The herald., 1897-04-28
OF Horror Almost Beyond
Words
ICEBERG AND BRIG COLLIDE
OF SEVENTY-FOUR MEN BUT
FOUR ARE LEFT
Driven Mad by Thirst and Hunger
the Survivors Feast Upon
Their Dead
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press special wire.
ST. JOHN, N. f., April 27.-The
French fishing vessel Valiant, Capt.
Pierre, from st. Malo for Miquelon.
struck an iceberg on the Grand banks
on the 10th inst, and almost Immediately
fcundered. She had seventy-three fish-
ermen on board and all took to the
boats. Only one of those boats has thus
far been heard from. When 1t left the
vessel its complement was seven men.
Three of them perished from exposure
and hunger. The bodies of the fret two
were thrown overheard, but the survi-
vors, in their desperation, We're driven
to cannibalism, and ate the third. The
boat was picked up by the schooner
Eugene, which arrived at st. Pierre TO-
day. The survivors are in a shocking
condition and are so badly frost-hitter.
that their arms must be amputated,
AWFUL DETAILS
NEW YORK, April PA special to
the World from st. John says: The VAL
liant was one of the great French fish,
ing fleet of $50 vessels which crosses The
the Newfoundland banks. 1t was about
midnight, and the night was dark and
foggy, when the brig and iceberg
crashed together, the impact crushing
the vessel from her bow to the fore
mast and opening the hold to rush Of
water that awakened the sleeping crew
and sent them scampering to the deck.
The vessel must sink in a few minutes,
tI,o f,,r cd 10 ho fo
in number, and capable of carrying not
more than a dozen men each. Thess
had been firmly lashed down. and Il
was only by the most strenuous efforts
that they were loosened and put into
the water.
Men forgot their brotherhood In TIE
mad struggle to secure a place in ons
OF the poor little boats. and no heed
was even paid to a dozen Of the com
pany who lay dead and dying in the
debris resulting from the collision. Z
was the survival of the strongest and the
contest was not for long. In less tim'
than it takes to tell it, the four boat,
had cast off, not a second too soon fol
the boats had scarcely been manned
when the Valiant sank. 1t is certain that
only one boat escaped the whirlpool
The three other dories may have gone
down-or they may now be floating about
en- the ocean, freighted with the dead.
With such haste did the sailors es.
cape from the sinking brigantine that
not only had they no clothing with them.
but they were unable to secure water
and food, and in the morning the seven
men in one of the boats found them
10, ~ 4.
which to sustain life. The fog did MOI
lift until late the next day, and ths
weather was biting cold, while Icy spray
fell over the men unremittingly.
Worn with cold and hunger. suffering
from thirst, the seven men looked out
all day for a SAIL but could see no far
ther than their noses, and night fei
again.
The weather cleared on the morrow
but nothing came in sight. On. the SEQ
ond night two of the men died from exi
posure and their bodies were throWf
overheard.
Next morning q young man named
Felix died and he, too, would have beer
given to the fishes if his companions hal
had strength enough to lift his body, hu
they had none, and so the corpse lay /,
the bottom of the dory while the fcurre
naming sat on the seats and waited
for that which had come tc young Felix
AS long as they kept their senses tn
four men did not give way to the long
ing that possessed them to satisfy thei
hunger. On the fifth day, crazed beyont
all doubt they adopted the last fright
full resort of men in their condition, ana
ate their friend. They We're deliriou
after that.
1t was on the twelfth day of the shir
wreck that the look out Of the fishing
schooner Victor Eugene, bound for st
Pierre. saw far off speck on the ocean
which turned out to be the dory with ths
four insensible men aboard. They wers
rescued and tenderly cared for, and al
soon as the Victor arrived in port today
they were removed to hospital.