The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-03-18
HORRIBLE TALE OF rue SEA
Four Gibberine Marines and Four Corpses
Adrift In a Boat.

New York, March 1.-THE steamer
File de st. Nazaire. belonging to the
French line 10 the West Indies, sailed
from New York on March for Port An
Prince, Mayugez, etc, with thirty-sevcn
persons on board and has not since been
ported. She was a bark-rigged screw
steamer of $50 tons register.
The World tomorrow Will publish the
following:
The schooner Hilda that plies along the
coast between Perth Amboy and Savan-
nah, came into port last night bearing
with her story horrible even in the an
in her cabin four passengers whom she
picked up in a boat on Monday ten miles
off shore. 1t was Captain Reims, skip
per of the Hlda, who first sighted the
boat. AS the schooner drew nearer the
outlines of human figures were made out.
Then on the PROV of the boat they saw
the words "Vile de St. NaZaire." A boat
was lowered and the chief mate and four
seamen jumped in and rowed out to the
helpless craft. Nearer and nearer they
came and the faces Of the sailors gradu-
ally came into view at the bottom of the
boat, and apparently in charge OF the
party was an old man wearing the UNI
form of a ships officer. The mate pres
emily recognized in the face, hollow and
sunken with the cold and want OF many
days, the features Of Captain Jules Berri,
one of the best known of the command
ers OF the Havre branch of the French
line, and now long transferred to the
West Indian service. Behind him, on the
center seat, were two half-dressed, coat
less, hat.ess men, hugging themselves
with each blast Of the cold wind and glib
bering at the startled faces OF the Hildas
sailors. At their feet was fourth man,
The old man at the Prov opened his lips
as if 10 speak, but no sound came from
them. One by one the four men were
lifted in. In the stern Of the boat was
fifth man: one of the sailors touched him
on the arm and began to draw him gen.
tly forward, when he slid quickly off the
seat and settled, lfeless heap, in the
bottom Of the boat. Three more corpses
were IN the boat. Then the sailors lowed
the dreadful, freight back TO the Hilda.
Nothing could be done but consign the
dead to the sea. Captain Berri and the
three men were carefully looked after
and partially brought back to life and
reason. All they could tell was that the
Vile de 81. NaZaire had somehow been
wrecked or abandoned and that these
four men were the survivors Of those who
had taken 10 the boats, but how many
were dead, and how many living. remain
ed untold until midnight on Tuesday.
when Captain Berrl, the first TO recover,
was able to gasp out some words Of his
story.
Eighty" was his first word in answer
TO a question.
Eighty, there were more than eighty.
There were thirty-seven sous on that
boat when We abandoned the ST. NaZaire.
OF all those men anw women We four are
the only ones left alive. The others STAR
ed or froze whore they sat. They died in
all ways. They sank. dropped off one by
one, except where they went mad. and
then some jumped into the sea and ended
in that way. The captain was the first
to go. The men were quiet enough TIL
they saw the women die; then they SEEM
ed all at once 70 get raving, stark mad
Marie Stants, our engineer. and Tagsrdi.
first mate. That's all can ter now"
But with the hours the old man grad
uaIly grew stronger and able 20 tall. with
something Ike coherency and clearness-
Dr.. Marie, too. recovered his speech and
strength enough 20 talk