Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-07-14
ANAWFUL DISASTER.
Hundreds of Persons Sent Suddenly
to Watery Graves.

Hundreds Of Persons Sent Suddenly
to Watery Graves.
THE SINKING OF THE BOURGOCNE.
| Occurred on Sable Island During Heavy
Fog-Caused by o Collision-Humsn-
| ity Disgraced by the Cowardiy
Conduct of the Crew.
HALIFAX, n. F., July News was
received here yesterday OF the sinking
of the French liner La Bourgogne,
from New York for Havre, with passen-
gers and crew numbering 800, by col
lision with the British iron ship
Cromartyshire, 60 miles south of Sable
| island, and the loss of 600 souls.
Tho Story of tho Fearfun Disaster
From the few officers and members OF
| the crew who were saved Is yet
to be told, but IL the words
of the passengers who were
dragged aboard the Cromartyshire,
and later brought into this port by the
steamer Grecian, are to be believed
the last few minutes on board the La
Bourgogne witnessed some of the most
| terrible scenes of horror and cruelty
| that have ever blotted the history OF q
civilized race.
Instead of the heroic discipline which
so often has been the one bright fea-
ture of such awful moments, the crew
of the steamer fought like demons
for the few lifeboats and RATS, batter
ing the helpless passengers away from
their only means of salvation, with the
result that the strong overcame the
weak, and the list of 1863 saved con-
tains the name of but one woman.
Another Account Says
There were TIA persons on board, and
1853 were saved. With the exception
of two passengers, Prof. Lacasse and
his wife, all the passengers Of the
Bourgogne are aboard the steamer
Grecian at the Cunard wharf. The
crew are also on board that boat. The
Grecian is expected to sail for New
York this evening.
All the crew are collected by them
selves In the forward part Of the deck,
and are anything but pleasant look
ing. The officer Of the gangway looked
at them with q scowl. and said II he
had his way they would all have been
hanged to the yardsrm long ago.
Onicers and Crew Sought Their Own
Safety.
The correspondent interviewed nearly
all the passengers who speak English.
One passenger said the officers and
crew of La Bourgogne neglected the
passengers entirely.
The second officer was the only man
of the crew who did anything to help
the terrified and helpless passengers.
He cut loose all the boats he could,
and, in fact, all the boats that were
launched were launched by the brave
second officer. He was last seen stand
ing on the deck, with his hand on the
rigging, going resignedly to certain
| death.
The Crew Were Cruel In Their Conduct.
Christopher Brunini, q passenger, was
thrown into the water and swan for
two hours before he found boat. He
clung to this as his last hope. After
some time another man got hold Of the
same boat and together they managed
found the dead bodies Of four men and
| three women who had evidently been
drown by the capsizing of the boat
| Brunini 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 sailors. He saw
many Of his friends being prevented
from getting into the boats by the
sailors. He lost everything but what
he stood in.
A Desperate Flight for Life.
Mehelini Secondo, an Italian steer
age passenger, is among the saved.
When he got on deck he found raft
| with five men on it. The raft, how
ever, was tied and chained fast to the
deck and no sailors were near to let it
loose. None of the five men had
knives. The ship sank rapidly and
they were all precipitated into the
water. He was in the water 20 min
utes and alone, the other fve sinking
before his eyes. He came across a boat
which he tried to get into. He event.
ually succeeded, but not before des-
perate fight with her crew. He was
battered with oars and showed with
| boat-hooks. He managed to seize an
oar, however, and pulled himself to the
boat and climbed in.
Savages Manns cd tho Boat.
August Pourgi was eager to give
your correspondent IN account of his
| experience. He was in the water about
half an hour and attempted to get into
boat. He was seized when he man
aged to get half In and thrown back
into the water. Again he tried to en-
ter the boat, but the savages who
| manned it were determined to keep
him out. He managed at last to get in
| and to stay in. ClinginR to the life
line of a boat not far away he saw his
| mother, and, as il his trials were not
| enough, he was forced to watch a 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.
Cursed the French Sailors with Passionate
Earnestness.
Fred Niffier, q Swiss, was the most
| jovial and contented of all the un-
fortunate passengers. He lost all his
| money and clothes, with the exception
of pair Of pants and shirt, but he
laughed, now and again cursing the
French sailors with passionate earnest
ness. Nefaer got.into q life-boat with
some others, and remained there until
he reached the water, when he thought
it was time to leave. He swan for o
long time before he was picked up. He
saw an Englishman attempt to get
into boat, but the men in the boat,
who were sailors of the La Bourgogne,
hit him over the head with the butt
end of an oar. He fell back and sank
Thoroughly Ashamed Of His Countrymcn.
Chas Iiahra n Trenchman axnraaaed