Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-07-07


the ships crew on La Bourgogne gives
this list:
Ships crew, 233.
Third-class passengers, 295.
Second-cIass passengers, 1913.
First-class passengers, IS.
Total number of souls on board, ZIG.
Passengers saved, Sd.
Ships crew saved, 10.
Drowned, 553.
News of the great ocean disaster
reached here yesterday morning, when
the ship Cromartyshire, with her bow
badly slowed and partly dismasted, was
towed into port. She was picked up all
battered by the Allen liner Grecian and
towed IN.
When off Cape Sable the Cromarty-
shire collided with the French line pas
senger steamer La Bourgogne and sank
her.
Only one woman is among the saved.
The only officers saved Wer9 the purser
and three engineers. Thirty men be-
longing to the crew were also picked
up The balance of the saved are pas
sengers.
The collision occurred at o'clock on
the morning of July T. A heavy fog
prevailed and the crash came almost
without warning. Most of the passen-
gers were in their staterooms.
So quickly did the vessel founder that
a number of these did not even have
time to reach the deck and died in their
staterooms. The woman saved was
Mrs. A. Lacarse. She was picked up
by her husband and placed ON life
raft. She chung to the raft until
picked up.
of his ship as she went down. He re-
fused to leave the vessel and persisted.
The captain of the Cromartyshire
said: "When my ship was 60 miles off
South Sable island, she was on the port
tack, heading west TO northwest under
reduced canvas, going four or five knots
an hour. The foghorn was kept con-
tlnually blowing. Shortly after a. m.
l heard steamers whistle on our
weather bow, which seemed to be near
ing us very fast.
81 blew our horn and was answered
by the steamers whistle. Suddenly
steamer doomed up through the fog on
our port bow and crashed into us, going
at terrific speed. Our foremost and
main topgallant mast was carried away.
Immediately ordered the boats out and
went to examine the damage, and found
that our bow had been completely cut
off and the plates twisted into every
conceivable shape
The Cromartyshire was kept afloat
by her collision bulkheads.
IA ROurpopna diSapnnarpd in tho foo
after the crash and the Cromartyshire'
port anchor was shipped. Afterward
the survivors were picked up.
The scene was terrible, with hun
dreds of lives hanging i'll the balance
The people SWAN and fioated about the
surface.of the water, looking for chances
to save themselves.
There were three pri ests ON board the
ship and as she was sinking they went
about the vessel giving absolution to the
Catholics on board
As the ship sank vortex was created
which sucked down everything on the
surface within a wide radius. When
the suction had ceased about 200 bodies
came to the surface with rush.
The work of rescue was commenced
without a moments delay. At $50
o'clock the fog lifted and then two boats
were seen approaching the Cromarty-
shire full of men. Men could also be
seen in all directions clinging to the
wreckage. These were picked up by the
Cromartyshire as fast as possible.
Nearly all the first-class passengers
were lost, those saved being mostly
from the steerage and sailors.
Later the steamer Grecian came along
and after some of the passengers were
transhipped, proceeded to tow the Gro
martyshire to Halifax,
The scenes enacted on board La Bour-
gogne just after the collision were ter
rible to witness. Men fought for posi-
tons in the boats like raving maniacs,
women were forced back and trampled
on by the human beasts.
On board were large number of
Italians and other foreigners, who care
little for human life These fiends
stopped at nothing. In one boat was
party of 40 women, but so great was
the panic that not hand was raised to
assist in her launching. The occupants
so near salvation were drowned like
rats.
So desperate was the situation that
an Italian passenger drew his knife
and made thrust at one who, like
himself, was endeayoring to reach the
boats Immediately the action was imi-
lated in every direction. Knives were
] fionrished with deadly effect Women