When the first intelligence was published of the disastrous accident to the French Transatlantic liner ZL Bourgogne it was stated that the conduct of the French crew was cowardly in the extreme, and that no attempt was made to aid the unfortunate passengers. On Monday we published an account from the French side denying the charges categorically, while to-day on the other hand we print fom the San Francisco Chronicle statements by eyewitnesses to the effect that the conduct of some of the crew was nothing short of brutal, and that the Italian passengers behaved like madmen an'! committed murder in the rush to save their own lives. There statements must he taken for what they are worth, We make the following extracts from our Western contemporary Halifax (N. S.) 6th July.
Some of the scenes enacted on board the La Bourgogne just after the collision were terrible to witness. Men fought for positions in the boats like raving maniacs. Women were forced back from the boats and trampled on by men who made self-preservation their first object. Among them were a large number of the lower class of Italians and other foreigners, who, in their frenzy, stopped at nothing that promised safety for themselves, Ina boat was a party of forty women, but, so great was the panic, 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 hissing sound, went down.
An Italinu passenger drew " knife and made direct ut one who, like himself, wag endeavouring to reach' the boats. Iminediately his action was imitated in every direction. Knives were flourished and used with effect. Women and children wore driven back to inevitable death at the point of weapons, the owners of which were experts in their use. According to stories of the survivors women were stabbed like so many sheep.
Our correspondent interviewed nearly all the passengers who could speak English. One passenger said the officers and crow of Bourgoyne neglected the passengers entirely. Thie second officer was the only man of the crew who did anything to helj the terrified and helpless passengers, cut loose all the boats he could, and, in fact, all the boats that were launched were launched by the brave second officer. Ho was Inst seen standing on the deck with to certain death, his hand on the rigging, going resigned; The wife of Captain Henderson of the sailing ship Cromartyshire which collided with the ill-fated liner, the Chronicle's correspondent says, showed great courage and presence of mind. Though it was early morning hen sh heard the big steamer's whistle through the fog, she rose, dressed ier children and hurried to the desk, to be ready for any emergency. Her story of the cowardice and savagery of many of the survivors of La Bourgogne is one of tha most thrilling tales of the great disaster, Mrs. Henderson, who had ample op~ portunity of interviewing those who were. rescued expressed her belief from what. she heard that there had -been no effort to. save the women.
The crew of the Cromartyshire comment: freely upon the fact that only one woman. was saved out of 300.
There were nearly 800 souls on board the-La Bourgogne and of the 265 saved it is a-notable fact that 108 were members-of the: crew.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.