The only Survivor.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 April 1910, Page 4

The only Survivor.

A TALE OF THE SEA

A sad story is told by the sole survivor of tho French steamer General Clianzy, which went ashore on Wednesday night, February 9, off tho wild coast of Minorca, 100 miles from the Spanish mainland. Miraculously flung ashore wbile his companions perished, Marcel Babez the sole survivor, endured Jiunger and thirst for the whole of Thursday, and part of Friday, till ho stumbled, more dead than <alive, across some poor fishermen. One explanation of the fearful loss of life is that all the passengers were in the cabine at the time the vessel struck. Babez himself, was in ,a cabin asleep when the vessel struck, and was awakened by a crash and the roar of rushing waters. This was followed almost immediately by the sound of a terrific explosion, probably of the boilers. In what seemed to Babes? but a few moments, the waves swept over the ship, engulfing her. It was about three o'clock 011 Thursday morning when the General Clianzy was lost. When the only survivor of the disaster recovered consciousness be was lyiing wedged between two rooks near the shore, where he had been miraculously flung by tho mountainous seas. The tide had receded, leaving him high and dry, but maimed and bleeding from many hurts sustained in his cruel buffeting against jagged rocks. The sun was shining brightly, and from its position in tho heavens ho judged the hour to be about noon. A TERRIBLE POSITION. Dressed only in pyjamas, terribly weak from many wounds, and suffering from hunger and raging thirst, Babez dragged, himself ashore. He had but the vaguest knowledge of his whereabouts at first. Under the impression that he had been cast away on the Spanish mainland, all day Thursday he wan- j dered about in search of some human habitation where be could obtain food and water. He had become delirious from much suffering, and as men do in such circumstances when their brain is on fire, Babez wandered round and round in a circle. Night found him a fugitive 011 a desolate coast. His torments, now increased tenfold by the bitter cold, at length rendered him unable to continue any further. He sank exhausted to tho ground, resigned to the fate from which there seemed. after all, no escape. The morning sun brought him back to consciousness. For the second time the poor victim set forth anew in bis quest for succour. After another hour's wandering, but which seemed to Babra like a day, be encountered sonic fishermen, who, learning from his lips part at least of his terrible story, took him to their huts, where tliev furnished the famished man with food, drink and clothing. Af-ter--rds -the survivor was conveved to the hospital at Ciudndola, where he recounted bis Odyssey to the French Consul. TOLL OF THE DEEP. Tho coast in the neighbourhood of Ci uda dela was strewn with wreckage and the bodies of the drowned. The number of lives lost was estimated at