Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-05-02

dlll Iu0 ObnSI VIZ IuCA1
st. Johns, n. F., May 1.-The French
Brigantina Amadae, Captain Forth,
from st. Malo, arrived at St. Pierre to-
night, bringing four survivors of the
lost brigantine valiant, which was
foundered as the result of the striking
an iceberg off the Grand Banks on the
night of April 18th. These four were
the only survivors of p men who LETT
the sinking Vaillat in a ships lifeboat,
seventeen having perished as a result
of exposure and frost bites. The bod
les of the II dead men were thrown
overheard. The four survivors claim
to have kept themselves alive by eat
ing the flesh and drinking the blood OF
a dog belonging to the brigantine Vail
liant. This dog, they say, they took
with them when they left the ship
They were absolutely without water,
provisions, oars, sails and proper
clothing when they left the brigantine.
They say that they had only time to
lump from their berths into the life
boat and that no opportunity was al
forded them to make even slight pro-
vision against cold and starvation.
The seventeen men who died suffer-
inc eYcruciating tOrmentS.
The survivors seem to have Jared lit
tie better. All four of the men are very
weak. Two OF them will lose all Of
limbs and the other two will lose their
feet as a result of the frost bites. The
men relate a story of a fierce struggle
on board the ship for places in the
boats, some thirty of the crew going
down with the wreck. A somewhat
similar fight occurred on board the
lifeboat, the men Quarreling about the
division of the flesh of the dog which
was killed on the morning of the third
when four men had already perished.
Three died the next day, SIX the next
and four the day previous to their res
cue.
The rescue occurred at midnight on
the sixth day. They were so exhausted
that they found it almost impossible TO
shout when they saw the lights OF the
brigantine Amaede, which came near
running them down in the darkess. The
men say that they saw nothing of the
missing lifeboats after leaving the
valiant, but they are Of the opinion
that three boat loads escaped from the
wreck beside the one already saved.
The captain perished.
The survivors rescued from the life
boat by the Amaede asserts that none
of the bodies was mutilated and that
in this case no cannibalism was at
tempted.
The condition of the four men pre-
viously rescued continues unchanged.
The circumstances surrounding this
latest rescue are such as to induce the
friends of the missing members OF the
crew to believe that other boats may yet
be picked up. ,,
The news of the wreck Of the Valiant
was brought to st. Pierre Miqueion on
April q. by four men, badly frozen
driven to cannibalism, and finally res
cued by the French barkentine Victor
Eugene. The valiant, it was announc-
ed was on the Grand Banks. The look
ont suddenly saw cloud before him,
which became a glistening wall or ice,
then there was a crash and the men felt
the deck settling beneath their feet a
scramble for the boats followed. 1t Is
known that one of the boats was
swamped. When the four men were
nicked up by the barekntine Victor Eu-
gene they were so weak and cold that
tbev could scarcely lift their heads.