The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-07-07

towarus as. one proven 10 De the Gre
clan, bound from Glasgow to New
YORK. The captain agreed to take the
passengers on board and also agreed t,
tow my ship 10 Halifax. Owing TO tn,
condition of my ship, accepted til.
offer and proceeded at once to trans
ship the passengers and get ready oul
tow line. AT 6p. m. we had made 9
connection and proceeded in tow of the
Grecian toward Halifax, having put 9
sail over the broken bow to take par
nf .ha strain Oh the collision bulkhead.
Ihere was at rnaS tlme Ia Feet or water
In the forepeak.
Story Of the Captains Wife.
Mrs. Henderson, wife Of the captain,
was on board the Cromartyshire and
told her story of the terrible disaster.
The weather was foggy and she had
| risen from her bunk at an early hour.
Shortly before the vessels came to.
gether she detected a steamers whistle
blowing on the port side. The Gro.
martyshire was sounding her fog horn
1t intervals of one minute.
Mrs Henderson called the atten.
ton of her husband to the sound
ing OF the whistle, and minute later
the mate who was on watch also de.
tected the sound. 1t came nearer and
nearer, and Mrs Henderson stood near
the cabin, III order to rescue her
children should disaster occur. Sud.
denly the huge hull of AN ocean steamer
Ioomed mp III the mist, going about II
knots an hour. Almost Immediately
There Was a Fearful Crash
and Mrs. Henderson rushed below and
found her children awakened by the
shock. She dressed eie little ones as
quickly IS possible, aud removed them
to the boat, expecting their own ship
to go down at any time. Captain Hen.
derson, a soon as the collision occurred,
ordered rh'- b ,ats TO be lowered and
the damage to be ascertained. As it
was found that the Cromartyshire
was in no immediate danger the Brit
isher pat about. The vessel with which
they had collided was at that time
unknown. A few minutes later her
whistle was heard and sew eral rockets
were sent mp. Captain Henderson re-
p led in like manner, shrinking the
st amer was offering assistance, but in
B few minutes ali was quiet and those
on board began to realize the awful re-
suits Ut the collision. At $50 the fog
lifted and two boats were seen ap-
proaching with only men on board.
Later the weather cleared still more,
and men were to be seen in every direc-
ton clinging to wreckage and floating
on life RATS:
No Pen Can Describe It.
No pen can describe the terrible sight
revealed TO the onlookers when the
curtain of mist was lifted. The work
OF rescue was commenced without
moments delay and over 300 persons
were picked up and taken on board the
ship. Mrs. Henderson, who had ample
opportunity of interviewing those who
were rescued expressed her belief from |
what she heard that there had been no |
effort to save the women. There were |
many foreigners on board who fought |
for places in the boats. 1t was fully 10 |
minutes to quarter of an hour before |
La Bourgogne went down, and during
that time there was ample opportunity
offered to rescue OF least some Of the !
and children. As it was only
,ne woman, Mrs. La Case, was saved. |
She has been on board ever since. She
s the wife of A. d. La Case, a teacher
'f languages. of Piainville, N. j.
Nearly All Cabin Passengers Lost.
The crew Of the Cromartyshire com.
nent freely upon the fact that only
me woman Was saved out of 800.
Nearly all the first class passengers
we're lost, those saved being steerage
md sailors. La Case and his wife
we're in the water two hours clinging
o raft, before they were picked up
" a boat from the Cromartyshire.
)ne passenger was going home to
france with his two children, his wife
laving died a month previously. He
vas saved, but his two babies went
own with the ship. Mrs. La Case
avs the officers bravely stayed by their
osts. going down with the ship. The
My officer saved was the purser. He
'ent down, but being a strong swim
Ter, managed to save himself. When
ne ship struck, they were off Cape
able. The passengers, with the sole !.
kception of Professor La Casse, were !,
Glow decks. Without warning came
,e terrible shock La Case rushed in
aste to his statero0m on the deck and
OF his wife out OF bed and partly : :
ressed. They FASTENED on. deck, {.
lly to be precipitated into the
ater. They were not long in the
ater, however. when they found a !.
,rtly submerged RAFT upon which La
asse lifted his unconscious wife and. :
ung to it himself. Some of she boats,
. Case says, capsizsd, and all on
ard were drowned. The struggling,
Wishing waters and the terrible =
reams of the drowning made the
enc an awe-inspiring one, never TO
forgotten. One man ON the La =
,nrgogne when she sank went ont OF .
his mind. and jumped to watery !.
ave. On the morning OF the collision 9
lptain Henderson was on the poop
th his third mate. Sailor Haley was
lookout and First Officer Kllman was
70 on the foredeck. The Cromarty.i =
ire was making about fiye knots an
mr. with several sails sec and taking !
all the time. Not sound was in
ard until the lookout, Haley. saw . n
ge steamer half ships length ahead d,
the port bow. In an instant the
s.~s Il =