The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-07

her master, Captain Henderson, was con-
slderapiy 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
an hour after the collision the misty curtain
went up, giving a clear view for miles and
then 1t was that those on the Cromarty-
SHIRE realized the fearful struggle for life:
On board the Bourgogne the collision had
come so sudden, and at such time IN the
morning that few besides nsr crew Were
were crowded
tempt at discipline. few of the boats
were swung off and some of the passengers
allowed TO get into them. But as the steam
er began to settle and list to port the offl-
GERS lost control of the crew and panic en-
sued. Passengers and crew fought for the
boats and life RATS. The strong battered
being pushed far away from any hope of
rescue. Fists, oars and open knives We're
places The officers seemed to have been
powerless before their own men, and only
four were saved. The fight for life on the the
in a little more than half an hour she gave
a long lurch to port and went down.
BODIES SHOT TO THE SURFACE.
AS the ship sank beneath the surface the
vortex OF the waters sucked down every
thing on the surface within a certain ra-
dius. When the suction ceased those still
water with a rush. as if the sea were giving
up the dead after having swallowed the
ship. But the struggle for life still contin-
ued after the ship went down. Hundreds
still Heated about grasping for RATS, boats
and wreckage, in frantic endeavor to keep
aboVe water. Even then many of these in
the boats, If the stories told are to be be-
neVed, showed their brutality by beating off
tnose who attempted to climb aboard.
by this time the small boats of the Gro
martyshire had come up and the work of
rescue began. The crew of the ship worked
managed to keep above water, but even
then scores fell away from boats. RATS and
WreckaSe, exhausted, and were drowned. 1t
was all over in an hour, although for some
time after great pieces of Wreckage came
shooting up from the bottom marking the
spot where the great liner had gone down.
But little attempt was made to recover the
bodies of any of the Inflated passengers CT
crew and the battered hulk at the bottom
OF the ocean will probably be their tomb.
In the afternoon the steamer Grecian
sighted coming from the westward and
rev hours afterward the Cromartyshire was
taken IN tow and arrived here this morn
ing;
not appear to be anybodys duty to look at
ter the launching of the boats. Those on the
port SIDE were not touched by the crew Peo-
pie climbed into them waiting to be
launched, but in short time the steamer
listed so rapidly it was impossible to do so.
Zurich declares that two of the life RATS
upon which people were saved, were cut
aqrlft by him. He was unable to move them
but they tumbed overheard when the
steamer slowly settled down by the stern
and starboard side, and the water advance
ing gradually drove the people forward
Finally men, women and children were
walking about on the port bow. The stern
was deep in the water and the bow in the
ar. Inc ship gave great plunge and hum
dreds of people were in the water, grabbing
at broken oars, bits of canvas, ETC., and
struggling mad Zurich went over the star
n rnf Nryhin oh he
climbed. He thinks that had the boats been
launched as soon as the steamer struck, sew
eral hundred who persisted, would have been
saved. Only one of the port boats. small
one, was launched That was the boat the
second purser escaped in. The lashings, of
the boat looked like they had not been dis
turbed for a long time. The fastenings on
the life RATS were stout ropes, which the
air drafts would not break when the ship
the Bourgogne with only few people in it.
LOST HIS SWEETHEART.
Fred Nyffier, a Swede, lost his sweetheart
through the boats not being cut away. The
girl had on a life belt but the suction of
the sinking ship was too powerful. He and
the young woman got into boat with many
Others waiting for the sailors to launch it,
The boat was finally capsized. and the girl
was lost. Nytfler climbed upon life raft,
which upset, and five We're drowned. for
there were many crowded on IL. The others
climbed upon the raft safely then.
Among the survivors are a small party
of Assyrians and Armenians. There were
Seventy-five AssyrianS in the party when it
left New York. All but eight persisted. One
of the eight lost his wife and two brothers
and ten other relatives. Another lost two
daughters. Only one of thirteen Armenians
survives. The ASsyrians were bound to their
homes near Damascus, and every one had
from $1O0 to $500 saved. They lost it all,
barely escaping in their pants and shirts
On board the Grecian, which towed the Gro
martyshire with the surviNo rs to Halifax,
hn Accx iara xxron 10 oh and
not be cOmforted.
The one surviving Armenian tells sor-
rowful tale of the drowning of an Armenian
priest and his family who had got into a
boat with some thirty other people. When
the end was certain and the boat was
abandoned to it's fate by the crew, who
made no effort to launch it, the priest stood
up and with uplifted hands prayed aloud.
Several French priests stood on the deck
during the sinking Of the steamer without
making an effort to save themselves and
gave absolution to large crowd of pas
sengers.
There are no survivors who saved more
than enough clothing to cover their naked
selves Nearly all lost all their savings, and
home to European lands. Consul Franklin
has information that one smokestack of the
steamer fell across a boat and smashed 1t
as it being launched There were about
forty persons in the boat. Three boats were
found after the ship sank, bottom up, and
in one, 1t was stated, were several dead
Patrick McKeown states that he heard of
one woman having had her throat cut and
being thrown out of the boat to tighten it.
He could not verify the story. AS one boat
was launched men pushed the women and
children aside and the captain threatened
to fire on them if they did not desist When
the steamer was about to take her final
plunge the captain blew the steam whistle
| in goodbye to the boats and he was shortly
| engulfed.
The surviving passengers and seamen
were embarked tonight for Boston on the
steamer Halifax and will arrive there Fri
day morning at daybreak. Large crowds
saw them off and threatening looks were
cast upon the seamen on account of the
| wild stories prevalent of women having
been tossed overheard from the boats and
men beaten off the life RATS A rumor
was in circulation that some of the crew
would be arrested arrival at Boston The
consul reports that one boat left La Bour-
gogne with only twelve AuStrians i'll it, who
refused TO allow six more in the boat, al
though it could accommodate fifty easily
These Austrians were a shipwrecked crew
bound for home.
LOG OF THE CROMARTYSHIRE.