Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-20
MADDENED BY THIRST.
Survivors Of Steamer St. Nazaire Tell Of Com
panion's Terrible Suffering.

New York. March 19.-The full story
of the rescue of the four survivors of
the crew of 20 and 10 passengers of the
French line steamship Vile st. Nazaire.
which foundered on Sunday, March Z.
or Cape Hatteras, was told yesterday.
but it will be many days before the full
story is told of the wreck itself, and the
terrible sufferings that led to the death
of 80 out of the 81 persons who started
from the laundering ship in the boat that
was picked up.
AS for the three other boats, and
their passengers. which started from the
ship at the same time, nothing may
ever be heard. 1t is almost certain that
these boats were overcome by the ire
mendous seas, and all their occupants
were lost.
The survivors who reached this port
on Wednesday. and who had been all but
crazed by their seven days experience
In an open boat without food or water,
seeing companions daily dying of hum
ger and thirst. or as raving maniacs.
casting themselves into the sea, were
all of them yesterday in such exhausted
conditions that they not only could not
add to the facts that are known, but
their doctors shook their heads and said
it was even uncertain whether they ever
would be able to tell, if indeed they sur
vived the shock.
The Vile st. Nazaire was one of the
S6c0-ton steamers owned by the French
line and employed in passenger and
freight traffic between this port and the
West Indies. The line has three boats
In this traffic. and there are semi
monthly sailings.
The Vile de st. Nazaire was discovered
to be leaking one day out from this port.
The leak could have been controlled by
the pumps had not the steamer run into
q terrific gale. As the storm increased
In violence the water poured into the
hold more rapidly and consequently in
creasing difficulty was experienced in
keeping the vessels head to the waves,
Then wave after wave swept over the
St Nazaire, destroying her upper works
ard extinguishing her fires. The surviv-
ors are unable to tell how many persons
were swept overheard by the waves and
drowned before the steamer sank.
On the morning of March there was
50 much water in the hold that it was
SCA toiAl Tic vessel COulu IlOt ne kept uO
and then the boats were gotten out. The
first one swung out was struck by an
enormous breaker that threw 1t back
on the deck, crushed and splintered.
The scene was dreadful, the shrieks Of
the women and children unnerving the
men. Orders were given to put water
and provisions in the boats, but little
of either reached them, as the vessel
was settling rapidly. Barrels OF water
intended for the lifeboats were swept
away before they could be placed, and
the packages of food were torn from
the hands of the sailors by the great
waves.
What became of the IA persons. be-
sides those mentioned, can only be too
well surmised, although there is re-
mote possibility that one or more Of the
three boats in which they left the sink
ing steamer has been picked up by a
sailing vessel, which has not yet made
a port and made known the rescue.
The steamship Office was filled yester-
day with a number Of anxious friends
of the passengers that had sailed on the
Inflated vessel. Several were crying.
The agent threw open the books for the
inspection of all who made inquiries.
end many went away. relieved at being
unable to find the looked-for names on
the passenger list. There were IL pas
sengers on board, and the crew num-
bered II men. The officers. crew and
passengers were, with one or two ex-
ceptions, residents Of foreign ports. The
only white persons on board, besides the
passengers, were the officers.
Alphonso Dumois, one of the passen-
gers on the St. Nazarie, was brother
of Hippolyte Dumois. head Of the firm
of H. Dunhois & Co., fruit dealers of this
city.
Raymond Jimenes. another Of the pas
sengers. was the head Of the firm Of
r. J. Jimenez & Co. contractors and
engineers. also Of this city,