The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-03-29

PEELED to Endure Is Mystery.
Greenock, March 2S.-The report that
the steamer Yanariva, a British tramp
vessel from Newport News for Glas-
gov, had picked up some of the sur
vivors of the foundered French steamer
st. Nazaire turns out to have been COR
rect. The Yanariva arrived here to-
day and reported that she had rescued
sixteen of those who had been on the
Inflated steamer and who had taken to
a small boat just before the ST. Nazaire
went down off Cape Hatteras during a
heavy gale. The lookout on the Yam
ariva sighted the small boat some dis
tance from her displaying a signal of
distress. She bore down to the boat,
and soon had the survivors on board,
where everything possible was done for
their comfort AS soon as the rescued
people were able to give the details of
the disaster that had befallen the st.
Nazuire they told story that agreed
IN all its material details with the re-
port of the laundering Of the steamer
cabled here from the United States
The boat which the Yanariva picked
up had contained twenty-nine persons,
ttu when the steamer sighted it there
were only sixteen persons alive in it,
the others having died from the effects
of exposure and hunger.
The survivors were exhausted when
they We're rescued and If the Yanariva
had not seen their boat they would all
have been dead in short time. The
Yenariva saw nothing of the other
boats which left the st. Nazaire. Cap
tain Weston, the master of the YAM
ariva, tells a graphic story of the res
cue He says that on March Is, eight
days after he left Newport News. 1t
was reported to him that dark object,
apparently flying a signal of. distress,
could be seen some distance Sff He
gave orders to change the course, SO
the steamer would go to the windward
of the boat. The weather was rough,
and it was delicate task to bring the
boat under the lee of the steamer.
Finally the boat was brought alongside
and lines were thrown to those in her,
and they were hauled on board. The
survivors presented pitiable spectacle.
Their faces were haggard, their eyes
were bulging from their sockets and
their scant clothing hung about them
in loose folds All were in a condition
Of the greatest exhaustion and We're
urahle to stand Two of the number
had lost their reason from the terrible
sufferings they had endured.
The boat had left the St Nazaire In
such haste that she had not been prop
erly provisioned There was only
small tin of biscuit aboard of her.
After three days of the best care
possible the rescued were able to par
take of solid food. Thereafter they pro-
gressed favorably but have not yet
fully recovered from the effects of their
terrible experience.
The survivors are: Pierre Nicolai,
second captain; George Main Giraud,
second engineer; P. Laurenzetti, third
engineer; Nicolas Souvenel, Cuban, a
passenger, and twelve sailors belonging
to Martinique.
IN an interview one of the officers
described the capsizing or smashing of
the boats when they We're attempting to
leave the ship. When the boat in which
the survivors We're found was launched,
Second Captain Nicolai took command
of her. The weather was extremely
rough and continued so for several
days. A sail was rigged and Captain
Nicolai managed to keep her running
dead before the wind. The coming seas
followed close upon the stern of the
boat and every moment threatened to
break aboard and fill her The water
constantly poured over the gunwhale
and every soul in the boat was drenched
to the skin. The water was bailed out
with caps and this exercise undoubtedly
saved the lives of some of the men, for
otherwise they might have frozen to
death. The salt encrusted their faces
and hands and caused much pain
The suddenness with which it was
necessary to abandon the ST. Nazaire
prevented any attempt being made to
put a supply of water in the boat. Some
of the men withstood the tortures Of
thirst as long as it was possible for hui
man nature to do so. Then maddened
by the torture to which they were sub
jected. they drank seawater. Their
agony was then worse than ever, and
in a short time they went mad and
jumped into the sea. The strongest of
the men refrained from putting the sea-
water into their mouths and prevented
by force some of the others from doing
So Those who were maddened by
drinking were held in the boat until the
strength of their would-be saviors fail
ed, when with piercing cries they threw
thapocalyaS overbOa ri
Words cannot express the agony that
was experienced by all. Day after day
they vainly scanned the ocean for sight
OF sail.
Or the morning of March IS the
smoke of steamer was seen streaming
upon the horizon. For a long time it
could not be determined what course
she was steering. and the men were
fairly frantic with fear lest she would
not sight them. Ultimately the steam
er came up in full, and a signal was
set.
The men were now maddened with
anxiety, but finally it was seen that
the steamer was steering for them.
There was only four inches ef the free
board of the boat showing, and this
first attracted the attention of those on
the Yanariva before the signal that had
been set was seen. So low was the boat
in the water that it was expected mo-
mentarily that she would sink.