Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-07-07

thick fogs which at this time of the year
hangs like q pail over the Grand Banks
and Sable Island in the North Atlantic,
!, one of the most appalling ocean dis
astcrs in the history of the world.
Without moments warning the great
i cnCh liner La BourgoSne with 12j souls
ou board, was run down by the iron sail
/, = ship Cromartyshire ana such Il terri
g. hole was torn in the big steamers
port side that she sank within half an
our, carrying with hcr to the oceans
0ttom over 5Uo Of her passengers and
C"ew. Those who were not drawn down
~ the fearful whirlpool struggled and
fought for life until 1853 were at length
cscued from death by the crew OF the
Cromartyshirc, which ship survived the
collision.
The story of tho disaster from the few
officers and crow who were saved Is yet
- be told, but If the words Of the passen-
trrS who were dragged aboard the Gro
r,arty hire and later brought into this
sort by the steamer Grecian are to be
lclicved the lat few minutes on board
the Bourgognc witnessed some of the
n 1st terrible scenes of horror and cruelty
that have blottcd the history of a civil
izo! race.
IiIN cad of the heroic discipline which so
often has been one bright feature Of such
awful moments. the crew of the steamer
Tough ike demons for the few life boats
anF RATS hattcrug the helpless passen-
gers way from their only means of sal
Nnt'uu. with tho result that the strong
o"e"ca he the weak and the list Of 163
.Ne1 lcontaired the name of but one
wOmah.
The disaster occurred at o'clock in the
morning of Monday, July I, about 90 miles
south Of Sable Island. which lies nearly "A
hundrc I'd miles off this port.
The Bourgogne had left New York
bound for Havrc on the previous Sltur-
day while the Cromartyshlre was on her
wa" from Glasgow with crew of II men.
Although the Trans Atlantic steamers all
have Il definite course, the Boulgogne
was, to all accounts, forty miles or more
to the north Of .hc steamer lines
Tho fog was dense and the big iron ship
was sailing along at reduced canvass and
blowing the fog horn. Suddenly out OF
the fog rushed n great steamer and in II
moment there was fearful crash, the
iron Prov of the ship punging into the
side OF the steamer Just under the bridge.
The shock was terrific and tremendous
hole was torn in the steamer while the
entire bow of the ship was demolished
The steamer plunged on into the fog
again, her whistle crying for help and
her rockets signalling her dire distress.
The Cromartyshire was rounded to, and
her master. Capt. Henderson, found that
she was in no danger of sinking of to
the eastward could be heard the hoarse
call of the steamer and as tho fog began
to lift all the boats on the ship We're
launched.
Half an hour after the collision occur
red the misty curtain went up. giving a
clear view for miles and then il was
that those on the Cromartyshire realized
the fearful struggle for life. on the Bour-
gognc the collision had come so suddenly
and at such time in the morning that
few besides her crew were on deck but
the shock reused nearly everyone and
within few minutes the decks were
crowded With struggling, terrified passen-
gers.
At first it seemed as If there was some
attempt at discipline. A few of the boats
were swung off and some of the passen-
gers allowed to get into them But as
the steamer began to settle and list To
port the officers lost control of the crew
and what was soon a panic cnsucd. Pas
sensers and crew fought for the boats
and life RATS, and II was fight to the
death in itself while death in the waters
stared everyone in the face.
The strong battered down the weak, the
women and children being pushed far
away from any hope of rescue
Fists. oars and even knives We're used
by some of the demons to keep theil
places. The officers seem to have beer
powerless before their own men and only
| four were saved.
The fight for life on the decks of The
steamer did not last long for in little
more than half an hour she gave "A Ions
/ luych to port and went down,
As the ship sank beneath the surface
the vortex Of the waters sucked dowr
everything on the surface within Il Ger
tain radius. couple of minutes later
when the suction ceased those still aliv,
saw about 200 bodies come up out of the
water with rush as if the sea were Civ
! ing up the dead after having swallowed
the ship.
| Bot the struggle for life still continued
after the ship went down. Hundreds still
tioated about. grasping for RATS. boats
and wreckage In Il frantic endeavor tc
| keep above the water. Even then many
of those in the boats, If the stories told
ave to be believed, showed their brutality
Ity beating off those who attempted tc
Climb aboard.
| liy this time the small boats of the
Cromartyshirc had come up and the work
of rescue began. The crew of the shI
worked heroically and saved every one
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 ar
hour, and although for some time after
pieces of wreckage came shooting VI,
from the bottom marking the spot where
the great liner had gone down. But lit,
| tie attempt was made to recover the
bodies of the III fated passengers or crew
and the battered hulk at the bottom oi
the ocean Will probably be forever theii
| tomb.
| Aleng In the afternoon the steamer
Grecian was sighted coming from the
westward and few hours afterward the
Cromartysh,rc was taken in tow and
brought to Halifax.
STORY OF THE TWO CABIN PAssEN.
GERS WHO SURVIVE
| Strangely. Mr.. Lacasse liz the only mar