Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-07-15
SHIP SINKS AT Sea-.
Awful Horror Caused by COL
lisior in a Dense Fog.
OVER 600 DROWNED.
Disaster Occurred Off Sable Island on,
the Morning Of July 4.

Steamship La BourgoEne of the
French Transatlantic Line Goes to
the Bottom of the Atlantic-Out Of
Over SEQ Persons Aboard Only About
200 We're saved, and but One Woman
from the 800 on the Inflated Vessel.
Was Rescued.
Six hundred persons lost their lives the
morning Of July 4 us the result Of n col
lision between La Bourgogne and the
British ship Cromartyshire, and the
French liner lies ut the bottom of the sea.
q great hole in her side. The ships met
in a dense fog sixty miles south of Sable
Island. 1t was 5 o'clock in the morning
and the feeble rays of the newly risen sup
We're unable to even partially penetrate
the thick white mist that covered the
ocean like n garment. The Cromartyshirc
was towed into Halifax by the Allan line
steamer Grecian. a ragged wound in her
bow n the absence of two of her masts
Shove the violence of the impact With
the sunken vessel.
There were on board La Bourgogne 1871
frst cabin passengers, 125 second cabip
anu 2S0 third class passengers tor steer
age), making IL total of GIL passengers,
i'll addition to which there were 220 in the
crew, making n grand total of S31 souls
on board. The only woman saved out OF
3U women on hoard was Mrs. La Casse-
Wife of n professor of languages of Plain-
held, n. j. Among those saved We're the
pnrser, three engineers and thirty of tb"
crew which manned the luckless liner.
All the other officers of the ship We're
drowned. The Cromartyshirc's crow got
u terrible fright, but nom was lost. Great
service was done by those aboard in a
ing the remnant of the passengers md
crew of La B%ourgogne.
La B~ourgOgne is one of the best knogn
of all the French liners. She belonged to
the Compagnic Generate Transat!antique
and has carried thousands of persons to
Europe and back without a serious mis-
hap. She left New York Saturday, July
3, bound for Havre.
Shortly before the vessels came together
Mrs. Henderson, wife of the Cromarty-
shirc's captain, detected a steamers whis-
tie blowing on the port side. The Crom-
artyshire was sounding her foghorn at in
tervals of n minute. Mrs. Henderson
called the attention of her husbnnd to the
sounding of the whistle and n minute
later the mate. who was on watch, also
detected the sound. 1t came nearer and
nearer. Suddenly the huge hull of an
ocean steamer doomed up in the mist. 60.
ing about seventeen knots an hour. and
limos Immediately there was u fearful
crash.
Capt. Henderson. as socn as the collision
occurred. ordered the boats to he lowered
and the damage to be ascertained. AS it
was found that the Cr%olnartyshire was in
no immediate danger the Rritisher nut
about. The vessel with which they had
collided was at that time unknown. A
few minutes later her whistle was heard
and several rockets We're sent up. Capt.
Henderson replied in like manner think
ing the steamer was offering assistance,
hut in a few minutes all was quiet and
those on board began to realize the awful
results of the collision.
AT 5:3O the fog lifted and two boats
were seen approaching with only men ON
board. Later the weather cleared still
more and men We're to lc seen in every
direction clingins to wrcckagc ana font.
ing on life RATS. 1t was 81 terrible scene.
No pen can picture the appalling sight re-
vcaled to the oEl0okels when the curtain
of mist arose. The worl; of rescue was
commenced without n moments delay and
over 200 persons were picked up and taken
ahoard the ship.
When the ships struck they were off
Cape Sable. The passengers, with the.
sole exception of Prof. Ii, Case, were
below decks. Without warning came the
terrible shock. The struggles, swisling
water and terrible screams of the drown.
ing made the situation an a%we-irspiriag
one. never to lie forgotten. One man on
the La Boargogne, when she sunk, went
out of his mind and Jumped to IL watery
grave. Capt. Nunan. in command of the
Allan line steamer Grecian. to whose.
courage the Cromartysilire owed its COLI
duct to Il place of safety. declares TINT
La Bnurgogne vas less than five minutes
from the time of the collision in going to
the bottom.
ut was tho most appalling and most
sudden catastrophe it was ever my mis-
fortune to Witness" said Capt. Hender-
SOL of the C~romartyshire. There was
a crash. the sound of which was indescrib-
able. composed as it vas of the rending
apart of the stout oakcn ribs of the
French ship and the swapping asunder of
her iron bolts. Many leaped overheard
Immediately after Ole meeting of the yes.
sells. but our men were not among the
number of those who lost their heads. La.
Bourgogne turned slowly around two or.
three times. then seemed to 60 under with.
the rapidity Of n stone dropping into a
pool of water. We were in some danger.
from the whirlpool which followed the
disappearance of the transatlantic steam-
er. but managed to get out of reach of the.
vortex in time. 1t. however. engulfed.
scores Of shrieking human beings. whom
We could hardly see for the density of the.
fog. hut whose cries OF terror we could