The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-07-09
The Big Liner Goes to the Bottom
Within Short Space
of Time.
Tho Passengers and Crew Number TIA
Persons of Whom But los
Are Rescued.
Only One Woman Among the sur
vivors-Horribie brutality and
Cowardice OF the Crew.

Halifax. n. s.. July Tia Bourgogne.
with $40 persons lies In 1000 feet OF water
! 90 miles south OF Inflated Sable island
The Atlantic steamship. OF the Campagnie
Generate Transatlantque. was sunk at Ave
o'clock on the morning OF July Ain collision
with the British ship Cromartyshire. A
dense fog prevailed. The Cromartyshire
was moving at the rate or five knots an
hour. La Bourgogne at II knots an hour.
The latter sunk in about 10 minutes. or the
ia passengers and members OF the crew on
board La Bourgogne l65 were saved by the
Cromartyshire. which. though badly in
Jured and having IA feet of water I'm the
foresp eak. lay TO.
Only One woman Saved.
only one woman was saved from Ia
Bourgogne, Mrs. A. ID. la Case. OF Plain
field. N. j. In the first mad rush OF passen-
gers and crew after the collision the wom-
en- and children were forsaken Courage
was thrown TO the winds. Steerage pas
sengers and the crew fought their way past
the women and children and laid hold OF
whatever would sustain them in the sea
until aid came.
Fought for Their Lives.
Some OF the scenes enacted on board la
Bourgogne Just after the collision were
terrible to witness. Men fought for posi-
tlons IN the boats like raving maniacs
women were forced back from the boats
and tramplcd by men who made self-pres-
ervatlon their first object on board were
a large number OF the lower class or ltal-
fans and other foreigners. who, In their
frenzy, stopped at nothing that promised
safety for themselves. In one boat was
party or 40 women, but so great was the
panic that not a hand was raised to assist
in it's launching. The occupants. so nearly
saved, were drowned like rats when the
ship. with an awful kissing sound. went
Knives Used I'm Frenzy.
so desperate was the situation that an
italian passenger drew his knife and made
direct at one who like himself. was en-
deavoring To reach the boats. Immediately
his action was initiated I'm every direction.
Knives were fourished and used with ef-
feet Women and children were driven
back 10 inevitable death at the point OF
weapons, the owners OF which were ex-
perts I'm their use. According TO stories OF
survivors women were stabbed like so
many sheep.
The scene on the water was even worse
Many OF the unfortunates who were strug
Cling In the water attempted to drag them
selves into the boats or on RATS These
were pushed back into a watery grave.
Here, too, knives were used freely.
Not all OF the dead met death by drown
ing Christopher Brunini saw a sailor be-
longing to the La Bourgogne strike pas
senger over the head with bar and kill
him. The body dropped into the water.
The passenger grabbed the boat In which
the sailor was and attempted to get on
One Heroic Omccr.
One passenger said the officers and crew
OF La Bourgogne neglected the passen-
gers entirely. The second officer was the
only man OF the crew who aid anything 10
help the terrified 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 reslgnedly 10
Experience OF One Survivor.
One passenger who was saved said he
was thrown into the water and swan for
two hours before he found boat. He
ciung 10 this as his last hope. After some
time another man got hold OF the same
boat, and together they managed TO right
st. Under the seats they found the dead
bodies OF four men and three women, who
had evidently been drowned by the cap
sizing OF the boat He said the crew were
cruel I'm their conduct toward passengers.
He was unable to get In the steamers
boats when no came on deck. being showed
away by the sailors He saw many OF his
friends being prevented from getting into
the boats by the sailors.
August Pourgi was In the water about
half an hour and attempted TO get into n
boat lie was seized when he managed to
get half I'm and thrown back into the water.
Again he tried to enter IL. but the savages
who manned II were determined TO keep
him out He managed at last 10 get In
and stay I'm. Clinging 10 the life line OF n
boat not far away he saw his mother. and,
IA n hts trials were not enough, he was
forced TO watch a man shove her INTO the
ocean with an oar. She never rose. He
said the man was saved and was almost
sure he could recognize him.
Patrick McKeown ~ an intelligent young
Irishman from Wilmington. Del. He IN In
dignant at the brutal crew. He was more
fortunate than most OF his fellow pas
songers and got on n raft when the Bour-
gogne was sinking. One OF the worst sights
he said he ever saw was the murder OF an
American with whom he had become ac-
auainted on board the steamer. This man.
whose name he cannot recall, was from
Philadelphia, where he has wife and fam
iiy The Philndeiphian was trying to get
on n raft not far distant from the one Me-
Keown was on. French sailor grabbed
half an oar and beat him over the fore
head
dren, also said that he saw Ave women who
were evidently exhausted clinglng TO the
life line OF boat. The French sailors cut
the line and the women sank. He saw
women showed away from boats with oars
and boat hooks when clinging to the life
lines OF the RATS and lifeboats. He also
says the crew assaulted many passengers
with any implement that came handy. and
N no instrument was TO be had punched
the men aud women helpless IN the water
with their fists.
These evidences Of tho brutality and COW.
ardice OF the crew Of la BourgoEne are cor.
roborattd by many other survivors.
Results OF an Insane Panic.
The tale OF the insane panic that pre-
vailed IL hoid ia the enumeration Of th.