Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1898-07-15
SIX HUNDRED DEAD.
LcA5 OF LA BouRGoGNE A MOST
APPALLING CATASTROPHE.

&c IS OF LA 6oURGoGNE A MOST
| APPALLING CATASTROPHE.
| Vessel Sank IN Half an Hour, sIa Eun-
| dred Go,us tn the uottom-cr.w
Fought Like Dsmous-fists aud Evsn
kaives Used to Keep Possession Of the
L feboats-oAiy One Of the Two Hun.
/! dred Women ON Hoard Was saved.
HALIFAX, N. s., July Tin one Of
the thick fogs which at this time Of the
year hang over the Grand Banks and
Sable island in tho North Atlantic, oc.
Cured in the early morning Of July 4.
one Of the most appalling water acci.
dents in the annals Of Atlantic com.
merce. and in fact in the history Of
steam sailing Of the world.
I Without . :. noment,s, ,ys notics, the
French liner La Bourgogne. with 759
persons on board. was run down BY the
iron sailing ship Cromartyshire aud
sank within half an hour. carrying
with her to the bottom over 600 of her
passengers and crew. while the balance
who were not drawn down by tho fear.
full suction struggled and fought for
life until 1863 were at length rescued by
the crew Of the Cromarty shire. which
ship survived the collision.
Tho disaster occurred at o'clock in
the morning OF Monday, July =, 90
miles south Of Sable island. which lies
100 miles from this port The Bour.
eo2ne had loft New York bound for
Havre on the previous Saturday, whilo
the Cromartys shire was on her way
from Glasgow with crow of III mon.
All OF the transatlantic steamers
have definite course, but the Bour.
gogne was by oil accounts 40 miles or
more to tho north Of these lines. Tho
fog was very dense aud the Cromarty.
shire was sailing along with reduced
canvas and blowing the foghorn. Sud.
denly out Of the fog rushed great
steamer and in q moment there was q
fearful crash. tho iron PROV Of the ship
plunging into the port side of tho
steamer just under the bridge. The
shock was terrific and
Tore a Tremendous Hole
in the steamer, while the whole bow.
spirit was demolished. The steamer
ploughed on into tho fog again, her
whistle crying for help and her rockets
signalling her distress. Tho Or omarty.
shire was rounded to aud hor master,
Captain Henderson, was considerably
relieved in finding she was in no dan.
ger of sinking. or to tho eastward
could be heard the hoarse call of tho
steamer and as the fog began to lift oil
the boats Of tho ship were launched.
Half an hour after the collision tho
misty curtain went up, giving q clear
view for miles, and then it was those
on the Cromartyshire realised the fear.
ful struggle for life. On board the
Bourgogno the collision had come 20
suddenly and at such an early hour
that few besides her crew were on
deck, but the
Shook Reused Everybody
and in few minutes her decks were
crowded. At first thore seems to have
been some attempt at discipline. A
few Of tho boats were swung of and a
few OF the passengers wero allowed to
get into them, but as the steamer bo.
gan to settle and list to port the officers
lost control Of tho crew aud q panic
followed. Passengers and crow fought
for the boats and life RATS. The strong
battered down the weak. tho women
and children being pushed far away
from any hope OF rescue. Fists. oars
and even knives wero used by some of
the demons to keep their places. Tho
officers seem to have been powerless
before their own men and only four
were saved. The fight for lifo on tho
decks Of the steamer did not last long,
for in a little more than half all hour
she gavo long lurch to port and went
down. As tho ship
Sank Beneath the SurEnos
the vortex Of waters sucked down ev.
erything on the surface within cor.
tain radius. When tho suction ceased
those still above saw about rs bodies
come out OF tho water with rush, a.
il tho sea were giving up tho dead
after having swallowed the ship. But
tho struggle for life still continued
after the ship went down. Hundreds
still foated about, grasping for boats,
ropes and wreckags in q frantic on.
deavor for lifo. Even then the crew
kept up their brutality by beating OF
those who attempted to climb on board.
BY this time the small boats OF the
Cromartyshire came up and the work
Of rescue began. Later the steamer
Grecian was sighted coming from the
westward and few minutes afterward
tho Cromartyshire was taken in tow
and brought to this port.
Only One Woman savsj.
Professor La Case and wife Of New
York were among the saved on the
Bourgogne. the latter being the only
woman Of the 200 on board to escape.
Mrs. La Case was reused by her
husband, who was on deck at the time
Of the collision. She threw about her
the FIRST article of clothing she could
secure and reached the deck of the list
ing steamship to find herself one of the
many frantic and half dressed people
who congregated about the boat. She