The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-08

loose. The crew did not come, however,
( and the boat went down with the ship;
Nyffeler was the only one saved of al
the party.
While Nyffeler was in the boat he saw
the Captain on the bridge alone. The
Captain. he said had evidently lost his
head, and walking up and down the
bridge screaming and Swearing. Nyffeler
saw one boat leave the ship containing
only sailors. The ship had terrible list
to port, her decks being almost perpendic-
ular. AS she sank the stern went UP in
the air with the boat Nyffeier was In.
The fog had cleared away, but there were
no signs of the Cromartyshire. The stern
kept going up in the air until all of a
sudden came crack and the ship went
down. Nyffeler rose to the surface in
minute. and all around him were women,
children and men, struggling in the water.
shouting for help. He looked for Eliza
Niffenogger, but could not see her. He
then got hold of a crowded raft which
soon upset throwing all upon it into the.
water. He managed to get upon it again,
however, with several others and STAYED
on 1t until picked up by rescuers.
Nyffeler states that while on the raft he
saw five women. who We're clinging TO the
very rope he had hold Of, thrust to their
death with boathooks In the hands Of
the Frenchmen on the raft. Nyffeler IS
certain he can point out the men. he
says they cut the rope and although the
women were screaming pitifully and one
Of them pleaded for her life, they We're all
heartlessly pushed away
One of the woman was the mother of
August and john Borgi Burga, who are
among the survivors. Two others We're
German and the other two were French
women.
Nyfeler saw an American beaten over
the head while trying to get on a raft not
far from the one he was on. Just before
Nyffeler and his fellows were taken on
board the Cromartyshire. their raft WIS
followed by two immense sword fish. They
jumped around the raft for quite q
while, but did not venture to attack ana
at last sheered off.
been some years in Baltimore. was on IDS
way to France with his wife and Two
children; On the morning Of the collision
he put them in a boat amidships and y els
to get another boat for himself Only
one end of the boat he got into was cut
loose and the boat tipped when it de-
water. Just at this time, the B0urgogne'S $
tunnels gave way and one OF the fell qi-
rectly across the boat in which AcharIs :
wife. and children had been placed
crushing 1t and knocking all the
| passengers overheard One of the funnel
Chains struck Mrs. Achard across the
chest and literally tore her body asun-
| der. Charles Liebra and others who We're
eye-witnesses say it was the most blood
curdling sight they ever saw: Achard
fell into the water when the Bourgogne
sank, but managed to get hold of raft,
TO which he chung for eight hours sub
merged to his armpits. After he got out
ne was unaple to Stfalgnten out MS DOuS
or arms for long time. Mr.. Achard
had $40, 900 on his person at the time Of
| the wreck and it was saved with him.
| He is, however heartbrolxen and wretch
ed on account Of the loss Of his wife and
children. He presented the pitiful aspect
of one who could not weep; In his watch
was portrait of his sixteen n-year-o,d
daughter, who was drowned. taken only
| a few days before they left America.
From the testimony of three persons.
Otto Zeicer from NeW York, Mr.. Archard
l-xf Ilalt md los {p{lr ~ of
cook Of the Stafford Hotel. Philadelphia.
| it appears that the fourth engineer OF
La Bourgogne. who was saved. acted in
the most brutal manner toward the pas
( sengers-
The three men agree in the statement
that after the collision. when every ane
was surrounding the boats, the fourth en-
gineer said: Dam the passengers. ,Let
Isfhem save themselves. We save ourselves
first" He also. said that if he had a re-
volver he would shoot the passengers.
Mr. Liebra spoke in great praise Of the
Captain of the La Bourgogne. although
that officer did not thing that the COLLISION
was serious and informed those of the
saloon passengers who inquired, that
there was no danger. This is thought to
be one reason that none out of the sev-
enty-five first class passengers were
saved
On the voyage Liebra became acquaint-
ed with Yousouf the wrestler. who was a
passenger. After the collision, Lebra
says he saw Yousouf struggling. in
them off with stilleto and showing them
aside trying to reach boat; he failed,
however. and went down.
In conversation with Liebra before the
wreck, the wrestler had expressed him
self as Ill pleased with the treatment he
had received in Amrica.
L. Tarlaud. of 164 Wst .s6th street. New
York, and NJ. Lucas. from Norman,
France, the later being waiter on board
the Bourgogne each telsi cf being .siN-
en- away from a boat containing Aus
-. 1qlf
fav was entering Boston harbor this
L morning eight persons gave their names
as witnesses TO the fact that the Aus
trians used knives to keep people out OF
one Of the crew, a steward, who spoke
English well, declined to give his name
as he said it would be had for him when
He said he was in bed at the time of the
accident. hTe shock awakened him ana
II There re- are re tWentyve t its men appointed 70
each boat. but there We're only seven or
eight at his, which was the second mate
and the boat was Immediately got ready.
There were about fifty passengers in this
boat, including lot of women
As the Bourgogne was sinking the b2at
caught and upset throwing que into lie
water He came W IN nllnu5e. tie
was saved two minuees after by a rast.
There were lots of women and children
screaming for help around, bu. he turned
his head away and he said he did not like
to see these things.
The young Frenchman from New Or
leans said he could not say anything in
praise of the crew of the Bourgvgne. lie
did not see any Of the officers after TIE
accident except the Captain. who MAS
gesticulating on the brId:;s.
Messrs Zeiser and Keramer, second-
class passengers. state that Victor Gend-
ret and another sailor of La Bourgogne
deserve great praise for their bravery in
saving some passengers. They called for
volunteers to so from the Cromartyshire
and were the means of saving many who
otherwise would have perished. They
were the only sailors who did anything to
help the passengers