New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-01
SINKING OF THE AILSA.
THE PASSENGERS DENOUNCE THE CON
DUCT OF THE CREW.
TOOK THE ONLY BOAT AVAILABLE AND MADE
OFF BRUSHING ASIDE THE WOMEN O'
BOARD STATEMENT FROM THE CAP
TAIN OF LA BOURGOGNE Ant
From PASSENGERS on
THE sr'NKEN
STEAMER.

ltNMt>N
rAo ,,os, serious q yesterdays marine ac-
c,t.ris " $ the sinking by La Bourrognc, the
h.r French lane steamship OF the Atlas Line
steamship Ailsa, she lay at anchor between
tho staten Island and Long Island shores III
~. afternoon about o'clock. That no hN's
n,,o los, was owing entirely to the provident!al
proxiru,,y OF several tugs. when were iee""s
th.lr nay n ouGi. 'he 'og.
1he Ailsa. bound for West Indian ports iet'
,or ,,er 4. noon and proceeded down the Bay
with nf,ecn passengers and valuhoie c"'sV
aboard Her commander Captain j. W Morris.
10 a cautious sailor and when he was abreast OF
L.or, Wadsyo r,h he deci led to drop archor anu
val, f,r the fog - Uft ~ tn" anchor touchen
the mud and tho chain pulled taut on 'he
stcau,sh,p shc was swung slowly around by ''e
ou,g,ine tide until 81" lay headed t"wafi '"e
ci,v The passcng"rs went down I" iu'io"''''
and no one wac on deck. owing To 'h' orN'"s
rain and damp fog. except the o'hcef' anu ,''"
ar watch Tho captain anl pilot had retired 20
the captain's s.atcroon. and for az hour me
steamship idly noatrl on the swell
Suddenly. at . o'r.ork officers. crew ana
passengers wcrc startled by a crash. ana theh
quickly followed the roar OF Incoming water.
The biz Frenchman. outward houh' ""'
lcomed out ~ the fog too suddenly i"r '"'
lookout - give a warning cry. and had s'ru'N
the smaller vcsscl square on IN" port Dow" Jus'
abaft OF tn" stem. swinging her almost com
plctcly around before she could dlsentanslc h''-
self and back away.
\ SCENE of CONFU SION
Immediately all was confusion on board the
Atlas Line boat. and :hc captain ana pN''
rushed from their quarters to the bridge 10 see
the damage wrought. Captain Morris realiHrd
at once that his vessel had received mortar
blow. ana he touched an electric button start
ing the steam capstan for raising the ahc"o''
and headed full speel for the Long lSa"u
shore In the direction Of Fort Hamilton Fast
as the steamship rushed through the sea the
captain saw his only hope was In getting into
shallow water as the Allsa was settling by the
head and listirg dangerously to starb ara
Finally. the inrushinS waters put out the mes
and AZ the speed OF the vessel laokened 3he
slowly sank to the bottom In about forty feet OF
water. about one hundred yards south OF Fort
Lafayette.
Scarce eight minutes had elapsed between the
time OF the collision and the time when the
vessel went down, with nothing save her masts
ard rigging above water.
PASSENGERS MAKE For THE RIGGING.
IN the mean time the passengers aroused
from their after-luncheon contemplation rushed
On deck In great confusion. wildly asking what
had happened. 1t took no word from cap
tam or officers to assure them that the YES
sci was rapidly sinking. and In wild scram-
bic they made for the rigging. Here comes
| IN the disgrac" to the Ailsa-the cowardiy ac-
tiohs or the crow, who, according 10 all ac
COUNTS. listened neither to the threats nor on
treaties Of their officers. As the snip se'tieu
the maddcned sailors. mostly Spaniards ana
Italians made combined rush for the rigging
knocking down In their fgh. women ana men
VINO barred the way. Not only that' put '"e
"dago dogs" Of the ndgnapt passeh-
gers called them. cut away boat anu '"''
teen of them dropped into It, being later Joiheo
by passenger, who had wildly implored them
TO save at least the four women aboard
THE HAROLD TO THE RESCUE.
| Fortunately, the small tug Harold was near
by when the appeals for help came ana '"p
tain Cooley. OF The Harold. came TO the reSoue
When he reached the scene the vessei hau s"'N
To the bottom. and the crew and passengers
were in the rigging tcnaciously hanging on rs
| the sunken vessel rolled with the motion oi the
waves.
Fearful OF an explosion. Captain Ccoiey' oi
| the Harold, hcsitate1 to approach '"e WI NJ
| but as all chances OF such danger passeu' he
steamed alongside and finally across 'he decks
Of the sunken Ailsa. between her masts. Inc
| shipwrecked people then dropped 70 the deck o'
the tug For the women and some OF the pas
sengers ladder wis raised so that 'hey ""s"'
more easily descend from their perilous perch.
| The few of the crew who were not taken OFT ny
the Harold were picked up by the tug Dorothy