Shortly before five o'clock on the morning of July 4, 1898, La Bourgogne, en route from New York to Le Havre, collided with the British tall ship Cromartyshire about 110 km south of Sable Island off the coast of Nova Scotia. Although the area was enveloped in thick fog, the French liner and the British vessel were both traveling at full speed. Since the days immediately following the tragedy, very heavy accusations began to be launched against the crew and her conduct during the shipwreck. If in fact among the 506 passengers embarked there were only 69 survivors, of whom only one woman and no children, among the 220 sailors there were 104 survivors. Several surviving passengers testified that sailors during the evacuation had threatened them with knives to secure a place on a lifeboat. The behavior of the officers was different, and they remained in their posts until the ship sank. Among the victims were many Americans, but also Italian emigrants returning home.