The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-16
THE BoURGoGNE DISASTER.
The Agent Says the stories of Bru-
taIity of Crew Are False.


rrophe that has befallen the steamer of
the Compagnle Generate TranatlantIdue
La Bourgogne, the newspapers have re-
produced the most odious accusations re-
garding the conduct of the crew in this
sad circumstance. When 1 was told of
the pretended facts which had happened
and asked if had been officially informed
of them, l protested with indignation and
have refused even for an instant to dis
cusS them. | have lived for long time
among our maritime population ON the
coasts of Normandie Bretagne and Pro-
vence, I have had often opportunities to
observe sailors of all nations, l know their
sentiments of abnegation, and l am posi-
tive that it would be impossible to find
single sailor of any nation able GO commit
such an nfamy as that charged 10 our
unfortunate crew.
II would be useless for me TO defend the
captain and his officers, they died at their
posts, thus giving until the last minute an
example of abnegation of which 1 was
speaking, and were engulfed with those
they could not save. They were eigh-
teen officers of the deck and engine de-
partments and only the second purser
and three engineers, saved themselves by
jumping into the sea after having accom-
plished their whole duty.
Immediately after the collision, each OIL
Ger and man of the crew reached the posts
assigned to them in such a case. Sever
al siarboard lifeboats had been smashed
by the bowspriJ of the Cromartyshire,
three others were lowered and were able
to rescue number of people floating. One
of the lifeboats loaded with women and
children has been smashed by the falling
of one of the smokestacks.
The lifeboats on the port side have been
rendered useless by the heavy list of the
steamer to starboard. The crew aided
by some of the passengers succeeded, how
ever, to lower two of them in which wo-
men and children took place. Unfortu-
nately these boats had to be slipped along
the hull of the steamer to be lowered and
they capsized Ii is only at the last min
ute when all efforts were of no avail that
the steamer was about to disappear and
upon the order of their chiefs that the
sailors jumped into the sea and so late
that of sixty seamen, twenty Live only were
not engulfed in the suction. The three life
boats that had been launched after hav-
ing unloaded their passengers in safety
on board the Cromartyshire, made three
more trips and brought all the survivors.
Capt. Henderson of the Cromartyshlre mas
made to the consul Of Halifax a state
ment declaring that the appropriations at
tributed to him by the critics in the news
papers are absolutely false and Chat he IS
pleased TO testify of the courage shown
by the sailors of La Bourgogne, who re-
turned several times from his ship to the
place of the accident 20 save more lives.
The fremen and coal passers were down
in the engine room, until the end striving
against the water which was invading It,,
to secure the good working of the pumps
1t was only five or six minutes before the
steamer sank that the chief engineer, who
also died victim of mis- duty, gave at two
different times two blows of his whistle
! - ,,t,lJf. ny1r or
away. Part of these men only were res
cued at sea by the ufe-boats and RATS The
three engineers saved, succeeded in cutting
the ropes fastening two of the RATS on the
grating Of the engine room and owing TO
these RATS floating after the steamer went
down, saved the life 10 a number of peO-
Pile Two facts were brought TO my at
tenton by two passengers, which may
have, being misunderstood start those ac-
cusations of brutality and barbarism. One
of them, a young man showed me scar
ON his cheek saying that it had been in"
hicted with an oar in repulsing him, by
one of the men, passenger or sailor, he
does not know, who was on one of the
RATS He added that he did not blame
him, as the people were SO numerous on
that raft Us or 2O) that the platform was
one foot under water and certainly if he
had tried to climb on it the raft would
have capsized and caused the death of all
on it,
The other passenger told me of an iden-
teal fact. One of his friends repulsed by
the blow of an oar from sailor, but he
also said that they were a score on his
raft and that had his friend attempted to
climb ON il he would most likely not be
here to tell of the fact What was the
duty in these two cases of those in charge
of the RATS. repulse one man who might
have been able to find succor elsewhere
or let 20 perish?
90
in which very few people took place; l
can make no criticism not knowing the
reasons which may have enduced those
on board to act so, but in that boat there
was not one sailor of the crew.
All these facts were reported to me by
Messengers. Several relatives of the un
fortunate victims have questioned them
selves Friday night, the cabin and din
ing room walters saved they have been
able TO obtain a few details about the
place where they stood at the last moment
and on the words they, spoke to those wait
ers which were warning the passengers
10 go upon deck. They, ike myself have
had the proof that those inventions Of
stabbing with knives and other barbar-
isms were false. If l insist on this point
1t is because / wish that the families al
ready so afflicted by the loss of dear ones
not to have another grief in thinking that
their wives ami children might have been
subject to acts of saVagery. II is false
The passengers, men, women and children
who. finding safety by remaining on the
steamer instead of jumping in the sea
where the iife-belts would. have supported
them, had grouped themselves around the
bridge where the captain was at his post
with his officers. Even the anguish of their
near end had been spared by the calm
and the encouragement given them by the
captain.
We all partake deeply in their grief, as
they know, and it is inhuman to increase
il by misrepresented and false state
ments.
The entire crew of La Bourgogne" did
its duty until the last moment
July T. 1888