The times., 1898-07-07


crest of a wave and later they disappear
ed in the trough of the sea-
Presence of Mind Lost.
There is no one living who can uphold
the honor of the officers OF the Inflated
La Bourgogne. With the exception of
the assistant purser. Ernest Scol, they
are all on the bottom Of the Atlantic
ocean. There are many who charge of
ficers and crew with lack Of discipline,
with neglect of system and with appar-
emily complete loss of presence of mind.
Capt. Deloncle, who commanded the
French liner. may have lacked in discip-
line. but he was brave His heroism as
his ship went down viii not soon be erased
from the annals Of the sea He stood on
the bridge sounding the steam whistle
with the chief officer and they both went
down together.
One of the passengers told reporter
that Capt. Deloncle had ordered the boats
TO be launched Immediately after the ac-
cideut. and could be heard distinctly or
give the women and children preference
The women were lowered over the side
OF the vessel into one of the boats This
capsized and its occupants were drowned
According to the statement of another
passenger. the captain was in the cabin
when the collision occurred, but was soon
at his place on the bridge. The intense
] excitement and the wild confusion on
board made any attempt to save life ex-
/ tremely difficult. 1t was a mad rush for
/ life. in which few of the frenzied hun
/ dreds on board were saved
One and all of the passengers denounce
/ the inhumanly. cowardly conduct of many
\ Of the sailors of La Bourgogne II half
/ OF what the passengers told is true no
words of condemnation are too strong
for the men who sacrificed helpless wom-
/ en- and children and fought to save their
own lives
Patrick McKeon, of New York, is one
OF the saved. and has nothing but con-
/ demnation for the officers and sailors, one
of whom he openly accuses of murder.
He ran up stairs soon after the collision
slid down the ships side and grasped a
raft Mrs. La Casse was on this raft
with her husband McKeon had made the
/ nf r.
scribes as a tailor from Philadelphia. He
had fallen into the water. The PhiladeI-
phia man got glimpse of his friend and
tried to gain place of safety beside him.
AS he reached for the raft, McKeon
says member of the crew of the La
Bourgogne struck the wretched man on
the head three times with an oar and
beat him down into the sea
McKeon gave a pathetic interest to his
story when he told of three Roman Cath
Ole priests granting absolution to a com
pany Of praying ones who surrounded
them on bended knees. He left the ship
only two minutes before she sank and
one Of the last sights that met his eye
was the cIergymen stIlf leading the de-
votions of men and women
Charles Elkoory, one OF eight Assyrians
saved out of party of seventy bound
for Beyreut and Damascus, tells a story
of similar refuge in religion, which he
observed among a party of Armenians.
| a priest of the Armenian Church was one
of a group of eleven of his countrymen.
He prayed with his people to the last,
/ apparently negiecting his chance of life
TO make sure of the spiritual salvation
of the others. Only one of these Arme-
mans lives today.
Another who arraigns the management
on the steamer as regards the efforts tc
save life is Christopher Bainini. who
| says: