New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-08
SURTTTORS START FOR NEW YORK,
STORIES OF DESPERATE STRUGGLES FOR
LIFE WITH THE SAILORS

LIFE WITH THE SAILORS
Halifax. y S. July THE Bourgogne dis
aster with rs terrible accompaniment 81 whole
sale loss OF life continues - be the talk ~ this
city All tho survivors have departed FOR New
York The entire company. with the exception
of Mr.. and Ms Ia Case. left Halifax by
steamer for Boston The two mentioned left by
train this morning
Tho big ship Cromartyshlre. which is at
anchor In the stream. Is the centre ~ ettrac-
ton Hundreds e boats loaded with occupants
surround tho ship Many - them arc content
with viewing tn damaged ship from the out
side hut many ~ tho curious ones 20 on board
and inspec, tho inside. \ survey o., the damage
began this morning The hull VIII be put in
good condition before the vessel leaves port. 40
claim for salvage has vet been made on behalf
Of tho Allan liner Grccian there is no pos
sihility or tho damaged vessel leaving the port
for some days yet
The claimants VIII doubtless take their time
I'm the matter and tho claim may be eventually
settled on the other side ~ the Atlantic. Crowds
assembled On me wharf from which the Halt
fax sailed last night 10 have look at those
who escaped tho fate Of 30 many ~ their fel
low passengers Never has there been greater
excitement I'm this city a great calamity.
The people appear to he daz"f by the appalling
scope Of the trae edy. It's rovolting details were
read with horror on all sides
A remarkabl" Coincidence Hes in the fact that
the passengers Of two ships OF the same line
should be brought to Halifax within few
months La Champagne toHcd here
under circumstances which FOR many days
caused great anxiety on both sides Of the At
lantlc. Hundreds 81 lives were endangered on
that occasion. In this hundreds We're lost.
OUR SKINS FIRST" THE SAILORS CRIED
oswald Krmer. second cabin passenger.
vernes the story told yesterday By Charles
Liobre Of his desperate fight for NE. when
sailor on raft struck him repeatedly with an
oar as he tried 10 get on the raft. Kirmer was
on tho same raft Both men say the boats could
have been put out. the steamer remained on
an even keel FOR fully twenty-five" minutes be
fore she carcenci After the collision she kept
her course for about hftecn minutes before
the engines were stopped No attempt was
made TO save the women and children. and
those who did try to save themselves were
either knocked down or thrown away from the
boats our skins FIRST. To - with the pas
sengers" was the genera! exclamation OF tho
sailors.
Quartcrmaster Peti0t Jean. Of the steamer.
did heroic work in saving the lives Of those
on the raf;A After getting TO the Cromarty-
shire he returned with the boat and took
twenty eight off the RATS and placed them
safely on the ship. Carl Casella was Storage
passenger and had "A wife and three children.
Now he is alo1e in the world. He says he tried
hard TO get his family into one OF the boats.
but tho sailors pushed him away. The next
thing he knew was that he was in the water.
and was being carried down. He went down
about ten or fifteen feet before coming TO the
tn got Inf q
saw nothing more Of his wife and little ones.
MRS LIZ CAssE's THRILLING STORY.
Mr. \ D. lie Case the only woman who
escaped out Of nearly two hundred. is deeply
affected by the thrilling experience through
which she passed She IL n bright, Intelligent
woman. and she bears her misfortune bravely.
Her husband is teacher Of languages from
Plainneld y j.. and they were their way to
spend a vacation in France She and her hus-
band lost their money and all their clothes.
and they were In sad straits until clothed by
the Kind hearted Mrs. Henderson. wife of the
captain Of the Cromartyshirc. Tearfully she
told tonight Of her dramatic escape from the
wreck. when the ship sank my husband and
sank In the water with her" said Mrs lie
Case We managed to get into boat. but
,here were no oars in IT. and shortly after
vard the boat capsized. | was sinking when
my husband caught hold Of me and kept me
a1oat Then we got on n raft. on which we
STAYED for about eight hours The raft was
one built TO hold only about eight people but
fully twenty persons were on 1t. causing II to
sink under water. The raft sank more than
foot. and we were In the water up to our
knees After floating around for some time we
nicked I'd two oars. and thus managed to pad
die around AT that time we could not see any
ship. but finally. after being eight hours on the |
raft. we saw the Cromartyshre and were hnaly |
rescued.
"Out NJ over two hundred women and chiidren |
am the only woman saved. All the children. |
numbering about fifty. were lost. Several OF |
these were babies. La Bourgogne sank WITHIN |
half an hour after the collision In one noat' |
short distance from the rah on which WIS.,
there must have been nearly iorV "o"sn' !