The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-07
coWARDs AND MuRDERERs:
Row Steamers Crew Disgraced France
and Civilization.


| Halifax, N, S., July 6.-The scenes en-
acted on board La Bourgogne Just after
the collision. survivors, say, were terrible
to witness. Men fought for positions In
the boats like raving maniacs, women
were forced back flom the boats and
trampled on BY the human beasts who in
voked the first law Of nature and made
self preservation their first object. On
board were large number of Italians
and other foreigners who care little for
human life.@ These fends stopped at moth
| ing. In one boat was party of 40 won,-
| en-, but SO great was the panic that not
a hand was raised to assist in her launch
ing. The occupants so near safe, were
drowned like rats, when the ship with
an awful Kissing sound, went down with
tie hundreds of valuable lives. So des-
perate was the situation that an italian
passenger drew his knife and made a
thrust at one who, like himself, was en-
deayoring to reach the boat. Immediate
" the action was initiated in every direo-
tion. Knives were fourished in every
direction and used with deadly effect.
Women and children were driven back to
an inevitable death at the point of weap-
ons, the owners of which were experts in
their use. Even sickness was not respect
ed and according to the stories of some of
th9 survivors women were stabbed like
so many shesp. The scene on the water
was even worse. Many Of the unfortu
nate who were struggling In the water
attempted to drag themselves into the
boats and on RATS. These were rudely
pushed back to their watery grave.
Not all of the dead met death by drown
ing. Christopher Bruneni saw a sailor
ssnger over the head with bar and kill
him. The passenger dropped into the
water. The passengers grabbed the boat
In which the sailor was attempted to get
on board. There were til persons on
board and 1853 were saved. With the ex-
ception of two passengers, Prof. LaCasse
and his wife, ell the passengers of the
Bourgogne are aboard the steamer Gre :.
clan at The Cunard wharf. The crew are
also on board that steamer. She is ex-
pected to sail for New York this evening.
All the crew are collected by themselves
in the forward part of the deck and are
anything bat pleasant looking. The Off
Ger of the gangway looked at them with
scowl and said If he had his way they
would all have been hanged to the yard
arm long ago. Your correspondent in
terxiewed nearly all the passengers who
could speak English. One passenger said
the officers and crew of La Bourgogne
neglected the passengers entirely.
The second officer was the only man Of
the crew who did anything TO help the
terrified and helpless passengers. he
cut loose all the boats that were launches.
he was last seen standing on the deck
with mis- hand on the rigging going ~
signedy 10 certain death
Christopher Brunini, passenger, was
thrown into theswater and swan for two
hours before he found boat. He olung
to this as his last hope. After some time
another man got hold of the same boat
and together they managed to right 1t.
Under tine seats they found the dead
bodies Of four men and three women who
had evidently been drowned by the car