Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-07-09

direct the eUoTts VI tHe cTeW W 'huIlNl
the boats. There was little response
to the orders OF the officers. The crew
seemed paralyzed to act Matters We're
quiet and there was no panic at first.
Golden moments slipped away, ana the
decks were becoming more and more
crowded with frightened people, emerg-
ing from cabins and compa nionWays. |
The steamer was listing and settling, |
and then q wild fear seized on the
throng, and the people lost their reason
and really went mad Mrs. Lacasse
was separated from her husband in the
scramble. and the steamer listed 50 bad
~ that she slid down the declvsty of
the deck and into the water. She had
taken the precaution, at her husbands
direction. to put on Il life belt before
leaving her stateroom. and shortly after
being thrown into the sea was seized bv
the arm and drawn upon the life rait.
Her savior was her husband. A mo-
ment later the Inflated steamer us
appeared, and a whirlpool encircied the
spot where the noble craft mad been.
Everybody around the edge of tn" N"r-
tex was drawn in, and the unfortunates
.lisappeared in twos and threes with dis
DISAPPEARED in twos and threes with des-
IN the edge of the maelstrom. but some
thing struck her and threw her OUTSIDE
the dangerous Whirlpool and the next
she knew she was on the lfeFatt. n
boat containing 40 women was tapsizeo'
and all went down in the whirlpool.
There was not one man in this boat, ana
II was left fast to the daNitS. Some OF
the women were trying to cut the ropes
when the steamer careened deeper ana
capsized the boat. Mrs. Lacasse says
a moment after the steamer was en-
quilted men, women and children rose on
every hand from the whirlpool. and the
SIGHT of the faces and the arms and
shrieks was so terrible that she will re-
member them to her dying day.
Charles Duttwe!,era got to BOAT
which was lied to the ship and stayed III
| II until he saw it was certa in death To
remain any longer. He jumped, but
was carried down in the whirlpool made
NV the sinking steamer. He was in the
water half an hour, when boat came
! within reach and he attempted to enter
it, but the wretches in 1t showed MN
off with boathooks. His left eye Is
badly cut by the jabs he received. lie
saw women showed away from poats
with oars and boathooks when clinglng
for dear life to the life lines OF the rafls
and lifeboats. He also says the crew
assaulted many passengers with any
implement that came handy. and, II no
instrument was to be had, punched the
men and women helpless in the water
with their fists
One of the most important witnesses
will be John Burgi, who got into boat
before the ship sank with his aged
mother The sailors in the boat heid
him and threw his mother into the water
to meet a watery grave. The sailors
threw him out five times, beat him with
oars and showed him under the boat. He
was i'm the water nine hours before ne
was saved by a boat from the Cromarty-
shire.
Matthew Zurich said: II was on
deck at the time. Everything was going
about smoothly. although it was very
foggy, when saw ship loom up right
in front OF us. She was actually scrap
ing the starboard side of La BOurgogne
and when she was few yards astern
saw her masts falling overheard.
heard people on board shout in English
, and knew it was British vessel. rar
forward to see what had happened
} The steamers starboard side was broker
in to the waters edge, the plates were
cracked and warped. and the rVet:
broken and drawn. The hole was eigh
or 10 feet in width, and the water wa:
= pouring in fast. Then l went aft again
+ but could not see anyone in charge, onl!
a horror stricken crowd of passengers
> No commands were being given and M
5 system prevailed. l went to the hurri
cane deck and started to cut away tn
awning from boat there. While wa
l doing so along came some sailors o
firemen and cut away two life RATS ant
! two boats. l had my boat nearly clear
+ but lust then was driven from tn
. boat. / went farther on and saw raj
h on skids. BY this time the steame
e was SO badly listed that one could no
g walk straight; in fact, could hardl
+ keep on foot. I was chased away fror
z the raft and ran aft again, and / say
= some men passengers. 10 or IL, get boa
q around. Someone called to cut the for
q ward guy from the davits and did sc
d Men, women and children were
d around calling upon God for help. bl1
:, only God could help them; man coul
= not. Oh, it was pitiful sight"
=. Among the survivors Is a small part
a. of Assyrians and Armenians. Their
O were 70 Assyrians In the party when
e left New York; all but eight persisted
" One of the eight lost his wife, tw
lie brothers and 10 other relatives. Al
e other lost two daughters. Only one {
n Is Armenians survives. The Assyriar
T.. were bound to their homes near Damas
Gus, and everyone had had from 500
A. 5000 saved. They lost it all, barely es
n GAPING in pants and shirt. The Assyr
Is ans wept like children and could not
W comforted. Some of them, melanchol
e with grief, have not tasted food sine
le The surviving Armenian tells sorrow
d full tale of the drowning Of an Armenia
1t priest and his family who had got into
st port boat with 30 other people. Whe
lie the end was certain and the boat wa
he abandoned to its fate by the crew, WI
lie made no effort to launch 1t, the prize
ne stood up and with uplifted hands praye
a, aloud.
Boston, July 1T was learned at IL
e. office of the French Line Steamsh
III company in this city that at least nil
es passengers on the La Bourgogne regi
IN tered from this city The fOllowil
II. were found: Minnie Connors buy
I'd for HOvey & Co.; Albert Weiss, mus
teacher, Roxbury; Leon POrteau. m
sican his wife and Mrs. VallarC
is mother of Mrs. POrteau: Leon Jacqu'
in musician. his wife and infant Ro
+. bury; Vert ArrOuet mOdiste, BostO
no Rev. w. G. Webster, Providence.
in AS soon as news of the disaster l.
as came known a rumor was started tn
I'd. at least Is members of the Boston SyI
he phony orchestra were on board.
st appeared, however, that only three
nd the players were included among t
H. nassenRers They were MeSSrS. Wei