Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-31
THRILLING ESCAPE
EXPERIENCE OF MR.. AND MRS.
WOODWARD ABOARD SHIP.
Vessel Wrecked at Night and Pas
sengers in Great Peril-A
Cowardly Crew.

the Washington Title Insurance Company,
who recently returned from tour through
the northern states and Canada, gave an
account today Of a thrilling escape from
drowning of the party Of tourists. in which
he and his wife we're included. in the Sa-
guenay river, which flows into the st. Law
renee, about $50 miles north Of Quebec.
This tributary of the st. Lawrence Is
known as the river of death" because its
waters are deep, black and forbidding
Soundngs of 1900 feet have been made, but
there are places where the bottom has
never been reached. On either side lofty,
preciptous cliffs rise right from the waters
edge. The village of Tadousac, at the
mouth of the river, is the Oldest French
settlement on the ST. Lawrence. and con-
Canada. From this place the steamer runs
up the Saguenay to Chicoutimi. during the
night and runs down the gloomy river the
next day.
Mr. Woodward and his wife left Tadou-
sac August 10, about II o'clock In the
evening, the steamer Carolina, which
is an "Old Bay Line steamer from the
Chesapeake, now used to carry American
tourists by the st. Lawrence river line.
There was a considerable number Of pas
sengers aboard from New York, Pennsyl-
vania and elsewhere and a crew which
was French-Canadian from the captain
down.
Many Passengers Asleep.
All the passengers were in TIER state
rooms. and many had gone to sleep by II
o'clock. The steamer was about six miles
from Tadousac and making her way at a
good speed steering entirely by the dark
line of the hills, when, without any warn
ing, there came a terrible crash. The heav-
lest pieces of furniture were overturned,
and persons were hurled from their berths,
while water rushed into the state rooms.
Almost Immediately the electric lights
went out and, they were the only means
of lighting the ship, everything was left
in total darkness. The passengers rushed
on deck-those who were not held In their
state rooms by diSlOdged articles damned
against the dOorS-and found the vessel
keeled over on her side at an angle of
forty-fiv degrees. Men were jumping over
board into the pitchy darkness, and women
were screaming and wringing their hands
in terror. Strange to say, the crew, I'M
directed by the frantic captain. were lower
ing boats and making away regardless Of
the passengers.
When all the touring party were on deck.
dressed almost as they were when the
ship struck, a lamp and a candle were
found, and by peering over the higher side
of the vessel near the bow 1t was discov-
cred that rocky landing could be made.
Whether the rock was an island or part
of the tutting shore no one could tell.
Crew Fails to Render Aid.
No help was obtained from any of the
French-Canadian crew, with the exception
Of the purser steward barkeeper and one
or two others, who remained at their posts.
Three ropes were lowered to the rocks and
men slid down these to steady them while
the ladies were assisted in descending.
Some were taken off in boats. which were
brought around to the lower side of the
vessel at the risk of the lives Of the rowers,
who were all passengers. There was a
lady over eighty years old, and several
children, but all were safely taken of.
At first 1t was thought by the shipwrecked
passengers that they had landed upon an
island that would be covered by the tide,
which rises seventeen feet at this point,
but it was soon discovered that there was
a higher point Of ground, where the alb
sence Of driftwood proved that the river
did not come Here the French-Canadian
sailors were seen to be preparing fire.
passengers, who were sorely in need Of
help.
AS the region is uninhabited it was use
less to call for help.
At the risk of their lives some OF the men
climbed back upon the boat, and threw
over some blankets together with few
loaves of bread that had not been spoiled
by the salt water. At daybreak those in
the party saw that it must wait until word
could be sent to Tadousac for steamer to
come up from there or from Quebec. The
passengers were in almost all stages OF
undress, said Mr.. Woodward. Many were
in their night robes and had only a piece
of blanket or part of life preserver tied
around their feet Mr.. Woodward was the
dude of the party. having all of his clothes
on, but one sock. When a survey of the
position of the boat was made it was seen
that a slight deviation from the course she
was taking when she struck would have
caused her to go down Immediately.
The Rescue.
1t was not until II oclock in the morning
that the party was taken off, the rescue
being made by a steamer from Tadousac
that had been summoned by several of the
crew. who had gone down in one of the
small boats. When an attempt was made
to recover some of the property from the
ship it was discovered that members Of the
crew had been on board during the night
and had looted every state room. Numerous
articles of value were missing some of
which were found on the crew when the
village was reached later.
Among those who were the most promi-
nent In conducting the rescue from the
vessel were Curtis Boisvert a travelling
salesman from Quebec, and the champion
bicycle rider of that city. He drew a re-
volver on several of the crew to keep them
from descending from the boat in advance
of the ladies, and who was the chief or
ganizer of the panic-stricken party; J. F.
Mccoy, formerly a Pennsylvania railroad
ticket agent of this city, who went back
into the boat for blankets and food; John
Gibson of Philadelphia; Col. Nathan Haines
state senator, New Jersey, and several of
the crew already mentioned. These latter
were. of course, handicapped by their utter
lack of knowledge of English or of good
French.
Speaking of the actions of the other sail
ors, Mr.. Woodward said that he could
easily believe the statements that were
made concerning the cowardly action of
the French sailors in the great La Bour-
gogne wreck some time ago
MI and Mrs. Woodward completed their
trip through the north after the accident
and returned to Washington.