Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-07-07
sroRYloF THE WRECK.
CONTINUED from pags ~

raised. giving a clear view for miles
and then It was that those on the Gro
martyshire saw the fearful struggle for
life.
On board the Bourgogne, the collision
han come so suddenly and at such a time
In the morning that Jew besides her crew
were on deck. but the shock aroused
nearly everyone and within few min
utes the decks were crowded with strug-
Cling. terrified passengers.
AT first 1t seemed as IL there WAS some
attempt at discipline. IA few Of the boats
were swung of and some of the passen-
gers allowed to get into them. But as
the steamer began to settle and list to
port, the officers lost control Of the crew
and what was probably panic ensued.
Passengers and crew fought for the
boats and life RATS. and 1t was a fight
TO the death in itself while death in the
waters stared everyone In the face. The
strong battered down the weak. the wo-
men and chit1ren being pushed far away
from any hope OF rescue.
Fists, oars and even knives were used
by some of the demons to keep their
places. The officers seemed to have been
powerless before their own men and only
four were saved. The fight for life on the
decks of the steamer did not last long.
for in little more than half an hour she
gave long lurch to port and went down.
e As the ship sank beneath the surface.
the vortex of the waters sucked down
everything on the surface within a GER
1okA
when the suction ceased, those still alive
saw about 200 bodies come up out of the
water with rush, as II the sea were
giving up the dead after having swal-
lowed the ship.
But the struggle for life still continued
after the ship went down. Hundreds still
fioated about, graspins at RATS, boats
and wreckage, in frantic. endeavors to
keep above water. Even then, many Of
those in the boats. If the stories are to
be believed, showed their brutality by
beating off many of those who attempted
to climb aboard.
by this time the small boats of the
Cromartyshire had come up and the work
of rescue began. The crew of the ship
worked heroically and saved every one
who had managed to keep above water.
but even then scores fell away from the
boats, RATS and wreckage exhausted, and
were drowned
1t was all over in an hour, although
for some time after great pieces of
wreckage came shooting up from the bot
tom, marking the spot where the great
liner had gone down.
But little attempt was made to recover
the bodies of any of the Inflated passen-
gers or crew, and the battered hulk at
the bottom of the ocean will probably be
forever their tomb.
Along in the afternoon, the steamer
Grecian was sighted coming from the
westward, and a few hours after the
Cromartyshire was taken in tow and ar
rived here, this morning.
The surviving passengers and seamen
were embarked, tonight, for Boston, on
the steamer Halifax. and will arrive
there. Friday morning at daybreak.
Large crowds saw them off and threaten
ing looks were cast upon the seamen on
account of the wild stories prevalent of
women having been tossed overheard
from the boats and men beaten off the
life RATS. A rumor was in circulation
that some of the crew would be arrested
on arrival at Boston.
The consul reports that one boat left
La Bourgogne with only u Austrians in
it, who refused to allow any more in the
boat, although it could easily accommo-
date so. Those Austrians was ship
wrecked crew bound for home.