The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-03-07
RUN DOWN AT ANCHOR.

Sunk by the Steamer La Bourgogne,
Which Proceeded on Its Way Indifferent
to the Fate of the Disabled Nessel-Cow-
ardIy Action of the Crew of the Ailsa-
Rescued by a Tug.
NEW YORK, March 1.-The steamship
Ailsa, of the Atlas line, was sunk
about 2:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon
by the steamship La Bourgogne, OF the
General Transatlantique line, bound
for Harve. The Ailsa had sailed from
New York en- route 10 Kingston. Ow-
ing to the dense fog, the Ailsa came to-
anchor Just at the south mouth OF the
Narrows. The strong tide that was
running at the time swung the vessels
head SO that at the time of the coils
sion she was pointing towards New
York.
According to the statements of sew
eral-of the crew, the vessel had been
at anchor but a few minutes when q,
huge steamer hove in sight and al
though, according to the Ailsas crew,
a continuous ringing of her bell had
becn kept up since she came toanchor,
the vessel came on and struck the
Ailsa full on the port bow, tearing out
i large portion of her side.
Immediately after striking the Ailsa
the colliding vessel. which was learned
to be the steamer La Bourgogne,
backed out and after disengaging her
self, proceeded on her way without
making the slightest offer to render
assistance to the Ailsa.
Capt. J. W.. Morris of the AilSa was
on the bridge at the time the collision
occurred, and he Immediately gave Or
ders to weigh anchor. This was in
stantly done, and the vessel vas
headed for the Fort Hamilton shore.
Before she had gone far, however, she
filled and sank. The captain, passeG-
gers ard part of the crew took to the
rigging, from which they were res
cued by the tug Harold, which hap
pened to be in the vicinity at the time
The Harold, to make the rescue,
steamed between the masts and di.
rectly over the deck of the sunken
steamer. The Harold also picked up
later a part of the crew from Il small
boat belonging to the Ailsa.
According to the crew only a few
minutes elapsed from the time the YES
sci was struck until she went down
As far as can be learned La Bourgogne'
suffered little or no injury from the
contact. The crew and passengers OF
the sunken steamer were brought ur
to the city by the tug and landed at
the Ship News office of the United
Press.
In interviews with the passengerso of
the Inflated vessel it was learned that
the crew of the Ailsa behaved in a
most cowardly manner. 1t is asserted
that when La Bourgogne struck the
Ailsa the crew, instead of trying to as
sist, seemed to be inspired with only
the desire to save themselves. They
seized the only available boat, which
they quickly lowered and, jumping
into it pushed off. leaving the pa ,ssa-
gers to their fate.
There We're II cabin passengers on
board the Ailsa, among them several
women. The latter We're verging On
Mysteries when seer at the pier of the
United Press Ship News Office. Some
of them looked as though they had
been subjected to some hard usage.
The officers of the Inflated vessel
deny hat the crew abused the passen-
gers, or were guilty of ~cowardice.
Capt. Morris of the Ailsa, refused to
make any statement with regard to
how the accident occurred.
J. WeatherspOon, the chief engiGec-,
spoke freely about the accident. lie
peclared that La Bourgoyne was tC
blame, and said that the Ailsa's bell
was rung continuously while she lay
at anchor. He was rather indignant
at the manner in which the French
steamer behaved. lie denied in toto
the passengers statement that the
crew had seized the only available boat
and abandoned the passengers to their
fate. He asserts that the passengers
refused to 20 into the small BOAT and
sought refuge in the rigging; hat
upon the refusal of the passengers tC
enter the boat the captain ordered the
crew to pull for the shore, and that
TIE vessel filed and went down 81
rapidly that neither the passengers
ror crew were able to save any Of
their effects.
The Ailsa now lies sunk to her lower
yards and is on Il hard bottom off Fort
Hamilton.
The crew numbered 81, including
Capt. Norris. 1t was composed Of
Spaniards, Cubans and Italians. The
Ailsa is a British screw steamer. 29G
feet in length; beam 34.2 feet; depth
go; tonnage 1881; built at Glasgow
and owned by the :tlanta Steamship
Co. She had a general cargo.
1t has been learned hat La Bour-
gogne proceeded but a short distance
after the collision and came to anchor.
1t is not known whether she sustained
any injury. She has e. cahiu passen-
gers on board.
4 Clyde Line Steamer Run Down on Fort
Wadsworth.
NEW YORK, March 1.-The Old Do
minion steamer GuyandOtte. inbound
from Norfolk, Va, ran into the Glide
line steamer George W. Clyde, off Fort
Wadsworth, at five o'clock yesterday
afternoon. The Guyandotte crashed
into the Clyde in the dense fog. strik-
ing her on the port side, amidships,