The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-03-18
DRIVEN MAD FROM HUNGER
French Steamer Vile st. Nazaire
Foundered at Sea, and of Her
Eighty-two Passengers and Crew
Four Only Known to Be Saved.
Awful Sufferings of Survivors.

arrived here yesterday on Jne SCHOONER
.Hilda, after week drifting about the
Atlantic in an open boat, during which
thirty-four of the thirty eight occupants
went mad or died OF starvation.
The steamship Vile de st. Nazaire left
this port on March 6, bound for West Indian
ports. She was one of the smaller vessels
of the French line, and had been engaged
in the West India trade for years She was
one of the first to come here when the line
between New York and the West ndies was
established The steamship encountered
severe weather on March 7, while off Hat
teras. Tremendous seas swept over her.
She rolled and pitched. Great waves bore
away the hatch coverings. Floods Of water
found their way through the gratings to
the engine-room and extinguished the fires.
Thevessel was unable to makeany head way,
being logged. Capt. Jacqueneau
gave the order to man the four boats.
In the haste TO leave the vessel it was
impossible to get provisions or water TO
last more than a day. OF the four boats
only one has been heard from. 1t IL be-
neved that the other three were lost.
The largest boat contained thirty eight
persons 1t had practically no provisions.
1t was tossed about upon the rough seas for
seven days and seven nights, and fO. six
of those days and nights the passengers
were without food or drink. Their suffer
ings were most intense. The sea calmed
and they drifted about.
The survivors of this ocean tragedy are
hardly yet able to give a connected story
of the last twelve days One Of them,
Capt. Berry, the inspector general or the
French line, is confined to his room iii the
Hotel Martin His story is a narrative Of
privation and hardship, such as is sci iom
heard in the annals Of the sea. The other
survivors are on board the Normandie and
the Vile dc Brist, a sister ship Of the i'll
fated vessel.
Telling OF how the wreck occurred the
survivors say that on Sunday, March
the ship began to plunge heavily in the
seas waves burst over the deck in tor
rents and early on Sunday night the flood
invaded the fireroOm and clouds OF kissing
steam that arose from the matches told
that the fire had been drowned.
An attempt was made to heave the ship
to, hut water was bursting over the deck
in such torrents and pouring down the
hatchways so fast that Capt. Jagneneau,
seeing that his vessel was on the point OF
laundering, thought then only OF saving
the crew by means of the boats.
Such passengers as had been below before
the fires were drowned came hurrying on
deck, and clung there mindless OF the
drenching storms Of spray that came fly
ing over the ship The night was as black
as pitch. The survivors could make out
the dark figures of the seamen struggling
TO get the boats overheard and heard the
crashes as boat after boat was dashed into
spIinters against the side.
And then at last was the successful
though hurried launch of the other boats
and the ding into them of passengers
and crew. And none too early was the ship
abandoned. for those who reach here think
that she pitched under few minutes after
the last boat was showed clear.
Though the long boat had thirty-eight
persons, It was still mere cOckleshell in
the waves that were breaking around.
In the hurry Of abando the ship there
had been no time to properly equip it with
rnasts and oars, nor would time admit OF
provisions being passed aboard. A bit or
sea anchor was improvised with what ma
terial was at hand and flung over the
bow, but it was not sufficient to keep the
boats head To the wind, and waves con-
startly broke over the craft, necessitating
continual bailing.
Dawn came and withit an eager search
of the sea line, but no ship or boat could
anywhere be seen.
Four children and their mother were in
the boat-Mrs Tagado and her brood. She
was the wife Of San DOMINICAN, who vas
also in the craft. The surges did not quite
enculf the craft, and the mother managed
to quiet the fears of her children, only to
hear them beg for food and water. There
was none to be had. and when the next
night drifted in and the next day came
and went the pleadings of the famishing
children became heart-rending. The father
tried to quiet them, but could not, nor
could the tender caresses of the mother
assuage the fierce paugs OF their suffer
ings.
Another day andhopeless night anddeath
appeared on board. Then was claimed an
other, and yet another victim, and the raw
ings of the mad were heard. Some in the
agony of thirst drank salt water TO suffer
fiercer panCs, and to become raving mad
men. whom the sauer ones had to struggle
with to prevent them from doing harm.
The few stouter ones managed the craft
and relieved each other at the task. Some
leaned over the gunwale, with heads loll-
ing and froth streaming from their lips,
and some others moved their CLASSY eyes
to the horizon searching vainly for that
rescuer who would not come.
For six days and nights the wretched
casta ways driftedhelplessly, furnishing and
growing mad with thirst, and then the
| slow-footed rescuer came at last, ana Too
late to save any but four. -Four dead were
| in the boat when the four living were
| dragged from 1T, so nearly dead them
| selves that they hardly knew that they
! had ESCAPED the death that had overtaken
| the others.
The rescuing craft was the little coast
| ing schooner Hilda, from Savannah foi
| Perth Amboy She sighted the boat at
4 balf-past O'Clock on the afternoon OF
! March Ia. The survivors were tenderly
treated when taken on board. They were
| brought to this port vest and landed
| at perth Amboy Thelost passengers were
| mostly West India business men on thei'
way home. Capt Jacqueneau, the com
mander of the Vile de st. Nazaire, was
| well and favorably known In the West
| Indian trade.
| 1t is now believed that 100 persons in
! all were lost by the foundering OF the
| French line steamer Vile de ST. NaZaire
| off Cape Hatteras. OF the four survivors
| that reached this port, all but Capt. Berri
spent last night on, the steamer La Nor
mandie, which is lying at her pier here
1 Berri was sent to the Hotel Martin Theil
4 agent Forget had an interview with him
| this morning He found Berri perfectly