Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-07-11
CREWS SIDE IS HEARD
As to Whether the Sailors on La
Bourgogne Did Their
Duty or Not.
SEEMS ANOTHER SORT OF STORY.

oG Austrian Sailors Consul Bruwaer:',
statement-Some Cases of Sea Peril in
Which Courage and Goodness Prevented
Two Terrible Tragedies.
New York, July 11.-Consul General
Bruwaert, representing the Feneh gov
ernment, has told the story of the
wreck of La Bourgogne as he got it
from the surviving members of the
crew in their depositions. According to
the sailors report, after the collision
the passengers were panic-stricken and
unmanaseable. The seamen went to
their boats and made ready for launch
ing. Only two starboard boats es-
capped damage in the collision and one
OF these was wrecked by the falling of
the funnel The second boat was sue
cessfully launched. The port boats, the
sailors claimed, were swung against the
cabin because of the list to starboard
and the. passengers crowded into them.
refusing to leave so the crew could get
them into the water The only one of
these boats launched was the one Sc
cured by the Ausirians.
AUstrians Were the Savaces,
Twenty Austrian sailors from the
Steerage seized boat No IL There was
room for fifty in the boat. but passen-
gers and crew were fought Off by the
men in it. They answered the order of
ships officer, who drew his revolver
and ordered them out, that they were
passengers and had as much right in
= lo
knives and stabbed at the sailors The
crew left their boat alone. not even
cutting it loose, hut the men knew how
to manage it. and launched it safely.
Passengers in the water tried to get
aboard, but were pushed off The en-
gineers below stayed until the first en-
gineer told them to fly for their lives.
He himself was lost. They climbed in
single file Np the iron ladders to the
midship house.
Would Not Even Help Save Life,
When the boat with the Austrians
got to the Cromartyshire the captain of
the latter asked for volunteers to take
it back for the work of rescue. The Aus
trians refused saying they were pas
sengers and should not be called on for
work. A volunteer crew from the
Cromartyshire then set out and con-
tinusd the search. The boats manned
by the crew Of La Bourgogne and
the English ship circled round about
| where the big ship had sunk. pick
ing up survivors. The Frenchconsulsaid
the sailors swpre that the compart-
ment doors wer, closed. The consul says
he made the investigation carefully, and
the stories Of the men agree and were
| told frankly.
Company Responsible for Damages.
Washington, July lin commenting
| upon the question of the liability of the
| French liner La BourSo2ne for the loss
| OF life in the collision Of July T. a COM
| petent legcl authority here said: From
thedescriptions thus far published it
appears that La Bourgogne violated
| rule sixteen of the international rules.
| which requires a vessel in fog go at a
| moderate rate Of speed, constantly
| sounding her fog horn whether other
| vessels are heard in the vicinity or not
She is reported to have been going
| ahead at II knots, though our courts
| held in the case of La Normandie that
| 10 knots was excessive. But rule sixteen
| goes even further. providing that a
| steam vessel leaving apparently
| forward Of her beam the fog
| signal of a vessel the position of
| which is not ascertained shall. so far
as the circumstances admit. stop heren-
| gines altogether. She may then navi-
gate with caution until the danger OF
| collision is ever"