The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-10
Omcers and Crew Did Their Duty, but
Austrian and Italian Passengers
Seized Boats and Fought.
CLYDE LINER BURNED At SEA
STEAMER DELAWARE ABANDONED
OFF NEW JERSEY COAST.
Passengers and Crew, Numbering
Seventy, Rescued from Boats and
Rats by the Life Savers.

NEW YORK, July 9.-Consul General
Bruwaert. representing the French govern
ment in this city, to-day told the history of
the wreck of La Bourgogne as he got it
from the crew of the ship in their deposit
tons Mr.. Bruwaert tells the story as fol-
lows:
When the collision occurred Captain
Deloncle was on the bridge. Seeing that the
ship had been hurt by the collision, the cap
tain ordered the ship steered for Sable
island. At this time he did not know the
extent of the injury to the ship, but he or
6ered the twelve lifeboats to be manned by
the crews assigned to them. The crew re-
sponded quickly to the order and remained
at their posts. After this the captain sig
nailed from the bridge to the officers below
decks to ascertain the extent of the injuries
below. He received no response to the sig
nal. About eight minutes after the captain
had signaled down below and received no
answer Fourth Engineer Laisne rushed up
TO the captain and told him that the side of
the ship was cut open and water was pour
ing into the machinery compartment. Capt
Deloncie ordered the boats to be lowered
The ship was stopped about this time. Pas
sengeTs came rushing upon the deck and
ran about in panic. They got in the way
the boats as they were loosening them
Before the boats could be got from the
davits and ready to launch the ship sud
denly listed to starboard, throwing some
of the passengers overheard. The slant of
the deck was so steep that passengers could
not stand upon it. The passengers of the
first-cIass cabin had rushed out of their
rooms 10 the port side of the ship, and,
against the protests of the Sailors clam
bered into the six boats there. A list to
starboard made the big boats swing
inward and turned the davits back against
the sides of the cabins. The sailors implored
the passengers to leave the boats, and in
some cases tried to force them out so that
the boats might DO lifted up and slid over
the side of the ship. The passengers could
not be induced to leave the boats, a. crowd
of steerage passengers having appeared
ready to take their places. The sailors
heaved away at them, but could not bulge
them. They gave up at last and were
gagged in cutting the boats free when the
big vessel pitched stern downward and sank,
carrying the port boats with it. On the
starboard side three boats were smashed by
the Cromartyshire in the collision Boat No.
was filled with women and other pas
sengers and had been launched successfully,
when the big funnel from the ship fell,
crushing the boat and killing most of those
in It,
SEIZED BY AUSTRALIANS.
Twenty Austrian sailors from the steer
age seized boat No. IL. There was room
for fifty in the boat, but passengers and
crew were fought off by the men in it. They
answered the order of the ships officer. who
drew his revolver and ordered them ont.
that they were passengers and had as much
-.
knives and stabbed at the sailors. The
~crew left their boat alone, not even cutting
1t loose, but the men knew how to manage
n and launched it safely. Passengers in the
water tried to get aboard but were pushed
off. Boat No. 9, filled with passengers, got
Off successfully. 1t had some fifty-three
aboard, including it's crew. The only boat
on the port side, where the firrt-class pas
sengers had rushed after trying the star
board side, was No. s. The sailors around
It succeeded in getting it launched, leaped
into 1t as the ship went down and picked
up passengers enough from the water to fill
1.-THE engineers below stayed until the first
engineer told them to fly for their lives. He
file up the iron ladders to the midship house.
Water rushing in had put out the fires. On
top Of hs fSur aS
but one Of the copper cylinders in it was
smashed. "A second was put overheard sue
two were not used. Passengers were rescued
from tho water on the single raft.
the shin sank. Two good boats and the part
of the smashed boat to which some we're
clinging were taken to the sailing ship
When the boat with the Austrians got to
the Cromartyshire the captain of the lat
ter asked for volunteers to take it back for
the work of rescue. The Austrians refused
saying they were passengers and should not
be called on for work. A volunteer crew
flom the Cromartyshire then set out and
crews of the Bourgogne and the English
ship circled around about where the big
ship had sunk, picking up survivors,.
The French consul said that the sailors
6Wora that the compartment doors were
closed. The consul says that he made inves-
tlgatton carefully and stories OF the men
agree and were told frankly. The sailors
said that the life preservers were furnished
by the crew to the passengers, but they
We're in complete state of panic and threw
them away in many instances. Consul Bru-
waert inquired particularly as to the fight
Ing among the crew or passengers All the
stories of the wrecked men agreed that
neither men from La Bourgogne's crew nor
the passengers did any lighting. excepting
the kustrians and the Italians. Most of this
was done by the Austrians in the single
The offices of the Compagnie Generate
Transa tlantique were filed, shortly after
the sailing of La Tourane. with survivors
OF the wrecked La Bourgogne. who came to
see what ki9d of a settlement the company
would make with them. Acting Agent
Taguet said that he would communicate
with the officials in France and find out
what they would authorize him TO do for
survivors. Among other callers was Broth
er Romaine a survivor. He said that his
own experience would not bear out the criti-
cisms of La Bourgogne'S crew. He said
that the officers of the ship were in their
places doing everything they could to re-
strain the panic among the passengers. A
sailor came 10 him and asked him If he
could swim He told him that he could The
ships man pointed out something floating In
the water and told him the best thing he
could do would be to swim for ii. The ship
was just about To sink and the sailor took
Brother Romano in his arms and threw
him as far as he could away from the ship.
He managed TO swim away fast enough to
avoid being caught in the whirlpool caused
BY the ship. and was rescued on a raft.
Liability of La BourgOgne.
WASHINGTON. July 9.-In commenting
on the question Of the liability of the French
Mnnr Ia Rniirpogna for the loss of life In