The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-01
THREE HUNDRED LIVES LOST.
COLLISION or GERMIN IRON CL1DS IN
TIE BRITISH CHANNEL.
The Grosscr Kurfuerst sunk with over Four
Hundred soul.-IIer Commander and Most
OF his Men Going Down with the ship.

LONDON, May 31.-Tho German ironclad
squadron. consisting Of the Preussen Grosscr
Kurfuerst and Koenig wilhelm. passed Dover at
81 this morning bound for Plymouth. whence
II expected to sail for Gibraltar. At 81 A. NJ,
whom the squadron was off Sandgate, about five
miles from shore. and seven miles southeast OF
Folkcstonc, the Grosser Kurfucrst came in col
lision with the Kocnig Wilhelm. Immediately
aftcrward the former was observed to be grad
ually keeling over on her beam ends. and men
were secn crowdlng on the bulwarks. In about
five minutes the vessel went down on her side.
the boilers sending out cloud Of steam as she
sank. Boats from the other ironclads were
launched. n number Of Folkcstono fishing
smacks near by hurried to the spot. and many
lives wcrc saved The Folkostonc lifeboat was
launched. but arrived too lato to be OF service.
Several steamers went TO the scene Of the disas-
ter from Dovor Tho weather was bright and
the sea calm at the time. The Koenig Wilhelm
was thought to havo been badly damaged but
the Southeastern Railway Companys steamer.
just returned from the scene Of the disaster. re-
ports that she was able to proceed down the
channel. probably for Portsmouth. The Prcus-
son romans on the spot Nothing is 10 be seen
Of the Grosser kurfuerst.
Accounts differ as to the number Of the saved
and lost. A despatch received by the German
Embassy says 1t is feared that 40 persons per-
| ished on tho Grosser kurucrst. A telegram 10
the Admiralty says: About 300 pcrished. AMI
! Coast Guard at FOkestone. A despatch from
| Dover saws II Is reported that the GrOsscr kur-
fucrst carried q crew Of Goo men, Qf whom be-
! tween 800 and 400 are supposcd 10 be drowned.
Atelcgram TO Loyd's from Folkestone says that
only eighteen mon were rescued but It's correct
| iifeboats were lowered irom the other ironclads
! Immediately. and q large number Of small craft
| rom Dover and Fokestone fastened 10 the spot.
| II seems probable. under these circumstances.
! thatthc last estimate Of the number saved is too
MIR W. H. Smith. First Lord Of the Admiralty.
| said In the House NJ Commons this afternoon
| that, according to the reports received by the
! Lords Of Admiralty. from one hundred and
| eighty to two hundred Of tho crew OF the
! Grosser kuriucr-t had been saved. and three
| hundred pcrishod on first hearing u the
| disaster the Admiralty ordered aid from Ports
mouth and Folkestone.
| Count Won Munster. the German Ambassqdor,
have gone 20 folkestonc The Grosser knr-
! fuer-t was the flagship Of the squadron. The
| Admiral commanding the squadron was among
The Captain Of fishing boat makes the fol-
| vessels. was returning to Folkestone when we
noticed three ironclads e0ming down. bark
ported her helm 70 clear the bark. The Koenig
Wilhelm. pulled hard aport and struck tho
| The kuriuer-t went over on her hrondsde and
| sank in i've minutes. She went down IN fifteen
fa,homs All hands jumped overheard. our
boats reached the spot directly aiterward. and
rescued twenty-seven men. including three
| officers Tho other boats rescued "A numbcr Of
the crow, all ~ whom were transferred 90 the
| koenig Wilhelm. Can't. Bato h Of tho Grosser
| kuriurrsi went down with his ship. The boilers
dld not explode. but the c- Gaping steam must
have scalled many persons in the water. The
koenig Wilhelm had her bows stove, but the
lision was undoubtedly caused by, the Koenig
| Wilhelm porting her helm too suddenly"
h sn int in ff s haS 81 II "g coAmons Amray M
dhy c9nilrm, tho report that the collision oc-
orins to avoid n morrhantman. He said u dock
| wis prrpnriug ~ Portsmouth, for tho reception
of the kocnis Nilhc.m. She is now proceeding
Two of tho men who were rescued have dloi
| from exhaustion on board the preussen. Eye
witnesses Of the disaster say the Pr"ussen did
| not lower any boats. and that nobody was
visible IN. the water halt an hour after the
Grosscr kurfucrst foundered. The koenig
Wilhelm which il the flagship carrying Rear
Admiral Bats ID, and the lreu-sen are expected
Next 10 tho Dcuts ,hland and the Kaiser tho
GrlSser kurfucr-tGreat Elertorl was re'koned
one oi the most powerful vessels in the German
navy. She was bu.lt AZ the German dockyards
I'm 1873. She hal iw1 turrets, with ll-nch ar
in hes thick, and seven inches for, and aft
The armament consisted Of two 2S-ton guns IN
each urret. andtwo 2l-ton guns placed fore and
| AFT making SIX guns in all ot - tons. The in
dirntcl horse power was 5.4U0. aud the tonnage
1903. She was frigats rgsed, and with her
was attached To- the harbor ot Kiel for this year.
The, ,koenig Wilhelm was built n, the Thames
! iron W ofkH. Bh'hWal anu iNuufUtl ON April
25 1865. She carries twenty-siX guns. of which
twenty. three are riiled gG- -H9unders, made ot
inches thick nmidships. Behind the bowsprt
and Just forward OF the stern are two bulk
heads, earh of -ix-inch armor and eighteen
| inches # oak and rise 10 the hoight OF seven
feet above tho spar deck whore they are curved
into the form of sem-crcular shields. into
which four 3OO-pouuders ara placed. capable
Of firing In any direction. The King William
Il the largest vessel in the prussian navy. hav-
Ing tonnage of o.425. with an indicated horse
| power ot 5000.
Tho latest lloyl's telegram gives tho total Of
saved at tWonty-three officers and 100 men.