The age-herald., 1898-07-07
LA BOURGOGNE
 LOST AT SEA Six Hundred Passengers of the French Liner Drowned. SOME MURDERED BY CREW Brutal Sailors Killed Many Passengers
 Trying to Save Themselves. HEARTRENDING SCENES ENACTED Helpless Men Saw Their Mothers Beat en to Death With Oars. OUT OF 300 ONE WOMAN WAS RESCUED Collision Between the Cromartyshire and the La Bourgogne Off the Coast of
 Nova Scotia Responsible for the
 Terrible Catastrophe.
Helpless Men Saw Their Mothers Beat en to Death With Oars.
OUT OF 300 ONE WOMAN WAS RESCUED

which at this time of year hank like a pail over the Grand banks and Sable island in the North Atlantic, occurred Monday morn- ing, July 4, one of the most appalling ocean disasters in the annals of transatlantic commerce, and in fact in the history of steam sailing of the world Without mo- ments warning almost the great French liner La Bourgogne, with 725 souls on board was run down by the iron sailing ship Cromartyshire and sank within half an hour carrying with her to the oceans bottom bottom over 300 of her passengers and crew, while the balance, who were not drawn down by the fearful suction, struggled and fought for life until one hundred and sixty three were at length rescued by the crew of the Crormartyshire, which ship survived the collision.
 The story of the fearful disaster from the few officers and members of the crew who were saved is yet to be told, but if 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 Bourgogne witnessed some of the most terrible scenes of horror and cruelty that have ever plotted the history of civilized race.
 Fought Like Demons
 Instead of heroic discipline which so often has been the one bright feature of such awful moments. the crew of the steamer fought like demons for the few life boats and rafts, battering the help less passengers away from their only means of salvation with the result that the strong over1ame the weak and the list of 165 saved contains the name of but one woman. The disaster occurred at o'clock on the morning of July about four miles south of Sable island which lies nearly hundred miles off this port.
 The Bourgogne had left New York bound for Havre on the previous Saturday, while the Cromartyshire was on her way over from Glasgow with crew of twenty one men.
 Although the trans Atlantic steamers usually take defined course from all ac- counts the La Bourgogne was forty miles out of this track. The Cromartyshire was going along with reduced canvas and blow ing her fog horn. Suddenly out of the gloom loomed a great steamer, and with a crash the iron prov of the sailor plunged into the port side of the steamer just under the bridge.
 The shock was terrific and tore a tre- mendous hole in the steamer while the entire bow of the ship was demolished. The steamer plunged on into the fog again with her whistle crying for help and her rockets signaling distress
 Gall From the Steamer
 The Cromartyshire was rounded to, and her master, Captain Henderson, was con-. siderably relieved in finding that she was in no danger of sinking. Off to the east ward could be heard the hoarse call of the steamer and as the fog began to lift all the boats on the ships were launched. Half an hour after the collision the misty curtain went up giving a clear view for miles and then was that those on the rtx,c, Q awful struggle for life. On board the La Bourgogne the collision had come so suddenly and at such time in the morning that few besides her crew were on deck, but the shock reused nearly every one and within few min utes the decks were crowded. At times it seemed as though there was an attempt at discipline. few of the boats were swung off and some of the passengers all lowed to get into them, but as the steamer began to settle and list to port the officers lost control of the crew and panic en- sued. Passengers and crew fought for the boats and life rafts.
 The strong battered down the weak, the women and children being pushed far away from any hope of rescue. Fists, oars and even knives were used by some Of the demons to keep their places. The of- ficers seemed to have been powerless before their own men, and only four were saved. The fight for life on. the decks of the steamer did not last long, for in little more than half hour she gave long lurch to port and went down. The ship went beneath the surface, the vortex of waters sucked down everything within certain radius. When the suction ceased those alive saw about 25O bodies come out of the water with a rush as If the sea were giving up the dead after having swal- lowed the ship. But the struggle for life continued after the ship went down. Hun dreds still fioated about grasping for rafts, boats and wreckage in frantic endeavor to keep above water. Even then many of those in the boats, if the stories told are to be believed, showed their brutality by beating off those who attempted to climb aboard.
 Work Of Rescue
 By this time the small boats of the Cromartyshire had come up and the work of rescue began. The crew of the ship worked heroically and saved every one who had managed to keep above water, but
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