Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-07-13

Was Rescued.
Six hundred persons lost their lives the
morning of July as the result of a col
lision between La Bourgogne and the
British ship Cromartyshire, and the
French liner lies at the bottom of the sea.
great hole in her side The ships met
in Il dense fog sixty miles south of Sable
Island. 1t was o'clock in the morning
and the feeble rays of the newly risen sun
were unable to even partially penetrate
the thick white mist that covered the
ocean like a garment. The Cromartyshire
was towed into Halifax by the Allan line
steamer Grecian. \ ragged wound in her
bow and the absence of two of her me- SITS
showed the violence of the impact with
the sunkcn vessel.
There We're on board la Bourgognc 19l
first cabin passengers, 125 second cabin
and 295 third class passengers Tor steer
age), making total of GIL passengers,
in, n,addition TO which there were 40 in the
crew. making grand total of S31 souls
on board. The only woman saved out OF
300 women on board was Mrs La Casse,
wife of a professor of languages of Plain
field. n. j. Among those saved were the
purser, three engineers and thirty of the
crew which manned the uckless liner.
All the other officers of the ship were
drowned. The Cromartyshirc's crew got
terrible fright, but none was lost. Great
service was done by those aboard in saw
ing the remnant of the passengers and
crew of La Bourgogne.
La Bourgognc is one of the best known
of all the French liners. She belonged 10
the Compagnie Gensrale Transatlantique
and has carried thousands of persons TO
Europe and back without serious mis-
hap. She left New York Saturday, July
3, bound for IIavge.
Shortly before the vessels came together
Mrs. Henderson, wife of the Cromarty-
shire's captain, detected steamers whis-
tie blowing on the port side. The Crom-
artyshirc was sounding her foghorn at in
tervals of or" minute. Mrs. Henderson
called the attention Of her husband to the
sounding Of the whistle and minute
| later the mate, who was on watch, also
detected the sound. 1t came neaser and
nearer. Suddenly the huge hull of an
| ocean .tcamc. loomed up in the mist, GO
almos; j .intely there was fearful
crash.
| Capt. henderson, as soon as the collision
occurred. ordered the boats TO be lowered
and the damage to be ascertaincd. AS it
was found that the Cromartyshire was in
~ immediate danger the Britishcr put
| abont. The vessel with which they had
collided was Mt that time unknown. A
| I,,.
and several rockets were sent up. Capt.
Henderson replied in like manner, think
| ing the steamer was Offering assistance,
but in few minutes all was quiet and
those on board began to realize the awful
results of the collision.
AT $3.50 the fog lifted and two boats
were seen approaching with only men on
board. Later the weather cleared still
more and men were to be seen in every
direction clinging to wreckaao and float
| lag on life rafts 1t was terrible scene.
| No pen can picture the appalling sight re-
vcaled to the 0nookers when the curtain
of mist arose The work of rescue was
| commenced without n moments delay and
over 200 persons were picked up and taken
aboard the ship.
When the ships struck they were off
| Cape Sable. The passengers, with the
sole exception of Prof In Casse. were
below decks. Without warning came the
| terrible shock. The struggles, swisning
water and terrible screams of the drown.
| ing made the situation an awe-nspiring
one, never to be forgotten. One man on
| the La Bourgogne when she sunk went
out of his mind and jumped to Il watery
grave. Capt. Nunan, in command Of the
/
courage the Cromartyshire owed its CON
| duct to a place Of safety, declares that
| La Bourgogne vas less than five minutes
from the time Of the collision in going to
! the bottom.
1T was the most appalling and most
sudden catastrophe it was ever my mis-
| fortune TO with; 49," said Capt. IEcnder-
son, Of the Cromartyshre. There was
a crash. the sound Of which was indcscrb-
| able. composed as it was of the rendng
apart of the stout oaken ribs Of the
| French ship and the swapping asunder of
her iron bolts. Many leaped overheard
| Immediately after the meeting of The YES
| sells, but our men were not among the
number Of those who lost their heads La
Bourgogne turned slowly around two or
| three times, then seemed 10 go under with
| the rapdity of a stone dropping into n
| pool of water. We were in some danger
from the whirlpool which followed the
| disappearance Of the transatlantic steam
er. but managed to get out of reach of the
vortex in time. 1t, however, engulfed
scores IF shreking human beings. whom
we could hardly see for the density of the
| fog. but whose cries of terror we csuld
plainly hear"