Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-07-13
A HORROR IN | N|D ]
Over Five Hundred Persons Perish
by the Sinking of the Steam
er La Bourgogne.
IN COLLISION WITH A SAILING VESSEL.
The Disaster Occurs Sixty Miles
of Sable .Island-The FassenS
and Crew Numbered TIA ferso''
of Whom Only 1865 Were Hescueo-
Story of the Wreck.


and Crew Numbered TIA Persona
of Whom Only 1865 Were Hescueo-
Story of the Wreck.
Halifax. N. S., July LA Bourgoehe.
With 549 persons, lies in LOCO feet or wafer
so villas south of Inflated Sable 1slano.
The Atlantic steamship, of the Campagme
Generate TransatlantiQue, was SUNK d. Nv
o clock on the morning OF July IN coll1sio
with the British ship Cronarlysnle
dense fog prevailed. The Cromartysnlie
was moving at the rate of five KNOTS an
hour. La Bourgogne at II knots an houi.
The latter sunk in about Is minutes VI tne
IA PASSENGERS and members OF the crew on
board La Bourgogne l65 were saVeu d NY M ~
which. though paoiy -
jured and having IA feet OF water III 'Ae
foresp eak, lay to.
only One Woman Saved.
Only one woman was saVeu iro'n 10
Bourgogne, Mrs. A. D. La Casse' OF ram
field, N. ]. In the first mad rush OF passen
gers and crew after the collision the Wom-
en- and children were forsaken. Courase
was thrown to the winds Steerage pas
sengers and the crew fought their way pas
the women and children and laid nolo VI
wha tever would sustain them IN the sea
until aid came.
Story of the Wreck.
The disaster occurred at five O'Clock IN
the morning Of Monday, July 4, ABOUT oo
miles south of Sable island, Wh1ch les
nearly a hundred miles off this port. Inc
Bourgogne had left New YORK oouno LOT
Havre on the previous Saturday, Whlle tue
Cromartyshre was on her way over from
Glasgow with crew of q men. Inc LOB
was very dense, and the Cromartyshlre
was sailing along with reduced canvas anu
blowing the foghorn. Suddenly out or the
fog rushed a great steamer, and in mo-
ment there was a fearful crash, the IRON
Prov Of the ship plunging into the port size
Of the steamer just under the bridge.
The shock was terrific and tore ire
mendous hole in the steamer, while the en-
tire bow of the ship was demolished. The
steamer plunged on into the fog again, her
whistle crying for help and her rockets
signaling her distress. The Cromartyshlre
was rounded to, and her master, capt
Henderson, was considerably relieved IN
finding that she was in no danger OF sink
ing Off to the eastward could be heard the
hoarse call of the steamer, and as the
fog began to lift all the boats on the shlos
were Launched.
Half an hour after the collision the misty
curtain went up, giving a clear view for
miles, and then it was that those on the
Cromartyshire realized the fearful strug-
gle for life. On board the BourgoSne the
collision had come so sudden and at such
time in the morning that few besides
the crew were on deck, but the shock
reused nearly everyone, and within few
minutes the decks were crowded. At first
1t seemed as if there was some attempt at
discipline. A few of the boats we're swung
off and some of the passengers allowed to
get into them. But as the steamer began
to settle and list to port the officers lost
control of the crew and a panic ensued.
Passengers and crew fought for the boats
and life RATS. Then followed the scenes
described above.
The fight for life on the decks of the
steamer did not last long, for in little
more than half an hour she gave long lurch
to port and went down. AS the ship sank be-
meath the surface the vortex of the waters
sucked down everything on the surface
within certain radius. When the suction
ceased, those still alive saw about 200
bodies come out of the water withsa rush,
as If the sea were giving up the dead after
having swallowed the ship. But the strug-
gle for life still continued after the ship
went down. Hundreds still hoated about
grasping for RATS, boats and Wreckage in
frantic endeavor to keep above water.
Even then, many of those in the boats. if
the stories told are to be believed. showed
their brutality by beating off those who at
tempted to climb aboard.
BY this time the small boats of the Cro-
martyshtre had come up and the work of
rescue began. The crew of the ship worked
heroically and saved everyone who had
managed to keep above water, but even
then scores fell away from boats, RATS
and Wreckage, exhausted, and were
drowned. 1t was all over in hour, al
though for some time after great pieces of
vreckage came shooting up from the bot
tom, marking the spot where the great
liner had gone down. But little attempt
was made to recover the bodies of any of
the Inflated passengers or crew, and the
battered hulk at the bottom of the ocean
Will probably be their tomb. In the after
noon the steamer Grecian was sighted COM
ing from the westward. and few hours
afterward the Cromartyshire was taken in
tow and arrived here this morning.
No Effort to Save Women.
The work of rescue was commenced
without moments delay, and over 200
persons were picked up and taken on
board the ship. Mrs. Henderson, who had
ample opportunity of interviewing those
who were rescued. expressed her belief
from what she heard that there had been
no effort to save the women. There were
many foreigners on board who fought
for places in the boats. 1t was fully ten
minutes to quarter Of an hour before
the Bourgogne went down, and during that
time there was ample opportunity offered
to rescue at least some of the women and
children. AS it was. only one woman, Mrs.
La Case, Was saved. She has been on board
ever since. She is the wife of A. D. La
Casse, teacher Of languages, of Plain
field. N. J.
Westerners ON La Boursosne.
Chicago, July 1.-THE following is the list
Of the cabin passengers from Chicago: Mr..
E. R." Rundell and wife, Mrs Edwin s
osgood. Master Ed osgood, Mrs. james
Marshall. Mrs. E. G. Cook, Miss Frances
Hess, Mrs: H. H: Knowles. Miss Gertrude
Knowles K; Miss Harriet NJ. Tower, MISS
Eloy Reeves. Mr.. P. A. Wright. :,
Ann Arbor, MICH. July lit has been
definitely ascertained that Prof E. L. Wal
ter sailed on La Bourgogne. Prof. wal
ter. occupied the chair of romantic Ian.
guages in the University of Michigan.
Cleveland. O., July 7.-Among the mas
sengers Of La Bourgogne were two fro1,
E. Angel. -: ~ ! = ,'' 49, a.
Topeka KAN. July Mrs. J.. ~ D,,,on
and Mrs. Dillon Oliver. of New York. re-,
ported as PROBABLY lost in the Bourgogne
disaster, are the mother and sister sof Ia
ram F: Dillon. a prominent railroad at
torney here and receiver Of the Manhattan
Alma & Burlington railroad lsT1 :. .D.s'>'l
Kansas City. Mo-, July lannon's .,hosa,,
on La Bourgogne were the entire 7fanni1,,
of John Perry. of the firm Of keith &C.
ry, Of this city. one Of the biggest coal and
!umDer concerns IN the southwest. Thev
included Mrs: John Perry, Katherine aaeg
8 years; Misses ae e Florence and Sadie. twins.
a. ea ABOUT ~ years. and A. Perry. aged
III years, MrSEPerryyE 81 - >1SSS