The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-12
A IERRIBLE TALR
or SUFFERING, BRUTALITY, DE-
SPAR AND DEATH.


Most Horrible Sea Tragedies on Record
The dailies Of last Thursday told OF q
terrible accident. The dispatch which
tells Of it ID dated at Halifax, Nova
Scotia. and says:
1.-THE French steamer La Bourgogne,
of the Campagnie Generate Trans At
Iantique Line, with 725 souls on board,
was run down by the iron sailing ship
Cromarthyshire, so miles south of
Sable Island, during the early morn
ing Of July 4. and sunk within half an
hour, carrying with her over 500 Of her
passengers and crew. The balance,
who were not drawn down by the fear
full suction, struggled and fought for
life, until 1913 were at length rescued
from death by tho crew of the Gro
martyshire, which ship survived the
collision. A thick fog prevailed at the
time of the disaster.
II the words of the passengers who
were dragged aboard the Cromarty-
shire and later brought in to this port
by the steamer Grecian are to be be-.
lieved the last few minutes on board
the Bourgogne witnessed some of the
most terrible scenes Of horror and
cruelty that have bIotted the history
of q civilized race.
Instead Of the 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 RATS, battering the
helpless passengers away from their
only means of salvation, with the re
suit that the strong overceme the
weak, and the list Of one hundred and
sixTy.three saved contained the name
Of but one woman.
The fog was very dense and the big
iron ship was sailing along with re
duced and blowing the fog horn.
Suddenly out Of the fog rushed a great
steamer and in a moment there was q
fearful crash, the iron prov Of the ship
plugging into the port side Of the
steamer just under the bridge. The
shock was terrific and tore a tremen-
dous hole in the steamer, while the
entire bow Of the ship was demolished.
On board the Bourgogne the collision
had come at such a time in the morn
ing that few beside her crew were on
deck, but the shock reused nearly
every one and within a few minutes
the decks were crowded.
As the steamer began to settle and
list to port, the officers lost control Il
the crew and what was probably q
panic ensued. Passengers and crew
fought for the boats and life. RATS. II
was a fight to the death in itself, while
death in the waters stared every one
in the face. The strong battered>down
the weak, the women and children be
ing pushed far away from any hope Of
rescue. Fists, oars and even knives,
were used by some of the demons tc
keep their places.
The steamship created a Whirling
vortex as she sank, and such passen
gers as had been able to keep afoat by
means Of life preservers were sucked
down into the mighty whirlpool and
drowned. When suction ceased about
200 bodies came to the surface with &
rush. But the struggle for life still
continued after the ship went down
Hundreds (foated about grasping FOL
RATS, boats and wreckage in frantic
endeavor to keep above water. Ever
then. many of those in the boats, i
the stories told are to be believed
showed their brutality by beating of
many of those who attempted to climl
aboard.
By this time the small boats Of Til
Cromartyshire had come up and tht
work Of rescue began. The rew c
the ship worked heroically and savet
every one who had managed to keel
above water, but even then scores Eel
away from boats, RATS, and wreckage
exhausted, and were drowned. Il wa
all over in an hour, although for SOM
time after great pieces Of Wreckag
came shooting up from the bottom
marking the spot where the liner hat
gone down. But little attempt wa
made TO recover the bodies Of any 0
the i'll fated passengers or crew, AMI
the battered hulk at the bottom OF th
ocean win probably be forever thei
tomb.
Some Of the scenes enacted on boart
the La Bourgogne just after the coils
ion were terrible to witness. Mel
fought for positions In the boats lik,
raving maniaca, women were force,
back from the boats and trampIed b,
men who made self-preservation thei
a--E Ahsaok On AoanN Zn.a lo-m