The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-07-07
weapons. the owners Of which wers
experts in their use. According to the
stortos Of survivors. women were stab.
bed like so many sheep.
Awful Scenes on the Water.

experts IN their use. According to thu
storios of survivors. women were stab.
bed like so many sheep.
Awful Scenes on tho Water.
The scene on the water was even
worse. Many of the unfortunates who
were struggling in the water attempted
to draw themselves into the boats OF
on RATS. These were pushed back into
q watery grave. Here. too. knives
were used freely. Not all Of the dead
met death by drowning. Christopher
Brunon saw a sailor belonging to the
Bourgogne strike a passenger over ,the
head with bar and kill him. The
body dropped into the water. The pas
sengcr grabbed the boat In which the
sailor was. and attempted to get on
board.
The correspondent interviewed nearly
all the passengers who could speak
English One passenger said the Of
ficers and crew of the La Bourgogne
neglected the passengers entirely. The
second officer was the only man of the
crew who did anything to help the ter
rified 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 standing on
the deck, with his hand on the rigging,
going resignedly to certain death.
Christopher Brunini. passenger
Was thrown into the water and swan
for two hours before he found boat.
He clung to this as his last hope. At
ter some time another man got hold
Of the same boat. and together they
managed to right 1t. 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. Brunini said The crew were
cruel In their conduct toward the pas
sengers. He was unable to get into the
steamers boats when he came on
deck, being showed away by the sail
ors. He saw many of his friends be-
Ing prevented from getting into the
boats by the sailors. He lost every
thing but what he stood in.
Mehlini SecOndo, an Italian stcerage
passenger. is among the saved. When
he got on deck he found raft with
five men on 1t. The raft, however,
was tied and chained fast to the deck,
and no sailors were near to let 1t 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 20 minutes and alone. the
other five sinking before his eyes. He
came across a boat. which he tried to
get into. He eventually succeeded. but
not before a desperate fight with the
crew. He was battered with the oars
end showed away with boat hooks.
Pourgi's Fight For Life.
August Pourgi was in the water half
an hour and attempted to get into a
boat. He was seized when lie man.
aged to get half in and thrown back
into the water. Again he tried to enter
the boat, but the inhuman savages who
manned It 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 deep into the ocean with an
oar. She never rose. He said the man
can recognize him. though he does not
know the mans name.
Fred Niffler. a Swiss. lost all his
money and clothes with the exception
of pair Of pants and shirt. He said
he got into a lfeboat with some Others
and remained there until he reached
the water. when he thought it was time
to leave. None Of the sailors attempted
to let the boat loose. He swan for
long time before he was picked up.
He saw an Englishman attempt to get
into boat, but the men in the boat,
who were sailors of the Bourgogne, hit
him over the head with the butt of
an oar. He fell back and sank out Of
sight &
Charles Liebra. q Frenchman, ex-
pressed himself as thoroughly ashamed
Of his countrymen's conduct This man
Is one Of the most unfortunate. He had
two motherless boys, 6 and years old,
with him. He put them in boat. but
was prevented from entering 1t himself.
He could not get In boat, and went
down with the ship. When he came to
the surface he at once looked for the
boat with his boys. They were no.
where to be seen. and he mourns them
as lost. He floated long time before
a boat came along. He tried to get
in. but was assailed with oars and
boat hooks. Mr.. Liebra showed your
correspondent his arms and body. His
arms are black and blue and his body
is terribly bruised from the blows he
received. After this boat went off he
was in the water for eight hours.
Charles Duttweiler. German, got
In a boat which was tied fast to the
ship and stayed in 1t until he saw 1t
was certain death to remain any
longer. He jumped, but was carried
down by the whirlpool made by the
sinking steamer. He was in the water
half an hour. when boat came within
reach and he attempted to enter it,
but the wretchcs in it showed him off
with boat hooks. His left eye is badly
cut by the iabs he received. He saw
showed away from boats with
oars and boat hooks when clinging for
dear life to the life lines of the RATS
and lfeboats. He also says the crew
assa ulted many passengers with any
Implement that came handy. and IL no
was to be had punched the
men and women, helpless In the water,
with their fists.
An Indignant wilmingtonian.
Patrick McKeown is an intelligent |
young Irishman from Wilmington, Del. |
He is justly indignant at The brutal |
crew. He was on his way to Paris to |
turn out leather for firm there. He |
was more fortunate than most of his |
fellow passengers, and got on raft |
when the Bourgogne was sinking. He |
said one of the worst sights he ever
saw was the murder Of an American
with whom he had become acquainted
IN board the steamer. This man.
whose name he cannot recall, was from
Philadelphia, whera he has wife and
family. The PhilaielrhIan was try
ng to get on raft not far distant from
he one Mckeown was on. A French
sailor grabbed half an oar and struck
1im three times over the forehead. The
murdered man was on his way to Paris
20 see his sister. From Paris he In
ended to go to Ireland to see his father
Ind mother.
One Of the most important witnesses
will be John Burgi who got into a
ooat with his aged mother before the
'hip sank. The sailors in the boat held
him and threw his poor old mother into
he water to meet a watery grave. The