The Saint Paul globe., 1898-07-07
TERRIBLE SCENES.

TERRIBLE SCENES.
Men Fought for Safety Like wild
BeHsts.
HALIFAX, N. S., July 6.-Some of
the scenes enacted on board La Bour-
gegne just after the collision were ter
rihle to witness. Men fought for posi-
tlons In the boats like raving maniacs:
women were forced back from the
boats and trampled by men who made
self-preservation their first object. On
board were large number of the low
er class or Italians and other foreign
ers, who, in their frenzy, stopped at
nothing that promised safety for
themselves. In boat was a party
OF forty women, but SO great was the
panic not hand was raised to as
sist in its launching The occupants.
SO near saved, were drowned like rats
when the ship with an awful kissing
sound, went down. So desperate was
the situation that an Italian passen-
ger drew his knife and made direct at
one who, like himself, was endeayor-
ing to reach the boats. Immediately
his action was initiated in every di-
rection. Knives were flourished and
used with effect. Women and chill
"SiC uilNSu Dack TO inevitable
death at the point Of weapons, the
owners of which were experts in their
uSe According to stories of suryiv
ors, women were stabbed like so many
sheep.
The scene on the water was even
worse. Many Of the unfortunates who
were struggling in the water attempt
ed TO drag themselves in the boat or
on RATS. These were pushed back into
watery grave. Here, too, knives
were used freely. Not all of the dead
met death by drowning CHRISTOPHER
Brunon saw sailor belonging to the
Bourgogne strike passenger over the
mead with a bar and kill him. The
body dropped into the water. The
passenger grabbed the boat in which
the sailor was and attempted to get
on board.
There were ia persons on board
and 16S were saved. With the excep-
ton OF two passengers, Prof Lacase
and his wife, all the passengers of the
Bourgogne are aboard the steamer
Grecian at the Cunard wharf. The
crew are also on board that boat.
The Grecian is expected to sail for
New York this evening All the crew
are collected by themselves in the for
ward part of the deck and are any
thing but pleasing looking. The Of
hcer of the gangway looked at them
with scowl and said if he had his
way they would all have been hanged
to the yardarm long ago.
The correspondent interviewed near
1y all the passengers who could speak
English. One passenger said the Of
GERS and crew of La Bourgogne neg
lected the passengers entirely.
ONLY ONE MAN.
The second officer was the only man
Of fto rryh0
the terrified and helpless passengers.
He cut loose all the boats he could
and, in fact, all the boats that were
launched were launched by the brave
second officer. He was last seen stand
ing on the deck with his hand ON
the rigging, going resignedly to GER
tain death.
Christopher Brunini a passenger was
thrown into the water and swan for
four hours before he found boat He
clung to this as his last hope After
some time another man got hold Of
the same boat, and together they man
aged to right it. Under the seats they
found the dead bodies of four men and
three women, who had evidently been
drowned by the capsiZing Of the boat.
Brun1ni said the crew was cruel in
their conduct towards the passengers
He was unable to get into the steam
er's boats when he came on deck, be-
ing showed away by the sailors. He
saw many of his friends being pre-
vented from getting into the boats by
the sailors. He lost everything but
what he stood In.
NJ Helm Secondo, an Italian steer
age passenger, is among the saved.
When he got on deck he found a raft
with five men on it. The raft, how
ever, was tied and chained fast to the
deck and no sailors were near to let it
loose. None Of the five men had knives
The ship sank rapidly and they were
all precipitated into the water He
was in the water twenty minutes and
all the others were sinking before his
eyes. He came across a boat which he
tried to get into. He eventually sue
ceeded, but not before a desperate fight
with her crew. He was battered with
oars and showed with boat hooks. He
managed to seize an oar, however, and
pulled himself to the boat and climbed
in.
THROWN INTO THE WATER.
Oscar Purge was eager to give the
United States consul an account of his
experience. He was in the water about
half an hour and attempted to get into
boat. He was seized when he man
| aged to get half in and thrown back
| into the water. Again he tried to en-
ter the boat, but tic savages who
| manned 1t were determined to keep
| him out. He managed at last to get
IN and to stay in. Clinging to the life
| line Of boat not far away he saw
his mother, and as if his trials were
not enough, he was forced to watch a
man shove her into the ocean with an
| oar. She never rose. He said the man
was saved and was almost sure he
could recognize him. ss.s-sEssslss.nr,asss
Fred Ntfler, a Frenchman, was the
most jovial and contented of all the
passengers. He lost his money and all
his clothes, with the exception of a
shirt and pair of pants, but he laugh
| ed, and now and again cursed the
French sailors with much earnestness.
Niff1er got into life boat with some
others and remained there until he
reached the water, when he thought 1t
| was time to leave. None of the sailors
ever attempted to let the boat loose.
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