The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-07-16
HUNDREDS GO DOWN.
French Line Steamer La Bourgopne
Collides with British Ship.
Disaster Occurs 90 Miles on sable
Islands-Of TIA Passengers and
Crew Hut 1875 Are Rescued
Terrible Scenes Witnessed.

TerrtDie scenes Witnessed.
Halifax. N. s.. July LA Boureoen.
with $40 persons. lies in 1000 feet of water
90 miles south of Inflated Sable island
The Atlantic steamship of the Campagnie
Generate Transatlantlque was sunk al Ave
o'clock on the morning of July in collision
with the British ship Cromartyshire.
dense fog prevailed. or the ia passen-
gers and members of the crew on board a
Bourgogne 165 were saved by the Cromartv-
shire. which, though badly injured and
having II feet Of water in the foresp eak,
lay to.
Only one woman was saved from Tn
Bourgogne, Mrs. a. d. La Case, OF Plain
field. N. ]. In the first mad rush of ma
gers and crew after the collision the wom-
en- and children were forsaken. Courage
was thrown to the winds. Steerage mas
sengers and the crew fought their way past
the women and children and laid hold OF
whatever would sustain them in the sea
until aid came.
Fought for Their Lives.
Some of the scenes enacted on board a
Bourgogne just after the collision were
terrible to witness. Men fought for posi-
tions In the boats like raving maniacs.
women were forced back from the boat
and trampled by men who made self-pres-
ervation their first object. On board were
a large number of the lower class of ItaI-
ians and other foreigners, who, In their
frenzy. stopped at nothing that promised
safety for themselves. In one boat was n
party OF 40 women. but so great was the
panic that not a hand was raised TO assist
in its launching. The occupants. so nearly
saved, were drowned like rats when the
ship, with an awful kissing sound, went
down.
Knives Used In Frenzy.
So desperate was the situation that an
italian passenger drew his knife an made
direct at one who. like himsdlf was en-
deavoring to reach the boats Immediately
his action was initiated in every direction.
Knives were fiourished and used with ef-
feet Women and children were driven
back to inevitable death at the point OF
weapons, the owners of which We're ex-
perts In their use. According to stories of
survivors, women were stabbed like so
many sheep.
One Heroic Omcer.
One passenger said the officers and crew
of La Bourgogne neglected the passen-
gers entirely. The second officer was the
only man OF the crew who did anything TO
help the terrified 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
certain death
story of the Wreck.
The disaster occurred at five o'clock In
the morning OF Monday, July t. about so
miles south of Sable island. which lies
nearly hundred miles off this port. The
Bourgogne had left New York bound for
Havre on the previous Saturday. while the
Cromartyshire was on her way over from
Glasgow with crew of q men. The fog
was very dense and the Cromartyshire
MI
blowing the foghorn. Suddenly out OF the
fog rushed Ia great steamer. and in a mo-
ment there was fearful crash the iron
Prov Of the ship plunging into the port side
of the steamer just under the bridge.
The shock was terrific. and tore "A tre-
mendous hole in the steamer, while the en-
tire bow of the ship was demolished. The
steamer plunged on into the fog again, her
whistle crying for help and her rockets
signaling her distress. The Cromartyshire
was rounded to. and her master, Capt
Henderson was considerably relieved In
finding that she was in no danger OF sink
ing. on to the eastward could be heard the
hoarse call OF the steamer and as the
fog began to life all the boats on the ships
were launched
Half an hour after the collision the misty
curtain went up, giving clear view for
miles, and then II was that those on the
Cromartyshre realized the awful strug-
gle for life. on board the Bourgogne the
collision had come so suddenly and at such
Il time In the morning that few besides
the crew were on deck. But the shock
reused nearly everyone, and within few
minutes the decks were crowded AT first
II seemed as " there was some attempt at
discipline. A few of the boats were swung
Off and some OF the passengers allowed to
get into them. But as the steamer began
TO settle and list TO port the officers lost
control of the crew and n panic ensued.
Passengers and crew fought for the boats
and life RATS. Then followed the scenes
described above.
The fight for life on the decks of the
steamer did not last long. for in a little
more than half an hour she gave long
lurch to port and went down. As the ship
sank beneath the surface the vortex of the
water sucked down everything on the sur
face within a certain radius. When the sue
tion ceased, those still alive saw about 200
bodies come out OF the water with II rush,
as II the sea were giving up the dead after
having swallowed the ship. But the strug-
gle for life still continued after the ship
went down. Hundreds still foated about
for RATS, boats and wreckage In
frantic endeavor to keep above water
Even then, many of those in the boats. IL
the stories told are to be believed. showed
their brutality by beating off those who at
to climb aboard.
By this time the small boats of the Gro
had come up and the work of
rescue began, The crew of the ship worked
heroically and saved everyone who had
managed to keep above water. but even
then scores fell away from boats, RATS
and wreckage, exhausted. and were
drowned. 1t was all over In an hour, al
though for some time after great pieces OF
wreckage came shooting up from the bot
TOM marking the spot where the great Z
liner had gone down. But little attempt
was made to recover the bodies OF any OF
he Inflated passengers or crew. and the
battered hulk at the bottom of the ocean /
will probably be their tomb. In the after
noon the steamer Grecian was sighted COM
ng from the westward, and "A few hours
ifterward the Cromartyshire was taken in
ow and arrived here this morning.