The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-07-13

panic ut first. Golden moments We're
slipping away and the decks We're be
coming more and more crowded with
frightened people emerging from cabins
and companionways.
The steamer was listing and setting.
and then Il wild fear seized on The
throug and the people lost their reason
and really went mad.
Mrs. La Casse was separated iron
her husband in the scramble and the
steamer listed so badly she slid down
the declivity Of the deck and into the
water. She had taken the precautlon
at her husbands direction, to put OF a
lifebelt before leaving her staterool::
and shortly after being thrown luto tne
sea was seized by the arm and drawn
upon the life raft. Her savior was her
husband. A moment later the llI-tated
steamer disappeared aud = Whirlpool
eneirtlaG yt.e spot where the noble craft
had beea Everybody around the vor-
tex was drawn into it. The water rush
ed around. faster ana faster, and he
uGfortunates disappeared in t"o= 4nd
,hrccs with despairins cries
Some ufJhe scenes enactr;! "; board
the La Bourgpgne just after Ike coils
ion were terrible to witness. icn
fought for position in the boats like
raving uaniacs. Women wr:c forced
back from the boats and tramp!cd by
men who ma,ie >etf-l,reScr'a;lon 5Ee'r
first object. On board We're 4 large
number of lower class oi Italians and
other foreigners. who III their frenzy
stopped at nothing that promised safe
ty for themselves In boat was i
party OF forty women, but so great WAS
the panic that no hand was raised TO
assist in its launching. The occupants.
50 near saved were drowned like rats
when the ship. with an awful Kissing
sound. went down. So desperate was the
situation that an Italian passenger
drew his knife and made direct at enc
who like himself WAS cndcavorlns to
reach the boats. Immediately his ac-
ton was initiated in every direction
Knives were fourishcd and used with
effect. Women and children were
driven back to inevitable death at the
point of weapons. the owners of which
were experts in their use According
to stories of survivors, women were
stabbed like so many sheep.
The scene on the water was even
worse. Many of the unfortunates who
were struggling in the water attempted
to drag themselves into the boats or on
RATS. These were pushed back into a
watery grave. Here, too, knives were
used freely. Not all Of the dead met
death by drowning. Christopher Brun-
son saw sailor belonging to the La
Bourgogne strike passenger over the
head with bar and kill him. The
body dropped into the water. The pas
senger grabbed the boat in which the
sailor,,was and attempted to geton board.
The correspondent interviewed near
ly all the passengers who could speak
English. One passenger said the Off
GERS and crew of La-Bourgogne neglect
ed the passengers entirely. The sec
ond officer was the only man OF the
crew who did anything to help the ter
rifed and helpless passengers. He cut
loose all the boats he could, and in fact,
all the boats that were launched were
launched by the brave second officer.
He was last seen standing on the deck
with his hand on the rigging going
resignedly to death.
Christopher Brunini, 4 passenger.
was thrown into the water and swan
for two hours before he found 4 boat.
He clung to this as his last hope. At
ter some time, another man got hold of
the same boat, and together they man
aged to right it. Under the seats they
found the dead bodies of four men and
three women, who had evidently been
drowned by the capsizlng Of the boat.
Brunini said the crew were cruel IN
their conduct toward the passengers.
He was unable to get in the steamer 5
boats when he came on deck. being
showed away BY the sailors. He lost
everything but what he stood in. Me
helini Secondo, an Italian stee-age
passenger. IS among the saved. He
came across boat which he tried to
get into. He evidently succeeded. but
not before a desprate fight with her
crew. He was battered with oars and
showed away with boat hooks. He
managed TO seize an oar, however, and
pulled himself to the boat and climbed
in. August Pourgi was eager to give
this correspondent an account Of his ex-
perience He was in the water about
half an hour and attempted 10 get into
boat. He was seized when he man
aged to get half in and thrown back
into the water. Again he tried to en-
ter the boat, but the inhuman savases
who manued it were determined to
keep him out. He managed 1t last to
get in and stay in. Clinging to the
life line Of boat not far away, he
saw his mother, and as if his trials were
not enough, he was forced to watch a
man shove her deep into the ocean
with an oar She was drowned, He said
the man was saved.
Other tales Of horror were told By
survivors.
CERVERA'S REPORT.