The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-07-08
A SEA DISASTER.
Tremendous Loss of Life by Sinking OF
a French Steamer Off Sable Island.
Women and Children Had No Show for
Their LiVes-Men Fought Like Wild
Beasts for Places in the Life
BOats-A Sad Story.

Dor early Wednesday with her bow
stove in and partly dismasted. She
had been in collision with the French
steamer La Bourgogne off Sable island.
The latter sank with 725 people Two
hundred were. saved
La Bourgogne sailed from New York
July for Havre. A large number OF
her passengers were Americans
Only one woman survivor is among
the saved. The only officers saved
were the purser and three engineers.
Thirty men belonging to the crew
were also picked up. The remainder
of the 200 saved are passengers.
The collision occurred at 4 o'clock
in the morning of July 4. A heavy
fog prevailed and the crash came al
most without warning. Most of the
passengers were in the 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. D.
Lacasse, of Plainvllle, n. j. She was
picked up by her husband and placed
on a life raft. She chung to the raft
until picked up. Another woman was
with her, but was washed off the taft
by the seas and drowned
Capt. De L'Once stood ON the bridge
of his ship as she went down. He re-
fused to leave the vessel and per-
ished
The captain of the Cromartyshire
said: when my ship was 90 miles off
South Sable Island she was on the port
tack heading west by northwest under
reduced canvas, going four or five
knots an hour. The foghorn was kept
continuously blowing.
shortly after a. m. / heard
steamers whistle on our weather bow,
which seemed to be nearing us very
fast. 1 blew our horn and was an
swered by the steamers whistle.
Suddenly a steamer doomed up
through the fog on our port bow and
crashed into us. going ut terrible speed.
Our foremost and main topgallant
mast were carried away. 1 immedi-
ately ordered the boats out and went
to examine the damage. l found that
our bow had been completely cut off
and the plates twisted into every con-
ceivable shape. Some of the men saved
from the French ship say that our ship
struck them amidships, making a ter
rife rent in her side. The steamer ca
reened over and went down sideways.
There was scarcely an instant left
to escape from the fearful vortex,
which sucked down the trembling peo-
pie who managed to gain the deck.
Nearly all the pass engers were in their
night robes. With wild, despairing
shrieks and screams they clutched
vainly at the life belts to save them
selves from the awful deep.
The scene enacted on board La BOur-
gogne just after the collision was ter
rible to witness. Men fought for po-
sitions in the boats like raving mani
acs; men were forced back and tram
pied upon by the human beasts, who
invoked the first law of nature and
made self-preservation their first OBJ
ject. On board were a large
number of Italians and other
foreigners, who cared little for
human life. These fends 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 occu-
pants so near safety were drowned like
rats, when the ship, with an awful
kissing sound, went down with hun
uation that a passenger drew his
knife and made a thrust at one who.
like himself was endeavoring to reach
the boats. Immediately the action
was initiated in every direction.
Knives were f1ouriShed with deadly eff
feet Women and children were driv-
en- back to an inevitable death at the
points of weapons, the owners of which
were experts in their use.
The following is the number of per-
sons on board: Crew, go; passengers,
first cabin, 50; second cabin, 1875; steer
age. 295; total, 725; saved, 200; lost,
SO.
Sable Island, off the Nova Scotian
coast, where the wreck occurred is a
veritable ships graveyard. Many
wrecks and collisions have occurred
near its fog-bound shores. La Bour-
gogne was commanded by Capt. De
L'Once, an experienced navigator.
WASHINGTON, July Mr.. and Mrs.
Anthony Pollock, of this city, were on
La Bourgogne. Mr.. Pollock is the
senior member of the firm of Pollock
& Mauro, and is q man of large means.
They had planned to remain abroad
three months.
DENVER, Col, July 7.-Bourgogne
carried one passenger from Denver, a
woman-Miss Marie Picoc.
I'll II 70 n