers and
crew of the doomed vessel took what places
remained.
Through his physician, Captain Berri
said:
''The supply OF food and water on the
small boat was exhausted the first day, and
then began the awful struggle, in which
thrty-one OF the thirty-five persons in the
boat perished. Mrs. Togado and her four
children We're among the first TO succumb.
Inained- The men We're choking in swal-
lowing the dry stuff and In desperation
they drank salt water. Those who COM
and In few days they became maniacs and
died In conyusions, Others who resisted
nd Il