Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-07-14
IN OCEAN DEPTHS
Steamer La Bourgogne Sinks with
562 People.
Conided on the Coast of Newfoundland
with English Steamer Horrible
Scenes the Doomed Craft
Women and Men Murdered
in the Rush to Reach
the Boats.

Grecian with her bow torn away by
collision on Monday morning, 60
miles south of Sable island with the
French steamer La Bourgogne, which
latter vessel went down ten minutes
later. OF the 700 passengers and crew
on board La Bourgogne less than 200
were saved. Only one woman was
saved. The captain and other deck
officers went down with the ship.
The Cromartyshire laid to and picked
up the passengers and seamen who
were rescued, transporting them to
the Grecian, which came along short
1y afterward.
All the officers of the La Bourgogne
were drowned. with the exception of
the purser and three engineers. Capt.
DeloncleS. who commanded La BOur-
gOgne, and who went down with the
ship, was about 40 years old. He had
been in command of La Bourgogne
less than six months, prior to which
time he was captain of La Normandie.
The collision occurred during
dense fog.
Some of the scenes enacted on La
BOurgogne just after the collision
were terrible to witness. Men fought
for positions in the boats like raving
maniacs, women were forced back
who made self-preservation their first
object On board were a large num-
Der of the lower class of Italians and
other foreigners, who in their frenzy
stopped at nothing that promised
safety for themselves. In a boat was
party of 40 women, but SO great was
the panic that not a hand was raised
to assist in its launching. The occu-
pants. so near saved were drowned
like rats when the ship went down.
So desperate was the situation that
an Italian passenger drew his knife
and made direct at one who, like him
self, was endeavoring to reach the
boats. Immediately his action was
initiated in every direction. Knives
were tiourished and used with effect.
Women and children were driven
back to inevitable death at the point
of weapons, the owners of which were
experts in their use. According to the
stories of survivors women were
stabbed like so many sheep.
The scene on the water was even
worse. Many of the unfortunates who
were struggling in the water attempt
ed to drag themselves into the boats
or on rafts. These We're pushed back
into a watery grave. Here too, knives
were used freely. Not all of the dead
met death by drowning. Christopher
Brunon saw a sailor belonging to the
BOurgogne strike passenger over the
head with a bar and kill him. The
body dropped into the water. There
were 725 person on board and 163
We're saved.
The second officer was the only man
of the crew who did anything to help
the terrified passengers. He cut loose
all the boats he could, and in fact all
the boats that We're launched were
launched by him. He was last seen
standing on the deck with his hand
on the rigging, going resgnedly TO
certain death.
Christopher Brunon. passenger
was thrown into the water and swan
for two hours before he found a boat.
He chung to this as his last hope.
After some time another man got hold
of the same boat, and together they
managed to right it. Under the seats
they found the dead bodies of four
men and three women who had evil
IDENTIFY been drowned by the capsiZing
of the boat Brunon said the crew
were cruel in their conduct toward the
passengers. He was unable to get in
the steamers boats when he came on
deck, being showed away by the sail
ors. He saw many of his friends be-
ing prevented from getting into the
boats by the sailors.
Mehelini Secondo, an italian steer
age passenger, was among the saved.
When he got on deck he found u raft
with five men on it. The raft. how
ever, was chained fast to the deck and
no sailors were near to let it loose
The ship sank rapidly and they were
all precipitated into the water He
was in the water 20 minutes and
alone, the other five sinking before
his eyes. He came across boat
which he tried to get into. He event
ually succeeded, but not before a des-
perate fight with her crew
Charles Liebra, a Frenchman, had
his two motherless boys, and years
old. with him. He put them in a boat,
but was prevented from entering him
self. He could not get in any boat
and went down with the ship. but he
came to the surface and looked for
the boat with his boys. He foated a
long time before boat came along
He tried to get in, but was assailed
with oars and boat hooks. After this
boat went off he was in the water
eight hours.
August Pourgi said he was in the
water about half an hour and attempt
ed to get into "A boat. He was seized
when he got half in and thrown back
into the water. Again he tried to
enter the boat, but the savages who
manned it We're determined to keep
him out. He managed at last to get
in and to stay in. Clinging to the life
line of boat not far away he saw
his mother, and as if his trials We're
not enough. he was forced to watch
man shove her into the ocean with
an oar. She never rose He said The
man was saved and was almost sure
he could recognize him.
viii Make Haste slowly
Washington, july 7-Yesterdov was