The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-07
MRS. HENDERsoN's STORY.
Wife of the CrOmartyshire's Captain
Tells of Thrilling Experiences.

Wife of the CrOmartyshire's Captain
Tells of Thrilling Experiences.
HALIFAX, N. S., July 6.-Mrs. Hender-
son, wife of the captain, was on board the
Cromartyshre. with her two children. She
tells thrilling story of the terrible expe-
rience. The weather was foggy, and she
had risen from her bunk at an early hour,
as was heI custom when the weather was
thick. Shortly before the vessels came to-
gether she detected a steamers whistle
blowing on the port side of the vessel. The
Cromartyshire was sounding her fog horn
at intervals of one minute Mrs. Henderson
called the attention of her husband to the
sounding of the whistle, and a minute later
the mate, who was on the watch, also de-
tected the sound. 1t came nearer and near
er, and Mrs Henderson stood near the cab
in in order to rescue her children should a
disaster occur. Suddenly the huge hull CT an
ocean steamer doomed up in the mist, going
about seventeen knots an hour Almost i'm
mediately there was a fearful crash, and
Mrs. Henderson rushed below and found
her children awakened by the shock. She
dressed the little ones as quickly as posi-
BILE and removed them to the deck, expect
lag to see her own ship go down any min
ute. Captain Henderson, as soon as the col
lision occurred, ordered the boats to be low
cred and the damage to be ascertained. AS
it was found that the Cromartyshre was
in no immediate danger. the Britisher put
about. The vessel with which they had col
lided was at that time unknown. few min
utes later her whistle was heard and sew
eral rockets were sent up. Captain Hender-
son replied in like manner, thinking the
steamer was offering assistance, but in
few minntaS oil
board began to realize the awful results of
the collision. At $50 o'clock the fog lifted
and two boats were seen approaching with
only one man on board. Later the weather
cleared still more and men were to be seen
in every direction clinging to wreckage and
floating on life RATS. 1t was a terrible
sight. No one can picture the appalling
sight revealed to the onlookers when the
curtain of mist arose. The work of rescue
was commenced without moments delay,
and over 200 persons were picked up and
taken on board the ship.
Mrs. Henderson, who had ample oppor-
tunity of reviewing those who were rescued.
expressed her belief from what she heard
that there had been no effort to save the
women. There were many foreigners on
board who fought for places in the boats
1t was fully ten minutes to a quarter of an
hour before La Bourgogne went down, and
during that time there was ample opportun-
ity offered to rescue at least some of the
women and children. AS it was, only one
woman, Mrs La Case, was saved She has
been on board ever since. She is the wife
o. A. ID. La Case, teacher of languages
at Plainfleld N. j.
The crew of the Cromartyshire comment
freely on the fact that only one woman was
out Q
first-class passengers were lost, those saved
being steerage and sailors. La Case and,
his wife were in the water eight hours |
clinging to a raft, before they were picked
up by boat from the Cromartyshire. They
lost everything but what they stood in, in
Guiding money and vauables. One passen-
ger was going home to France with his two
children, his wife having died a month pre-
viously. He was saved, but his two babies
went down with the ship. Mrs. Henderson
says the officers bravey stayed by their
posts, going down with the ship. The only
officer saved was the purser. He went down,
but being a strong swimmer, managed to
save himself.
When the ships colided they were off
Cape Sable. The passengers, with the sole
exception of Prof La Case, were below
decks. Without warning came the terrible
shock. La Case rushed in haste to his
state room on the saloon deck and got his
wife out of bed and partly dressed. They
FASTENED on deck only to be preciptated
into the water. They were not long in the
water. however when they found a partly
submerged raft on which La Case lifted his
unconscious wife and chung to ii himself
Some of the beats, La Casse says cap
sized and all on board were drowned The
struggles, swishing water and terrible
Of fhn tIa eft
an awe-inspiring one, never to be- forgot
ten.
On the morning of the collision Captain
Henderson was on the poop with his third
mate, A. c. Stewart. Sailor Haley was on
the lookout and First officer killman was
also on the forecastle deck. The Cromarty-
shire was making about five knots an hour,
with several sails set, and taking in all the
time. Not a sound was heard until the
lookout, Haley, saw large steamer half
ships length ahead on the port bow In an
instant the Cromartyshire's jibboom struck
the Bourgogne's bridge and the sailing yes
sci crashed into the liner, slowing big
hole near. the engine room. The Bourgogne
scraped the whole length of the Cromarty-
shire's port side and then, she veered Off
whistles soi for assistance. Third Nate
Stewart, Of the Cromartyshire, says
the Cromartyshire was another ship and
that it ia Bourgogne) had sunk the collid-
ing vessel. The boats were sent out and
nearly two hundred people were saved. AT
the time of the collision, Mr.. Stewart says,
La Bourgogne must have been going at the
rate of eighteen or nineteen knots an hour
through a dense fog. shutting off everything
more than twenty yards away. About three
hours after the Cromartyshire picked up
the survivors, the Allan line Grecian was
sighted and took the Cromartyshire in tow.
About o'clock that evening, three miles
away Third Mate Stewart heard shots and
saw rockets go up and blue lights, the signs
of distress burning. The Grecian signalled
to the Cromartyshire that she was going 10
assist the vessel signalling. In few min
utcs however. the firing ceased and no more
rockets were discharged. the vessel certainly
having sunk Captain La Case, one of the
survivors, is of the opinion that there was
a third vessel in the collision. ats he saw
the Bourgogne sink within ten minutes,after
the collision
MRS. LACASsE'S ESCAPE.