The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-15
DENIES THE STORY.
The Company's Account of the Disaster
to la B~ourgogne.

10 La DOufkOShe.
New York, July 1.-THE Times to-day
says: Paul Faguet. acting general agent
of the United States and Canada for the
Compaigne Generate trans-Atlantidue. has
given out for publication a statement con-
corning the charges made in relation to
the conduct of the crew of La Bourgogne
at the time of the recent disaster. Among
other things. Mr.. Faeuet says:
1T would be useless for me to defend
the captain and subordinate onicers of La
Bourgogne. They showed themselves he
roes by remaining at their posts and dy-
the Is officers of the deck and engine de-
partment, only three saved themselves,
and then they did not leave ship until
they had lone their whole duty.
Immediately after the collision officers
and men alike went to the posts assigned
them. Several starboard life boats on the
port side had been rendered useless by
the heavy list OF the steamer to starboard.
The crew, aided by some of the passen-
gers, succeeded. however, In lowering W
of them. in which women and children
took their places. Unfortunately, these
boats had to be slipped along the hun or
the steamer to be lowered. and they zap
sized. 1t was only at the last minute.
when all efforts were of no avail, and the
steamer was about to disappear, that the
sailors, by order of their chiefs. jumped
into the sea and Is of the so were lost.
line InTet Hl6Dodlc lhoA q wen
launched, after having unloaded their pas
sengers In safety on the Cromartyshire.
made three more trips and brought all the
survivors. Captain Henderson of the Gro
martyshire has made to the consul at
Halifax a statement declaring that the
criticisms attributed to him by writers IN
the newspapers are untrue.
THE nremen and coal passers were
down in the engine room until the END,
striving against the water, which was In
vading 1t, to secure the good working OF
the pumps. II wss only Ave or sx min
utes before the steamer sank that tho
chief engineer, who died At his post or
duty. gave at two different times two
blows of his whistle. signalling the crew
TO cease the work of rescue and hasten
away
| ton may have started the reports of bru-
tai treatment on the part OF our crew.
One of the passengers, a young man,
showed a scar which he said he had re-
ceiyed from a blow inflicted by an oar IN
the hands of some one. whether a passen-
ger or a sailor he did not know. but ms
added that the man who did strike him
was Justified In doing so. because there
were IS or 20 on the raft he was trying to
climb upon, and II he had not been re-
pulsed the raft would have capsized and
the whole party lost.
.sThe other incident was related to me
by one of the passengers. While tryins
TO climb on an already overloaded raft.
he was knocked back by the blow from
an oar in a sailors hands and thus the
lives of the Is or 20 men on the raft were
saved. What wa. the duty in these two
cases of those who had charge of the
RATS. repuise one man who might nave
been able to find succor sewhere or let
20 perish7
"All of these were reported to me by
passengers, several relatives of unfortun-
ate victims. BY questioning the cabin and
dining room walters who were saved. ]
have learned of a few incidents in the
lives OF those lost relatives. just before
the ship went down. and have been con-
WINGED that the charges of stabbing and
other barbsrous acts are untrue"