Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-07-09

MUCH UGLY TALK
But No Action by Survivors
Of the La Bourgogne.
They Arrive at Boston and Are For
warded to Their Homes.
More Stories Of the Greatest Marine Disaster
for Many Years.

Boston, July S.-All of the survivors
of the Inflated La Bourgogne arrived
in this city, this morning, from Hall
fax, where they landed. OF this num-
Der 1872 came by the steamer Halifax
and the other two, Mr.. and Mrs. La
casse of Plainfield, n. j., arrived about
the same time by train.
The survivors were met at the WHAT
by the representatives of the steamship
line, and after breakfast seryed on the
boat special cars carried the passen-
gers and crew to the Park Square sta
ton, where the majority took the
train for New York. A number stayed
over until the afternoon, but all had
left the city by night.
During the voyage from Halifax ID
Boston, the Indignation among the pas
sengers over their experiences seemed
| to be growing and there was much talk
of lodging complaints With the proper
officials, but no complaint was made N
| this city.
| The correspondent of The Associated
| Press who took passage on the Halifax
| for the purpose of learning from the
survivors more of the details of the
disaster than has been possible in the
| short time between their arrival at
| Halifax AMI theri departure for New
| York. during the trip to Boston. had
| opportunity to come in contact WITH
| many of those who escaped and their
i stories of their experience We're thrl.-
| ling. although many of them gave hor-
rfyinG details of the brutality, If not
murder. possibly never equailed in ma
rine history.
| Among the survivors We're a few who
could speak English we'll. but most of
them could communicate with the cor
J respondent only through an Interpreter.
| There were Swiss, French. GeSmans,
Belgians, Italians and Arabians. Even
some of these could not make them
selves understood
Among those on board the Halifax,
not one could he found who was On
| deck a the time of the accident All
| the crew who We're on deck must have
| persisted. The only man saved from
! the La Bourgogne. who was on deck
When the ships struck, was MIR. La
casse. who left Halifax by rail. utterly
refusing to take the boat with the 9TH
ers. as he said he had had enough Of
the sea just now. Mrs. LAcasse, the
only woman saved, accompanied her
husband on the train.
The survivors agree that La Bour-
gogne struck the Cromartyshire 4
CHANGING blow and the shock was not
| great. Therefore it is believed that
many of the passengers never awoka.
| The opinion as tn the time interview
ing between the collision and the sink
| ing of La Bouraogne. vary greatly.
Some sag 10 or Is minutes and others
say 50 or 81, While one man was GER
tain il was a full hour.
The glancing blow La Bourgogne
struck the Cromartyshire was one that
| never could be provided for by water
tight doors. The bow of the ship en-
| tered the side of the steamer at the
bridge and tore a gazing hole Il feet
long through which the water rushed
into every part of the ship
Among the remarkable escapes were
those of three stokers of La Bour-
gogne. who. although they were
| warned by other members OF the crew
not to talk about the accident told of
their experience Louis Lc Julien.
Jean Alvany and Francis Emile are
the stolers. They were in the stoke
hole when the accident occurred Their
SlblS III SUBSTANCE IL Us lbiloNSt
The engines We're stopped in the
collision and afterward We're put
| ahead slowly in the hope of Bleaching
the steamer on Sable Island. About
five minutes after the crash the water
began to come into the boiler room.
and soon it rushed on in great vol
umes. The pumps were tried but to
no avail. The water put the fires out
and the engines stopped. The chief
engineer gave the order to close water
tight doors. but even when they were
| closed the water came in almost as
fast. Then all hope was gone and the
engineer blew twice on his whistle, the
signal for all to escape who could do
SO.
There was a rush. but about u men
were drowned in the stoke-hole and en-
CINE ROOM When the three men who sue
ceeded in getting out reached the deck
the list of the ship was great that the
water was up to the engine room door
All the boats had left and the three men
at once plunged into the sea. They were
picked up by RATS and taken on board
the Cromartyshire.
Fred Nyffeler, the sole survivor of
Swiss party of about u going to their
native country on visit gave Il complete
and graphic account of the disaster. He
is % years old and one of the few sur
vivors who could speak English fuentiy
He came to America Ii years ago. For
the last eight years he has been engaged
in stock raising in Oregon. He left Ia
coma, Wash, on the 18th of June. and
Joined his party on La Bourgogne, the
following Saturday. When they left New
York the weather was fine and continued
so until a few hours before the collision
Nyffeler. who was in the bow when
the collision occurred, knew nothing of
the collision, but as it was his practice
to get up early, he arose at about 5
o'clock, and went on deck He was
surprised to see splinters lying around
and he walked forward in search of the
officers of the watch. Nyffeler asked
one of them what was the matter. He
replied nothing. Nyffeler believed him
and walked ahOut the dock Ha M