The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-01-15
THE DEUTSCHLAND.

citizen of Dallas, arrived home last
night after trip the experiences of
which he would not like to undergo In
II hurry. After spending some weeks
very agreeably with his friends and
relatives in the Vaterland, he started
early in December on his return to
America, engaging passage In the
steamer Deutschland, the loss of which
vessel, with Il large number of
lives, has already been chronicled in
the papers. From n conversation with
Mr.. II. last night we gained the fol-
lowing details of the disaster and n
glimpse of the shocking scenes attend
ant upon 1t.
The Deutschland belonged to the
North German Lloyds line of mail
steamship, sailing between Bremerha-
ven and New York, via southampton
AS is customary with vessels OF that
line she was in charge of competent
officers, fully manned, and was in
every manner fully equipped for the
voyage which ended almost before II
had begun. The Deutschland sailed
from her home port on the morning Of
Sunday, December 5th, and at an early
hour of the morning Of Monday, the
9Th, struck upon a bank in the
English channel not far from
Dover, Though most of the rescued
passengers were landed at Harwich)
and became an entire wreck, the ship
breaking up within II few hours after
striking. The scene was IL frighttul
one, the sea making clean breech
over the vessel, every roller washing
overheard one or more of the unfortu-
nate people who were striving to main
tain their hold In positions of fancied
temporary safety. Mr.. Hamm says
that the survivors have nothing but
praise for the officers ofthe Deutschland
but tells of sucken rioting on the part
of the sailors as to make one doubt the
evidence, ia spite of its apparent
truthiulness. Trunks were broken
open, dead bodies were robbed, and
there seemed no limit to violence on
the part of the perpetrators. The sail
ors fought for their plumber in the
midst of the dead, without let or hind
rance.
Of the events of the night Mr..
EIamin thus speaks: We retired
about eleven O'clock and were awaken
ed at half past five that Monday morn
ing by grating sound and the stop
page of the steamer. She beat heavily,
and, on going on deck, ! learned that
we were aground. The captain order
ed all of the passengers to dress and
put on life-preservers, which was done
after the first fright and CONSERVATION
was over. For long time no water
appeared in the steamer, and the eX-
element partially died out. saw
three or four ships passing at a dis
lance, which we singnalled with
rockets and our whistle, but received
no reply. The wind blew hard, and
the sea was very rough. About one
p. NJ. water began to appear in the
second cabin, and it arose with the
tide. We worked with II will at the
pumps, but kept an eye on my wife
and babies. About six o'clock in the
afternoon the first cabin began to fill
with water, and as soon as the water
got unpleasantly high, |, with my wife
and children, went to the top of the
cabin over the entrance to the steer
gaze. Zone of Mr.. Hamm's children
is eight months old and the
other five years old. Occasionally q
wave would almost take us off, but we
managed to hang fast at nine o'clock
in the evening the water was so high
that determined to climb into the
rigging, My wife tied the baby to her
and took the boy in my arms. Mrs.
Hamm went up the ladder first
and | followed closely after to prevent
her from falling. When they
and the boy were placed on the ladder
in front of me with my arms around
them, in such way,that could climb
and at the same time prevent them
from falling. When they were about
as high as the cross-trees, seated my
wife and boy on them, and, the wealth
er being cold, returned to the cabin,
got a blanket, and wrapped 1t around
them. From two O'Clock until nine in
the morning watched and assisted
my wife in hanging on, the steamer
all the while swinging like "a pendu-
lum. During the hours OF that awful
night | saw numbers drown and many
narrowing scenes. One man tied to
the mast near the deck had his head
torn Off by something-it seemed to
be large wave-and his headless body
hung there until it was removed. The
cries of the dying men and women In
the cabin were brought to our ears by
the waves, and as man, woman or
child was swept from the deck or drop
ped from the rigging their dying
shrieks were appalling. Shortly after
nine o'clock Tuesday, the tide
had fallen enough for us to come down
on deck, and, for the first time since
Sunday night, we got something to
eat. At noon we were taken off by the
steamer Liverpool, and landed at Har.
witch, where we were kindly cared for
by the authorities, and, thank Heaven,
met with no other misfortune until we
landed safe in Dallas last night"
Mrs. Hamm aud the children, though
much Frustrated by the fearful ordeal
through which they passed, were fully
reco vered before reaching New York,