Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-15
Dozens of Harbor Craft Are
Searching Bay of Biscay
for Bodies Of Victims, With
Eight Recovered.
PASSENGERS STAMPEDE
AS WAVES LASH STEAMER
Ct. Philibert Goes Down Near St.
Nazaire When Hurricane Breaks
With Sudden Fury; Chance Many
Left Before Tragedy or Reached
Shore in Safety Is Held Slim.
~ the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ST. NAzAIRE, France, June Is.
Dozens of harbor craft picked
their way across the Bay Of Biscay
today with lookouts scanning the
water for the bodies of more than
400 men, women and children
drowned yesterday when hur-
ricane capsized the excursion
steamer st. Philibert.
Eight persons were rescued and
eight bodies have been recovered.
It is possible that others escaped
death and have not yet reported
their safety, but the toll of the
disaster was estimated with as
much accuracy as possible at 442
dead.
There was an admittedly slim
chance that a final check would
reveal that many of the pasSen-
gers had left the boat before the
storm struck. 1t was barely pos
sible also that some of those
aboard may have reached the
shore in. safety between Pointe
De st. Gildas and the Loire River.
There can be no definite check
until the families of those aboard
the steamer have reported to the
police.
Carried Crowd of Picnickers.
The st. Philibert was a fiimsy 100
foot river steamer. She put out from
Nantes yesterday afternoon with
crowd of picnickers on an outing run
by a labor organization. Stean1ing down
the river to st. Nazalre and across the
bay to the island of Noirmoutier, not
far to the south.
There most of the passengers went
ashore. The weather was threatening
when the steamer started on the return
trip and at first 1t was reported that a
hundred or more had decided not to
20 back by boat. Later this was proved
e erroneous and 1t was said that less than
20 remained behind.
OF Pointe De st. GildaS the storm
broke with sudden fury. The passen-
gers stampeded. to the leeward side,
threw the boat OF an even keel and
she turned over.
A lighthouse keeper saw her go down
but was helpless.
Rescuers Renew Cruise.
The bodies of several woman passen-
gers were picked up this morning and
they were completely devoid of clothing
so powerful was the lasning fury OF
the waves The body of on unidentified
18-year-old girl was still warm when
fshed out but life proved to be extinct
after several hours Of medical treat
ment.
The weather was beautiful and the
sea was calm in contrast to yesterdays
savage outburst of the elements. Rescue
boats renewed their cruising at daylight
to find additional corpses and to pick
up any passengers who might have
chung to wreckage or drifted on to
rocks.
Stampede Is Blamed.
Automobile loads Of anguished rela-
tiyeS from numerous towns crowded st.
Gildas Point Throngs damned into
newspaper off1ces and covered the docks
in the vain wish that the names OF
their friends or kin would be among
the meager list of the living. Many
chung to the hope that their beloved
ones were among those who remained
on the island because Of the foul
weather.
From the lighthouse keeper at st. Gil
das Point and the ailing survivors, au-
thorities began to piece together the
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