The herald., 1897-03-19
The FOUR RESCUED SEAMEN
Tell Their Tales Of FrightfuI
Suffering
HUNGER. THIRST, MADNESS
RemorseIsssIy Counted OF Their VIC
Tins One by One
of the -Four Score People Aboard the st,
NazaIrs Pour stiIi Live and
They Near Death
Associated Press Special wire

Associated Press Special Wire
NEW YORK, March 18-Of eighty
two persons comprising passengers and
crew of the steamer Vile de st. Naz-
aire which started from this port March
eth for Port Au Prince. Hayti, only four
are known to have survived the disas-
ter which befell the craft few hours
later. These four passed through an ex-
perience such as. fortunately, has been
the lot Of but few, seeing one after an
other of thirty-one others perish Of ex-
posure to cold or die of hunger, some
suffering during the severn days in
which they drifted helplessly without
sail or compass. pangs that drove them
to madness before death came to their
relief.
The ST. Nazaire was commanded by
Captain Jaguena, sailor of experience
and ability. He. Senior Tagado, Lautz,
the engineer and the ships doctor,
Marie, are the only ones surviving.
They we're brought to Port Amboy, N.
j., yesterday by the schooner Hilda,
which came upon them March 14th as
they were drifting at sea with the dead
bodies Of four of their fellow passen-
gers In small boats.
The survivors were almost dead from
starvation and exposure and too weak
to relieve the small boat OF the weight
OF four corpses. The four rescued men
were brought to this city from Perth
Amboy on the tug Idlewild last night.
Captain Berri is being attended by DR..
l.. Deplezze, who entertains doubts of
his recovery.
The St. Nazairre was one of the West
Indian fleet of the French Trans-At-
lantic General Transportation compa-
ny and piled between New York and
West Indian ports. She cleared from
New York for Port de France on March
eth. On the following day. according
to the story told by one OF the surviv-
ors, the leak was discovered, but 1t
was not thought to be sufficiently seri-
Gus to warrant return to port. BY the
middle OF the second day. however. the
leak had increased to a dangerous ex-
tent. 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 os
the second day, and the heavy seas, to-
gether with the big leak. rendered the
escape of the vessel from shipwreck an
imposeibility. Realizing that the ship
was doomed, the captain ordered the
four life boats to be lowered. and into
them crowded the passengers 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 eysinl<ing OF the
steamship. is the only one of the four
that has been heard of. Thirty-five per-
sons, It is said, were crowded into the
boat from which the survivors were
taken. One by one. all but the four men
rescued died from exposure or hunger
or were swept into the deep by the waves
which broke over the small boat. The
bodies of the dozen who died in the boat
during the first days of its terrible voy-
age were thrown overheard by the sur
vivors, but those who withstood the ele-
ments and managed to live without food
or drink at last became too weak to rid
the boat of its ghastly freight, and were
compelled for days to gaze upon the
stiffened corpses of their unfortunate
companions. Agent Forget of the French
line Is doing all in his power to make
the survivors comfortable.
Captain Berri. who is 55 years OF age.
and q trusted employe of the French
line, Is under the care of a doctor. The
physician found his patients throat
fearfully parched. and his lungs in the
same condition. After a careful exami-
p..r
treatment he might recover. 1t would
be over week. however. before he
could take any solid food. The captains
body Is covered with bruises from being
thrown about the boat while she was on
the tempest-lashed sea-
Agent Forget would say but little OF
the wreck today. He seemed distressed
over the catastrophe. He was very
emphatic In his declaration that the
steamer st. Nazairre. while an old boat.
was perfectlS seaworthy.
The Hilda passed in at Sandy Hook at
$50 yesterday and proceeded on her
way to Perth Amboy in tow Of the
Idlewild, reaching that place about $50.
No word Of the wreclo was given out at
Perth Amboy. The tug Idlewild hav-
ing left the Hilda at her dock, brought
the survivors to the pier of the Cam
pagnie Transatlantique Generate at the
foot Of Morton street in this city in run
Of about twenty miles. reached there
about s o'clock in the evening. The news
was at once teleeraphed to Mr.. Forget,
and he made such disposition as he could
for the comfort of the sufferers. The
facts Of the disasters were kept from the
public for some time. and only became
known toward midnight. Mr.. Forget
has preserved the utmost reticence on
the subject. He said: II have the
greatest sympathy man can feel for
the relatives Of those who went down
in the wreck From what I hear the
crew Of the St. Nazairre acted nobly
during the trying time. Captain Jace-
nau was an old and faithful employe
Of this company. On many occasions he
has shown his bravery. Thestorm must
have been Of extraordinary intensity to
have wrecked the lifeboats in the man
ner It did"
Mr.. Forget could not tell when he would
be able to make formal statement as
ia the loss of the steamship. State
ments would first have to be taken from
the four survivors These would have
to be attached to the statement Of the
agent ana forwarded to the French con-