The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-07-09

III ~ III MANY Shscs lhc NNCiAbn5 vi
Assaults from the Brutal Crew Which
Appropriated the Boats and Left Weak
Women and Children to Drown or
Pushed Under the Waves.
HALIFAX. n. S, July News "a
received here yesterday of the sinking
of the French liner La Bourgogne,
from New York for Havre, with passen-
gers and crew numbering 500, by col
lision with the. British iron ship
Cromartyshire, 60 miles south of Sable
island, and the loss of COO souls.
The Story OF the Fearful Disaster
from the few officers and members of
the crew who were saved is yet
to be told, but if the words
of the passengers who were
dragged aboard the CrOmartyshire,
and later brought into this port by the
steamer Grecian, are to be believed
the last few minutes on board the La
Bourgogne witnessed some of the most
terrible scenes of horror and cruelty
that nave ever blotted the history of a
civilized race.
Instead of the heroic discipline which
so often has been the one bright fea-
ture of such awful moments, the crew
of the steamer fought like demons
for the few lifeboats and RATS, batter
ing the helpless passengers away from
their only means of salvation, with the
result that the strong overcame the
weak, and the list of 163 saved con-
4aS,a a., =. .c l,,% -. -.
Another Account Says
there were ia persons on board, and
J63 were saved. With the exception
of W. passengers, Prof. LaCasse and
his wife, all the passengers of the
Bourgogne are aboard the steamer
crew are also on board hat boat. The
Grecian is expected to sail for New
York this evening.
All the crew are collected by them
selves in the forward part of the deck,
and are anything but pleasant look
ing. The officer of the gangway looked
at them with a scowl, and said if he
had his way they would all have been
hanged to the yardarm long ago.
Officers and Crew Sought Their Own
Safety.
The correspondent interviewed nearly
all the passengers who speak English.
One passenger said the officers and
crew of La B~ourgogne 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 he could,
and, in fact, all the boats that were
launched were launched by the brave
second officer. He was last seen stand
ing on the deck, with his hand ON the
rigging, going resignedly to certain
death.
The Crew Were Cruel in Their Conduct.
Christopher Brunini,a passenger, was
thrown into the water and swan for
two hours before he found a boat. He
chung to this as his last hope. After
some time another man got hold of the
same boat and together they managed
to right it. Under the seats they
found the dead bodies of four men and
three women who had evidently been
drown by the capsizing of the boat.
Brunini said the crew were cruel in
their conduct toward the passengers.
He was unable to get in the steamers
boats when he came on deck, being
showed away by the sailors. He saw
many of his friends being prevented
from getting into the boats by the
sailors He lost everything but what,
he stood in.
A Desperate Fight for Life.
Mehelini Secondo, an Italian steer
age passenger, is among the saved.
When he got on deck he found a raft
with FIVE men on it. The raft, how
ever, was tied and chained fast to the
deck and no sailors were near to let it