New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-09
by younger woman. pushed her way through

Tell me. TOR tn. love Of God do you know
anything about Louis Cassazza? He was in the
second cabin"
McKeown sold quickly: Was he A stout
NAM
Yes" was the fevcrIsh answer
Did he have a little boy and girl with him."
Yes. gasped the woman.
Did he have a stand In Washington Market"
Yes. yes; that is him. What Of him."
He was lost was the pitiless answer. The
last saw OF him he and the little giri-about
thirteen years old she was wasn't she?-were
clinging to spar I didn't the boy in the
water, but they were all lost"
The woman drew back with little choking
cry and began to talk IN a Wild. incoherent way.
Then with big. wide. staring eyes, she turned
aimlessly away and walked or muttcring to her
self: They were clingng to A spar They
clinging to a spar" And then she lost in
the shifting crowd
To a Tribune reporter McKeown told graphic
story OF the loss Of the French steamship and
the desperate struggle for life which followed.
Il was aroused from sleep by the awful crash
OF the tw, vessels coming together" he said
"and rushed on deck as quickly as possible
The scene there was one OF unutterable con-
fusion. Men and women. some OF the latter with
babes in their arms moaning and crying
Many Of them rushed to the boats which the
officers were trying TO get the crew 10 launch.
but they were driven away by the sailors.
tried TO get into one boat. but was driven or
and then went to another. The sailors were
crowded around this one too. and was again
driven off The steamship had careened so much
that II was hard to keep ones feet. and at last
] let myself slide off into the water. I made for
boat that had been launched. but sailor
struck at me with an oar and let go my hold
i
I finally reached a raft and got on It. There
were about twenty-five 9th RS on the raft. among
them Mrs. La Casse. How she got there ! do
not know
BEATEN OFF WITH AN OAR.
"A friend OF mine named Fourgot tried 10
get on the raft. and one Of the crew picked up
an oar and struck him on the head with 1t three
times. was too weak after my long swim TO
help Fourgot After the sailor had struck him
he still held on to the raft with a death-like
grip. and they then pounded his hands until
finally he relaxed his hold and fell back into
the ocean"
Did you see any Of the women struck" asked
the reporter.
Yes three or four Of them" replied McKeown.
THE life lines Of the raft 70 which were
clinging several and women. were also
cut" added McKtown. land the poor people
drowned before our eyes. 1t terri
Ole sight, and nope 10 Coo mat may never
witness another one like IT.
In response to the inquiries Of Mr. Kesseer.
McKeown said that he saw three priests on the
deck OF La Bourgogne after she was struck.
Was Father Kesseler among them?" askedMr.
Kesseler-"dd one Of them look like this?" (prO-
ducing Photography.
Yes, he was one ~ them" replied McKeown
Il was talking with him on Sunday
McKeown added that the three priests made
no attempt TO save their own lives but as the
people kneeled around them deck they gave
them absolution.
Among the people who rushed 70 the priests
beseaching them To hear their confessions were
many women" continued McKeown but the
priests. realizing the imminent danger Of all
turned to those with upraised hands and called
out in loud voice for every to make an
act Of contrition. Before | left the ship I saw
the priests. with raised hands over the kneeling
people. giving them absolution."
DIDN'T WANT TO SAVE ANYBODY"
In speaking Of the conduct Of the officers of
the steamship McKeown said that they behaved
well, but they could not make the crew obey
The crew didn't want to save anybody" he
added.
The reporter asked Mr.. McKeown n ne had
been able TO identify any Of the crew whom ne
saw strike the people who were trying 70 get
into the boats and ne said that he had not.
McKeown promised Mr.. Kesseer to go with
him TO his fathers home No 23S West Forty
Kesseler who was lost or La Bourgogne was
a brother Of DR.. Kesseler. who lives at this ad-
dress
Charles Duttweiler. German baker OF No.
p Orchard-st.. steerage passenger Of the
French liner presented a sorry spectacle as he
got of the train. He had sailed with the inten-
tion OF spending three months in the fatherland.
Over his left ear is deep wound. which. he
said. was inflicted by a brutal French Are
man. who beat him in the awful struggle for
life with the butt end Of a broken oar. He was
pounded all over his body. he said as II with
a mallet. The skin on his face is torn of In
evidence OF the fierce attack made upon him
in his efforts 10 board one OF the floating RATS.
oh God" said Duttweiler excitedy, wasn't
II fierce fight? The crew did not want the
passengers saved. There We're twenty-five per
sons on the first Of the three rarts that chung
TO. and they were all beaten back into the
seething sea into which hundreds OF men. won
en- and children were being hurled from the
boats and RATS in wild confusion. Among the
victims thus thrown and beaten numerically
were mary women.
BEATEN AND MURDERED.
What a sight! these poor. frenzied women
battling for life. only 10 he hurled back into
the sea- Why. the crew cut the ropes TO which
they chung at the sides OF the RATS. and let
them drop to death. beaten and murdered. My
only thought of my wife, Annie
Tears rolled down Duttweiler's cheeks as he
talked Just then tall. beautiful woman OF
thirty pushed her way through the crowd and
on seeing the survivor shouted Historically as
she threw her arms around his neck and plant
ed on his lips a dozen kisses. "Oh. my Charlie!
MY Charlie. Thank God that you have come
back 10 me from that ocean gravel The wom-
an who wept for Joy was his wife. Annie Ac-
companied by two women friends. Mrs. Dutt-
weller hurried her husband to their home.
John Burshi. who lives In Brooklyn. was
passenger on La Bourgogne. together with his
brother August and his father and mother.
The two brothers got their aged mother up on
deck and finally into a boat. John Burgi said
Yesterday that the boat occupied almost
entirely by French sailors. and that as soon as
II touched the water these sailors grasped the
old woman and threw her out. The two
brothers Jumped into the ocean to save her, and