Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-07-07

ward could be heard the hoarse call OF the
steamer. and as the fog began to lift all
the boats on the ship. were launched. Half
an hour after the collision the misty cur
tain went up, giving clear view for miles,
and then il was that those on the Gro
martyshire realized the fearful struggle for
life.
On board the Bourgogne the collision had
come SO suddenly and at such a time in the
morning that few besides her crew were
on deck. but the shock reused nearly every
one and within 4 few minutes the decks
were crowded AT first it seemed as II
there was some attempt at discipline. a
few of the boats We're swung Off and some
of the passengers allowed TO get into them
But as the steamer began to settle and list
10 port, the officers lost control of the crew
and panic ensued. Passengers and crew
fought for the boats and liferafts.
The strong battered down the weak, the
women and children being pushed far away
from any hope OF rescue. Fists. oars and
even knives We're used by some of the
demons TO keep their places. The officers
seemed to have been powerless over their
own men and only four were saved. The
fight for life on the decks of the steamer
did not last long. for in little more than
half an hour she gave a long lurch 10 port
and went down.
As the ship sank beneath the surface, the
vortex of the waters sucked down every
thing on the surface within a certain radi-
us. When the suction ceased. those still
alive saw about 200 bodies come out of The
water With a rush, as il the sea We're
giving up the dead after having swallowed
the ship.
But the struggle for life still continued
after the ship went down. Hundreds still
wreckage in frantic endeavor TO keep above
wateR. Even then many of those in the
boats. IL the stories told are to be believed
showed their brutality by beating off those
who attempted to climb ABOARD.
BY this time the small boats of the
Cromartyshire had come up and the work
of rescue began. The crew of the ship
worked heroically and saved everyone who
had managed to keep above water. but
even then scores tell away from boats.
RATS and wreckage. exhausted and were
drowned. 1t was all over in an hour. al
though for some time after great pieces OF
wreckage came shooting up from the bot
tom, marking the spot where the great
liner had gone down. But little attempt
was made 10 recover the bodies of any of
the Inflated passengers or crew, and the
battered hulk at the bottom of the ocean
will probably be their tomb.
In the afternoon the steamer Grecian
was sighted coming from the westward.
shire was in tow and arrived here this
morning.
Mr.. Lacasse, OF Plainfeld. n. J., is the
only man OF the saloon and cabin pas
sengets who survives. while his wife is the
only woman of 900, not only OF the first sa-
loon CABIN, but of the whole ship, who es-
capped Mrs. Laeaeee was >roused from her
berth by her husband. who was on deck
at, the time, of the collision. She threw
about her the first articles of clothing she
could secure and reached the deck of the
listing steamship to find herself one Of
many frantic and half-dressed people who
coneregated about the boats.
She saw the captain of the steamer or
the bridge and some Of the officers at othe,
points. endeavoring to direct the effort.
of the crew TO launch the boats. There
was little response to the orders of thu
officers. The crew seemed paralyzed.
Matters were quiet and there was NJ
panic at first. Golden moments were slip
ping away and the decks were becoming
more and more crowded with frightened
people.
The steamer was listing sad settling. ant
then a wild fear seized on the throng ant
the people lost their reason.
Mrs ,LAcasse was separated from he
husband in the scramble and the steame
listed SO badly she slid down the declivit,
of the deck and into the. water. She hat
taken the precaution, at her husbands di
rection. to put on a life belt before Ieavin.
her stateroom and shortly after bein,
thrown into the sea she was seized by tn
arm and drawn upon the life raft. He
savior was her husband. A moment late
the i'll fated steamer disappeared and
whirlpool encircled the spot where tn
noble craft had been. Everybody aroun,
the vortex was drawn into it. The waite
rushed around, faster and faster and tn
unfortunates disappeared with despairin
cries
Mrs. Lacasse, had been on the edge O
the naeistrom, but something striking he
threw her outside the whirlpool and tn
next she knew she was on the life raft.
boat containing forty women was car
sized and all went down in the whirlpool
There was not one man In this boat and
was left fast TO the davits. Some of III
women were trying to cut the ropes whe
the steamer careened and ,capsized tn
boat
Mrs. Lacasse says a moment after III
steamer was engulfed. men, women an
children rose on every side of the whir
pool and the. sight of the faces and T.,
arms and the sound of the shrieks W.
so terrible that she will remember the,
10 her dying day.
Matte o. Surich. Norwegian. said 1t d
not appear 20 be anybods's duty to loo
after the launching of the boats. Those c
the port side were not touched by the ere,
People climbed into them, waiting for t,
boats to be launched, but in a short tin
The steamer listed so ap;3l,, q. ,,.o. ;.,a