Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-07-14

Halifax, July 6.-Never was more
horrible tragedy OF this sea, never was
there such brutal cowardice displayed
on a sinking ship and on the water
afterwArd as marked the destruction
Of the La Bourgogne.
Not all. by far, who lost their lives
In and after the Collision we're drowned
In the mad rush to La Bourgogne's
boats after the shock men struck women
and children, knocked them down or
threw them aside and then trampled
them they il lay between them and the
boats.
On his struggling way to the ships
side an Italian drew a knife and
plunged it into one OF his countrymen,
who, fighting for life, too, interfered
with him. In effect this was a signal.
Scores of Frenchmen, Italians, Arabiuns
and Turks-men who knew how to use
them-drew knives, and at their points
drove shriekiug women AWAY FROM the
boats. Survivors swear women were
stabbed ike SO many sheep; the deck
was slaughter pen.
The men OF the crew, trained. sup
posedly, for such an emergency, thought
only Of saving themselves. Suckers,
firemen and assistant engineers. mus
cular, swaaty, grimy, scared, desperate,
ran up from the depthH of the ship and
behaved like the demons they looked.
Stewards. walters, cabin boys, who
had cringed for fee during the
voyage, fought to the boats, sprang
into them and lowered them, deaf to
women y cries and the walls of children.
IL was "save himself who cam with
all the ships company. II their officers
tried to restrain them, to force them to
do their duty to those whose safety was
in their care, the officers efforts were
vain.
DUPONT BRAVE EXCEPTION.
But tins survivors declare that tho
second officer, du Point, the brave du
Point, vino was last seen on the deck
grasping rope, calmly waiting for
death, was one of the two sailors who
tried to help the terrified anu helpless
passengers. Survivors say du Pont cut
looae all tho boats he could; that he
sent over the side every boat that
reached the water.
But ths rest of the crew, 10 the
cowardly flight, did not cut the lash
ings that held even life-raft except to
Save their own lives. Forty women,
some hugging children, climbed into
one boat or were lifted in by their hus-
bands or their brothers. These lands
men did not know how to lower the
boat, but not sailor raised his hand
to launch il, and there those fairting
women sat until the ship sank, carried
them down and buried them in tho
seething, kissing waves.
And 10 the water murder was done,
The poltroon stokers and stewards and
sailors filed the only boats that fioated.
When women and men who had man
aged to keep their heads above water
tried to climb into the boats, the sailors
and stewards and stokers killed them
lest the boats be overorowded. II they
had no weapons, with their bare
knEckleH they struck the women in the
face and beat them of.
steerage passenger stood ON a raft
on which there was room for many
others. But be drew knife and cut
and slashed and lunged at those who
approached and kept them off until
they drowned.
Christopher Bannini, a survivor, SOL
= emnly swears one of La Bourgogne's
engineers said to him:
70 = with the passengers. / don't
care whether they were saved or not
1t wasn't my business to save them ;
I'm not paid to do that. Curse them,
IL I'D had revolver I'd have ahot
some OF them when they we're crowding
into the boats"
The men Of the crew who thus saved
themselves we're crowded together for
ward on the Grecian's deck as she lay
at the Cunard wharf this afternoon.
They were silent, sullen, frowning,
The officer at the Grscian's gangway,
an Englishman, regarding them, ex-
claimed:
If I'd had my way they'd all have
been dangling from the yardarm long
ago. t
For hs, like every one who hears
them, believes what the survivors tell
Of the fearful scene when La Bourgogne
sank. II proof we're lacking these facts
confirm them:
Only one woman Of all on board was
saved.
Not one first class passenger was
saved. -
Only 10 second-class passengers were
saved.
In comparison to the passengers a
tremendous proportion of the ships
crew was saved.
The World correspondent visited the
survivors on the .Greeisn and inter.
viewed many of them. Their manner
was convincing. Coming as they had
from the very jaws OF death it was i'm.
possible to believe they told anything
but the truth, astonishing as IL was.
A II lost everything but the clothes the,
wore and the money in their pockets.
TWO MuRDEREEs KNOWN.
II would seem that two of the mer
Who killed to save themselves are now or
BOARD the Grecian. Patrick McKeowp,
who wns saved, swears ons is, and b,
will know him when be sees him. Nc
keown is a most intelligent young
Irishman from Wilmington, Del. Hi
iH leather worker. and was on his wa,
to Paris to work for firm there. Nc
Keown was lucky enough to get on {
floating raft when La Bourgogne wa
sinking.
ION the voyage got acquainted
with one OF the passengers, said Nc
Keown. IL can't recall his name, but
be was tailor in Philadelphia and hal
a wife and two children there. He wal
going to Paris tn see mis- sister.
This friend of mine tried to cIimt
upon raft not far from the one | wa
Oh. / distinctly saw French sailol
grab half oar and strike my frienl
three times on the forehead. He sanl
and that was the last of him. 1t wa
the most cold-blooded thing that evs
was DONE"
John Burge and August Burgs saw
their mother and father killed. Johr
Burge and bis father got on a raft
The French sailnrs threw them into th,
water. They swan back, climbed OF