Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-07

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Every direction. Knives were fiourished
anu useo with effect. Women and chill
uten were driven back 10 inevitable death
a. 'nc point Of weapons, the owners OF
"H'oh were experts in their use. Ac-
CORNING 10 stories Of survivors, women
We're stabbed like so many sheep.
Inc scene on the water was even worse.
Many OK the u~nfortunates who were strug-
ghng In the water attempted 10 drag
tnemseiVes into the boats or on RATS.
Ihese were pushed back into a watery
grave. Here, too, knives were used freely.
NOT ALL THE DEAD DRowNED.
Not all the dead met death by drown
Ing. Christopher Brunon saw a sailor
belonging TO La Bourgogne strike a pas
serger over the'head with a bar and kill
him. The body dropped into the water.
The passenger grabbed the boatin which
the sailor was and attempted TO get on
board.
With the exception OF two passengers,
Professor Lacasse and his wife, all the
rescued passengers OF the Bourgogne are
aboard the steamer Grecian at the Gu
nard wharf. The crew were also on
board that steamer. All the crew are
collected by themselves in the forward
part OF the deck, and are anything but
pleasant-looking. The officer Of the
gangway looked at them with a scowl,
and said that II he had his way they
would all have been hanged to the yard
arm long ago.
PASSENGERS NEGLECTED.
TIL correspondent interviewed nearly
all the passengers who could speak Eng
lish. One passenger said the officers and
crew of La B%ourgogne neglected the pas
sengers entirely.
ONE BRAVE OFFICER.
The second officer was the only man CT
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 tho deck, with
his hand on the rigging, going r~esignedly
to death.
Christopher Brunini, n passenger, was
thrown into the water and swan for two
hours before he found a boat. He clung
to this as his last hope. After some
time, another man got hold of the same
boat, and together they managed to right
ii. Under the seats they found the dead
bodies Of four men and three women,
who had evidently been drowned by the
capsizing Of the boat.
CREW MOST CRUEL.
Runini said the crew were cruel IN
their conduct toward the passengers. lie
was unable to get in the steamers boats
when he came on deck, being showed
away by the sailors. He saw many OF
his friends being prevented from getting
into the boats by the sailors. He lost
everything but what he stood in.
Mehelini Seeondo, an Italian steerage
passenger, is among the saved. He came
across a boat which he tried to get into.
He eventually succeeded, but not before
he had a desperate fight with her crew.
He was battered with oars and showed
away with boat-hooks. He managed 10
seize an oar, however, and pulled himself
TO the boat and climbed I'm.
August Pourgi was eager TO give your
correspondent an account OF his expe-
rience. He was in the water about half
an hour, and attempted TO get into a
boat. He was seized when he managed
to get half in, and thrown back into the
water.
INHUMAN SAVAGES.
Again he tried 10 enter the boat, but
the inhuman savages who manned it
were determined to keep him out. He
managed at last TO get i'm and to stay
in. Cllnging to the lifeline OF q boat
not far away, he cav his mother, and,
as If his trials were not enough, he was
forced TO watch a mar shove her deep
into the ocean with an oar. She was
drowned. He said the man was saved.
other tales of horror were told by sur
vivors.
THE OFFICIAL ACCOUNT.
The log of the Cromartyshire, signed
by Captain Henderson, is as follows:
"On July 4th. at 5 A. NJ, dense fog;
position OF ship, sixty miles south OF
GaB1a leland. chin hr ufnH IN the mort
tack, heading about west northwest;
though under reduced canvas, going about
four or five knots per hour. Our foghorn
was being kept going regularly every
minute.
"At that time heard steamers whistle
on our weather side or port beam, which
seemed TO be nearing very fast. We blew
her and were answered by steamers
whistle. when, all OF a sudden, she loom
ed through the fog on our port bow and
crashed into us, going at a terrific speed.
Our foretopmast and m-aintopgallant
mast came down, bringing with IT yards
and everything attached. l Immediately
ordered the boats out, and went to ex-
anime the damage. l found that our
bows were completely cut off. and that
the plates were twisted into every con-
ceivable shape.
THE SHIP DISAPPEARED.
''The other ship Disappeared through
the fog. However, our ship was floating
on her collision b~ulkhead, so there SEEM
ed no immediate danger Of her sinking.
We set TO work Immediately to clear the
wreckage and also to ship our starboard
anchor, which was hanging over The star
board bow and 81 danger Of punching
holes in the bow.
I'VE heard a steamer blowing her
whistle on coming back, and we an
swered with our f~og-horn. The steamer
then threw up a rocket and fired a shot.
We also threw up some rockets and fired
several shots, but we neither saw nor
heard anything.
shortly after, or about $50 A. NJ,
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 la BourgOgne. from New
York for Havre, and that she had gone
down. We laid TO ali day, and received
on board about 200 survivors from among
the passengers and crew, reported to be
in all about coo.
PASSENGERS ON RATS.
Several of the passengers were on life
RATS. without oars, and l called for
volunteers from among my crew and
the surviving French seamen to bring
those RATS alongside the ship. Some OF
the passengers and > seamen from tho
sunken steamer assisted as, and we jet
t.soned some thirty-six tons of cargo
from our forehold in order TO tighten the
ship. AZ 3 u. NJ. another steamer hove