The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-08

Halifax, N. S., July 6.-The French
steamer La Bourgogne, of the Com
pangnie Generate Transatlantique
line with 725 souls on board was run
down by the iron sailing ship Gro
martyshire, sixty miles south Of Sable
Island during the early morning of
July 4th and sunk within half an
hour, carrying with her over 500 of
her passengers and crew. The bal
ance, who were not drawn down by the
fearful suction struggled and fought
for life until 1863 were at length res
cued from death by the crew of the
Cromartyshire, which ship survived
the collision. A thick fog prevailed
at the time of the disaster.
The story of the fearful accident of
the officers and crew who were saved
is yet to be told, but if the words of
the passengers who were dragged
aboard the CrOmartyshire and, later,
brought into this port by the steamer
Grecian are to be believed the last
few minutes on board the BOurgOgne
witnessed some of the most terrible
scenes of horror and cruelty that have
blOtted the history of a civilized race.
Instead of the discipline which has
often been the 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 result
that the strong Overcame the weak
and the list of 163 save contained the
name of but one woman.
The BOurgogne had left New York
bound for Havre on Saturday July
2Gth while the Cromartyshire was on
her way from Glasgow with crew of
twenty-one men.
Although the transatlantic steam
ers all have a definite course, the
BOurgOgne was to all accounts, forty
miles or more to the north of these
lines.
The fog was very dense and the big
iron ship was sailing along with re-
duced canvas and blowing the fog
horn. Suddenly our Of the fog rush
ed g great steamer and in moment
there was fearful crash, the iron
prov of the ship plunging into the
port side of the steamer under the
bridge.
The shock was terrific and tore a
tremendous hole in the steamer while
the entire bow of the ship was demOl-
ished The steamer plunged on into
the fog again, her whistle crying for
help and her rockets signalling her
dire distress.
The log of the Cromartyshire, sign
ed by Captain Henderson is as fol-
;. lows:
"On July 4th at a. m, dense fog, po-
sition of ship sixty miles south OF Sable
healing about w. n. w, through un-
G der reduced canvas, going about four
aor five knots per hour. Our fog horn
"a was being kept going regularly, every
minute. At that time heard steam
aer's whistle on our weather side or
port beam, which seemed to be near
ling very fast. We blew horn and
were answered by the steamers
whistle when all of a sudden she
1iGomed through the fog on our port
Aiow and crashed into lis, going at a
terrific speed. Our foretopmast and
xsain topgallant mast came down
h ringing wiki it yards and everything
n ttached. / Immediately ordered the
ho ats out and went to examine the
dal mage. / found that our bows were
con Npletely curt off and that the plates
wer, , twisted into every conceivable
shap e, The other ship disappeared
throu gh the fog. However, our ship
was f eating on her collision bulkhead
so the ve seemed no immediate dan
ger of her sinking. We set TO work
immedia tefy to clear the wreckage and
also ship our starboard anchor which
was hanging over the starboard bow
and in dan; ger of punching holes in the
how. We lceard a steamer blowing
her whistle on coming back and we
answered with our fog horn. The
steamer then threw up a rocket and
fred a shot We also threw up some
rockets and fred several shots but we
neither saw nor heard anything more
of the steamer.
Shortly after, or about 5: 80 O'Clock,
the fog lifted somewhat and we saw
two boats pulling towards us with
the French flag flying. We signalled
them to come alongside and found that
the steamer WAS the LaBourgOgne
from New York for Havre, and that
she had gone down. We laid to all
dav and received on board about 200
survivors from amongst the passen-
gers and crew, reported to be in all
about 6O0. Several of these passengers