The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-19
WRECK OF THE ST. NAZAlRE
q THRILLING AND FRiGHTFUL
STORY OF IT'S LOSS.
Of Eighty -TwoPassengers Who Sailed
from New York for West In
dies, Four Survive.

New York, March 1S.-Out of the 81
persons comprising the crew and pas
sengers of the steamer Vile de st. Ma
zaire, which sailed from this port on
March 6 for Port Au Prince, Hayti, only
four are known to have survived the dis
aster which befell the craft about forty
eight hours later. These four passed
through an experience such as has for
tunately fallen to the lot of few, seeing
one after another of the 81 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 helplessly. without
sail or compass, pangs that drove them
to madness before death came to their
relief. Among the survivors is Senor
Iagado, a San DOMINICAN, who was COM
PEELED to witness the death of his wife
and four children without being able to
alleviate their sufferings. What became
of the fOrty-Seven persons besides those
mentioned can be too well surmised, al
though there is remote possibility that
one or more of the three boats in which
they left the sinking steamer in the midst
of the fierce March storm, off the always
perilous Cape Hatteras, has been picked
up by sailing vessel which has not yet
made n port and made known the res
cue. The other known survivors besides
Tagado, are Captain Berri, Mr.. Stauts,
the third engineer and the ships doctor
Marie,
SPRUNG A LEAK.
The st. Nazaire was one of the West
Indian fleet of the French transatlantic
Steamship Company, and piled between
1aH
by Captain Jaqueman. She cleared from
New York for Port De France on March
9th. On the following day, according to
the story told by one of the survivors, a
leak was discovered, but it was not
thought to be sufficiently serious to war
rant a return to port. BY the middle of
the second day, however, the leak had in
creased to a dangerous extent, and
portion of the cargo on the port side of
the vessel was damaged by the water
which had commenced to pour in in great
quantities. "A terrible storm arose on the
night of the second day, and the heavy
seas together with the big leak rendered
the escape of the vessel from shipwreck
an impossibility. Realizing that the ship
was doomed, the Captain ordered the four
life boats to be lowered, and into them
ShVWNSu CTtW. 1mC
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.
LIFE BOATS SWEPT APART.
The Vile De st. Nazaire was valued
at 100000. Her cargo was valued at
$4,000 and she carried $25 900 in gold.
Agent Forgel said he did not know
whether the cargo was insured or not.
Captain Jaqueman was widower and
two of his daughters are said to be mar
ried and living in the South of France.
Engineer Stauts and DR.. Maire, have
so far recovered from the effects Of their
terrible exposure as to be able to be uw
and around the saloons Of the STEAMSHIPS
Normandie, where they have been
taken to recuperate. Captain Berri ia
resting easily at the hotel Martin.
Through his physician Captain Berri
said: "The supply of food and water ON
the small boats was exhausted the first
day, and then began the awful struggle
in which 81 out of the 80 persons in the
boat perished. Mrs. Tagado and her
four children were among the first TO
After the water gave out
few biscuits remained. Many of the men
were almost choked in swallowing the
dry stuff, and in desperation they drank
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