The San Francisco call., 1896-03-01
Ringing of Bells Failed to Check
the Course of the Larger
Vessel.
CoWARDICE OF THE SAILORS
They Deserted the Passengers, Who
Were Rescued From the Rigging
by Tug.

about 2:30 O'Clock this afternoon by the
steamship La Bourgogne of the General
Irans-Atlantique line bound for Havre.
The Ailsa had sailed from New York en-
route to Kingston.
Owing to the dense fog. the Ailsa came
to anchor lustat the south mouth of the
Narrows. The strong tide that was run
ming at the time swung the vessels head
so 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 anchor but few min
utes when a huge steamer hove in sight
and although, according to the AiIsa's S
crew, continuous ringing of her bells had
been kept up since she came to anchor,
the vessel came on and struck the Ailsa
full on the port bow, tearing out a large
portion of her side.
Immediately striking the Ailsa the
colliding vessel, which was learned to be
the steamer La Bourgogne, backed out,
and, after disengaging 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 at the time the collision
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 filled and sank. The
captain. passengers and part of the crew
took to the rigging, from which they were
rescued bv the tug Harold, which hap
pened to be in the vicinity at the time
The Harold, to make the rescue, steamed
ba m aud dirootlu 0var fbo
deck of the sunken steamer. The Harold
also picked up later a part of the crew
from small boat belonging to the Ailsa
According to the crew only a few min
utes elapsed from the time the vessel was
struck until she went down. AS far as can
be learned La Bourgogne suffered little or
no injury from the compact. The crew
and passengers of the sunken steamer
were brought to the city by the tug and
landed at the ship news Office of The
United Press.
In interviews with the passengers of the
ill-fated vessel it was learned that the crew
of the AiIsa behaved in most cowardly
manner. 1t is asserted that when La
Bourgogne struck the Ailsa the crew, in
stead of trying to assist, seemed to be in
spired with only the desire to save them
selves. They seized the only available
boat, which they quickly lowered, and
jumping into it pushed off, leaving the
passengers to their fate.
There were fourteen cabin passengers on
the Ailsa, among them. several women.
The latter were yerging on Mysteries when
seen at the pier. Some of them looked as
though they had been subjected to some
hard usage.
The officers of the iIl-fated vessel deny
that the crew abused the passengers, or
we're guilty of any cowardice. Captain
Morris of the Ailsa refused to make any
statement with regard to now the accident
occurred.
]. Weatherspoon, the chief engineer,
spoke freely about the accident. He de-
clared that La Bourgogne was to 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. He
denied in toto the passengers statements
that the crew had seized the only avail
able boat and abandoned the passengers to
their fate. He asserts that the passengers
refused to go into the small boat and
sought refuge in the rigging; that upon
the refusal of the passengers to enter the
boat the captain ordered the crew to pull
for the shore, and that the vessel filled
and went down so rapidly that neither the
passengers nor crew were able to save any
of their effects.
The Ailsa now lies sunk to her lower
Yards and is on hard bottom off Fort
Hamilton. The crew numbered thirty
seven men, including Captain Morris. 1t
was composed of Spaniards, Cubans and
Italians. The Ailsa is British screw
steamer, 29O feet in length, beam "a y feet,
denth 1919. tonnage 1881. built at Glasgow
and owned by the Atlas Steamship Com
pany. She had a general cargo.
II has been learned that La Bourgogne
rroceeded but a short distance after the
collision and came to anchor. 1t is not
known whether she sustained any INJURY.
She has forty-fve cabin passengers on
board.
Everybody on the Ailsa, passengers and
crew, were saved, though Mrs. Pierce was
slightly bruised. Mr.. Cummings ana
three other passengers were in the smoK-
ing-room when the crash came. hushlng
to the bow he instantly saw how serious
the danger was, and shouted, bring up
the women first
This was done and they were sent INTO
the rigging, and some of them when the
vessel had sunk were up to their knees IN
water. 1t is said that one OF the ere"
brandished revolver in his endeayors 10
get into the lifeboat.
Mr.. Cummings jumped into the water
ana was ultimately picked up by one
of the Ailsas boats, which contained
seven of the crew.
The tug Harold, which came to the