The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-30
The Bourgogne Victims,

Two bereaved husbands. Judge Dill
lon, of New York, and w. O. Perry, of
Kansas City, whose wives were VIC
TINS Of the BOurgOgne disaster, have
chartered the steamer Hiawatha which
has gone in search Of the bodies now
floating about on the banks of New
foundland. Incoming steamers report
that large number of corpses are
sighted in various stages of decom-
position along the Banks A master OF
a sailing schooner launched boat and
was able to secure several articles of
Jewelry and other personal effects
which will be handed over to the
friends of the unfortunate passengers
as sad mementoes Of one of the most
awful catastrODhes that has ever be-
fallen passenger steamer since steam
ing with all the circumstances attend
ing the loss Of the Bourgogne that the
work of rcsculng from the waves the
passengers that went down in the ILL
fated shin should be left to private
individuals. II is now nearly three
weeks ago since it was first reported
that portion of the sea in proximity
TO the place where the collision oc-
Cured was literally strewn with dead
bodies.
The French steamship company to
which the BOurgogne belonged have
done nothing in the interval to have
these victims of the recklessness and
a Of
taken from the waters and given a
Christian burial or an opportunity to
their friends Of identifying them and
doing so. This might have been easily
accomplished, if il had been under
taken in time. Although the SPOT in
which the disaster took place was too
lar out to permit of the bodies being
washed ashore through the natural
operations of tides and currents. If
was not so Car away as not to permit
of steamer reaching them in a short
time and rescuing them from the sea
which has so stubbornly persisted in
refusing them a sepulcher. As a scien-
tific exposition of this phenomenon, we
are inclined to believe that the bodies
drifted out into the Gulf Stream, where
owing to the high temperature of the
waters, gases rapidly generated and
kept the bodies from sinking as they
would have done under normal cir
cumstances. At any rate it was the
imperative no less than the obvious
duty of the steamship company to
undertake the work as some slight
reparation for the criminal reckless
ness of the crew of the Bourgogne and
a slight measure of solace TO the
friends of the victims.
The findings of the court of inquiry
at Halifax exonerated the skipper OF
the Cromarthyshire from all blame.
The disaster was due solely to the reck-
less navigation of the Bourgogne. She
was not only out of the trans ATTAIN
tic route or lane adopted by all other
steamship companies. but she was run
ming at full speed in one of these i'm
penetrable fogs which settle down on
the banks of Newfoundland. blotting
out the surroundings as effectively as
an eclipse Of the sun does the light OF
day. If the Bourgogne had sailed with
a set purpose Of causing disaster, she
could not have so fatally circumvented
1t. In the meantime the French gov
ernment, as we anticipated, has made
new and strict inquiry into the cause
of the disaster. NJ. Jockey, the minis
ter of Madrid, says that If the surviv-
ing members of the crew are found
guilty they will be punished. Unfor-
tunately, the evidence of their coward
ice and brutality is too well established
To admit Of doubt. We sincerely hope