The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-09
Scene of the Inflated BOur-
gogne Disaster
Is a Vast Area of Ocean Grave
Yards.
WITHIN FIFTY YEARS
Thousands Of Lives Have Been
Lost
On Grand Banks. Nova Scatian
and Sable Coasts.

The Nova Scotian coast and the
Grand Banks of Newfoundland are YER
liable ocean graveyards. In the last
so years 81 large transatlantic passenger
ships have been wrecked there and
thousands of persons have been drown
ed. Of these wrecks ten were caused
by collisions in thick. foggy weather
exactly as La BourgOgne was sunk.
Sable island, within 60 miles of which
this last wreck occurred, is strewn with
the bones of many ships that have gone
to their doom there. 1t is this low ly-
ing island and the thick fogs that sail
ors on Atlantic steamers most dread.
It is generally supposed by landsmen
that storms cause most of the wrecks
at sea, but of all the vessels lost in the
North Atlantic in the last so years only
three or four were from heavy wealth
er. characterization as to distances run
and courses steered,l clOuded skies,
dark nights and dense fOgs are the pri-
mary causes of nearly all Of the
wrecks.
The sinking of the steamer Arctic in
fog on the Grand Banks in 1854 was
almost exactly like that of La
BOurgogne, and the crew of the Arctic
fought the women back from the boats
with knives as the crew of the French
liner did. OF the crew and passengers
on the Arctic, 526 were drowned
The Arctic was bound from New
York to Liverpool In dense fog on
the Grand Banks the Vesta, a British
ship, with all sails set and the wind
on her starboard quarters, rammed the
Arctic. Both ships backed off after the
collision. The Vesta's bow was crush
ed in and the upper part of it was torn
of. Captain Luce of the Arctic, thought
that the ship was uninjured and sent
boat to assist the Vesta, but the Vesta
drifted away out of sight in the thick
fog and eventually made port and was
saved.
struck it was discovered that water
was pouring into her through a great
hole below the water line. It was seen
at once that nothing could be done to
save her Then became a scene of
panic. selffshness and brutality that
was partly duplicated in the sinking of
La BOurgOgne July 4. Captain Luce
lowered a boat that would have held so
persons, but the fiTemen of the ship
had broken into the spirit room and
become drunk. They rushed on deck as
the boat was lowered and fought Cap
tain Luce and the women back, stab
bling at them with knives. Twenty of
the crew leaped into the boat and then
one of them cut the line and she drifted
into the fog.
Another boat was lowered and an
other insane rush for it was made by
the crew. A third boat took all that
was left of the crew except Captain
Luce and his third mate, who were left
alone with the $50 passengers, who were
panic stricken and pressed around the
brave captain imploring him to save
them.
By this time the ship was sinking
rapidly AS she went down Captain
Luce stood valiantly on one of the pad
die boxes with his young son in his
arms. They sank with the ship, but a
piece Of the wooden paddle box came
loose and hOated upward, bearing the
captain and his boy to the surface. He
chung to this and foated, but a piece
Of wreckage struck and killed his son.
Captain Luce hOated two days and
was picked up by fishing smack and
landed in Montreal. When the news of
his rescue was flashed over the wires of
this country New York preacher sent
him this telegram:
we welcome you, and the whole peo-
pie hold you in their hearts as God has
held you in His hands,
Only one boat load of the Arctic's
crew ever reached shore.
The loss of the White Star line steam
er Atlantic on the Nova Scotia shore
April 1, 1873, was the most heartrend-
ing of all wrecks on the American coast.
The Atlantic was 420 feet long and car
ried 952 people when she cleared from
Liverpool Tor New York. OF these SCI
were drowned. Her loss was due to
miSmanage She was overloaded
with passengers and short of coal so
that it was necessary for Captain Will
HamS to put into Halifax harbOr to re-
coal before he could reach New York.
The night of the wreck it was snow
ing and fOggy and a southeastern blew
strong toward the rock bound coast Of
Nova Scotia. The ship was heading
shOreWard to get sight of Sambro light
at the entrance of Halifax bay. Captain
Williams had leTt the bridge ana enter
ed the chart room. Suddenly beneath
the bow the booming of the terrible
breakers was heard and before the sig
nal to stop the engines could be given
the ship drove full head upon the bare
rocks of Mars head and careened over
upon her side.
1t was $3.50 o'clock in the morning, a
IL
dark that not even the white spray Of
the breakers at the bow could be seen.
The heavy seas broke over her and
washed away the women and men who
managed to climb up in the darkness
from their StateToOms. A line was fas-
tened to rock on the shore and 200
persons climbed to the cliffs. The fore
boom broke loose and crushed to death
20 passengers clinging to the house on
deck. Many put on life buoys, but did
not arrange them properly and when
they leaped into the waves they float
ed head downward and were drowned.
When day daWned women and men
were seen clinging, frozen stiff and
stark, to the rigging The shore for
miles was streWn with dead. The ship
slid off the rocks and sank and when
fair weather came divers went down
into her and opened the staterOoms'
doors and brought out the dead.
Henry Ward Beecher said of the
wreck of the Atlantic: Death sat on
the prov and no man beheld him"
The list OF transatlantic liners that
have been wrecked since 1S43 on the
dreaded coast of Nova Scotia and
Grand Banks Isl
1S43-Columbia, wrecked on the coast
of Nova Scotia.
1S53-Humboldt, wrecked on the coast
of Nova Scotia
1S54-Arctic, sunk on the Grand Banks
of Newfoundland; 562 drowned.
1859-Indian, wrecked on the coast of
Nova Scotia
1S59-Argo, wrecked on the Grand
Banks
1S6O-Hungarian, a. new mail steamer;
wrecked on the coast OF Nova Scotia;
All hands lost