The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-03-01
The Steamer Allsa, of the Atlas, Line Is
Sunk by the Steamer LaBOurgoyne.
WHILE AT ANCHOR IN THE RARRoWS
After the Collision, the French steam.
err Backs Away anu Continues Her
Coursc-Tle Ailsn Fills aud Sinks
shortly Afterward-CrcwR and Pas.
senGers Rescued by n Tur


Ailsa of the Atlas Line was sunk about
2.30 o'clock this afternoon by the steam
ship LaBourgogne of the General
Trans-Atlantique Line. bound for
Havre. The Ailsa had sailed from New
York EN- route to Kingston, jamaica
Owing to the dense fog the Ailsa came
TO anchor at the south mouth OF the
Narrows. The strong tide that was run
ming at the time swung the vessels head
30 that at the time OF the collision
she was pointing toward New York
According to the statements of several
OF the crew the vessel had been at an
chor but few minutes when n huge
steamer hove In sight. and although,
according to the Ailsa's crew. a CON
tinuouS ringing of her bell had been
Kept up since she came to anchor, the
vessel came on and struck the Ailsa
1nil on the port bow, tearing out large
portion of her side. Immediately after
striking the Ailsa the colliding vessel
Mnicn was learned TO be the steamer
La Bourgogne, backed out. and after
disenEagine herself, proceeded on her
way without making the slightest offer
TO render assistance to the Ailsa.
Captain j. w. Morris. of the Ailsa
was on the bridge Mt the time the col
Ision occurred and he Immediately
gave orders to weigh anchor. This was
instantly done and the vessel was
headed for the Fort Hamilton shore
Before she had gone far. however she
MED md sank. The captain, passen-
gers ana part of the crew took to the
rigging. from which they were rescued
by the tug Harold. which happened TO
be i'm the vicinity ut the time The
Harold, to mnllc the rescue steamed be-
tween the masts and directly over tho
deck OF the Sunkcn steamer. The Ha1'-
old also picked up later Il part of the
crew from n small boat belonging to the
Ailsn.
According to the crew only a few min
Htes elapsed from the time the vessel
was struck until she went down AS
far as can be learned the IaBourgoEnc
suffered little or no injury from the i'm
lhct The crew and passengers of the
sunken steamer were brought up to the
city by the tug and landed at the ship
news office Of the United Press
In Interviews with the messengers Of
me Inflated vessel II was learned that
,he crew OF the Ailsa behaved In n most
brutal and cowardly manner 1t is
asserted that when the I.aBourgognc
struck the Aisa the crew. instead of
trying to assist. seemed to he inspired
with only the desire to save themselves
Ihey seized the only available boat
which they quickly lowered. and iump-
Ing into It, pushed Off, leaving tho pas
scn@crS To their fate. There were IA
cabin passengers on board the Ailsa.
among them several women The lat tier
were verging on Mysteries when seen nj
the pier Of the United Press ship news
Office. Some of them looked as though
they had been subjected 70 some hard
usage
The officers of the i'll -fated vessel deny
tiiat the crew abused the passengers or
were guilty of ay cowardice MIR. Nor
ris. of the Ailsa. refused TO make nny
sthteineht with regard to how the accl-
dent occurred
D. Weatherspoon. the chief engineer
spoke freely about the accident Ue
declared that the LaBourgognc was 10
piame, and said that the Ailsa's HON
was ringing continuously while she lay
AZ anchor. He was rather Indignant nj
the manner In which theFrench steamer
behaved. He denied In toto the passen.
gers statement chat the crew had seized
the only available bont and abandoned
me passengers to their fate. He asserts
that the passengers refused to go into
the small boat and sought refrra I, tho
iigeing He says upon the refusal of
the passengers to enter the boat the con.
tain ordered the crew TO pull for the
shore. He says the vessel filled and
wenl down so rapidly that neither the
passengers nor crew were able to sovo
any of their effects.
The Allsa now lies sunk to her lo,vor
yards and lies on Il hard bottom.
The crew numbered 81. including Can
tain Morris. 1t was composed OF Span
The Ailsa is a British screw steamor
290 feet In length. beam 34.2 feet, depth
239, tonnage 1891. She was built at
Glasgow and was owned by the Atlas
Steamship Company. She had gen
eral cargo
1t has been learned that the La Rour-
gogne proceeded but II short distance
after the collision and came to anchor.
but 1t is not positively known whether
she sustained any injury. She has for
ty-five cabin passengers on board
Following is the list of passengers.
fourteen In number:
George II. Pierce and wife, of King
ston, Jamaica; John p. Cantrell and
wife. of Newark, y. j.: Mr. Tictiones.
of New York; II. Ingalls,. Wesley Day.
or Newark: c. r. Miller and wife. OF
Brooklyn; a. l.. V. Carachristi OF Rich
mond, Va: Mr.. Hoff. p. J. Cummings.
OF newark; Watson Ryan. of Newark
Everybody on the Alsa. passengers
ana crew. were saved though Mrs
fierce was slightly bruised
'Ihe crew consisted OF thirty-seycn
persons. commanded by Captain ]. w
MOTIFS, Mr.. Cummins. with three 9TH
ers OF the Passengers, was In the smok
ing room when the crash came. Rush
ahS TO the bow. he instantly saw how