Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1898-07-06
FEARFUL ACCIDENT.
Six Hundred Lives Lost by uolliston Of
Steamers.
ONLY ONE WOMAN SAVED,

Il HALIFAX, N. S., July 6.-The Allal
line steamer Grecian is entering th,
harbor with the ship Cromartyshire ii
tow. July 4, at 8. a. M, sixty mile
south of Sable Island, the Cromarty,
snire coliided with the French liner Ii
BourgogHe. The latter sank. Siy
hundred passengers and crew drowned
Two hundred including one woman
were saved. La Bourgogne was from
New York for Havre.
HALIFAX, N. s., July 3.-Log Gro.
martyshire, signed by Captain Hender-
son, is as follows: July 4, 5 q. m,
asnse fog, position of ship sixty miles
south OF Sable Island, ship going about
four or five knots an hour. Our foo
horn was being kept going regularly
every minute. At that time we heard
steamers whistle on our weather
side or port beam, which seemed to be
nearing very fast. We blew the horn
and was answered by the steamers
whistle, when all of a sudden She
loomed up through the fog on our port
bow and crashed into us, going at a
terrific speed. Immediately ordered
poats out and went to examine the
damage. l found our boats complete.
ly cut off and plates twisted. The
other ship disappeared through the fog.
However, our ship was floating on col
lislon bulk head so there seemed no i'm.
mediate danger of sinking. We set to
work Immediately to clear the wreck
age and ship our starboard anchor.
which was hanging over the starboard
DOW In danger of punching holes In the
boat. l heard the steamer blowing her
whistle on coming back and we an.
swered with fog horn. The steamer
then threw up a rocket and fired a
shot We also threw up SEINE rockets
and fired several shots, but we neither
saw nor heard anything. About $50
the fog lifted somewhat and we saw
two boats pulling toward us with the
French flag flying We signalled them
to come alongside and found the |
steamer was the La Bourgogne from
New York for Havre, and had gone
down. We labored all day and re-
:eived on board about 200 survivors
from amongst the passengers and crow,
'eperted to be in all about 600. Sew
'ral passengers were on life RATS with.
'ut oars. l called for volunteers from
Imong my crew and surviving French
eamen to bring those RATS alongship.
some passengers and seamen from the ,
unken steamer assisted us and we
ettisoned some thirty six tons of .
argo from our forehold in order to +;
ighten the ship. About 3 D. m. an s
'ther steamer heve In sight, bound /
westward. We put up our signals.
Want assistance" Shortly after. the J
teamer bore down toward us. she :
'roved to Ee Grecian bound from Glas- :
ow to New York. About D. m. we i
ad connection and proceeded in tow of a
be Grecian toward Halifax. There .
7as at that time fourteen feet of water !,
} the forepeak. E
Mrs. Henderson. wife of the Captain, O
Tas on board the Cromartyshire with q
er two children. She had ample oppor- n
unity of Intervening those rescued r
nd expressed the belief that there had q
cen no effort to save the women. =
here were many foreigners on board. +,
no fought for places in the boats. h
early all the first class passengers + r
ere lost, those saved being steerage Sc
ID sailors. Professor La Casse 3
ID his wife were in the n,
ater seme eight hours clinging Il,
raft before they were picked up by n
'at from Cromartyshire. When the D.
lips struck the passengers with the al
10 exception OF Prof. La Casse, were m
low deck. Without warning came @
10 terrible shock, La Casse rushed to M
5 state room on deck and got his wife
t of bed and partly dressed. They p
stsned on deck only to be precipita- II
1 into the water. They found part. fo
submerged raft upon which La II
sss lifted his unconscious wife and fir
ing to it himself. Some boats, La th
'sse says, capsized and all on bear Ri
owned. -