The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-13
LOSS OF THE POMMERANIA.

STATEMENT OF MR.. PoPPENHUsEN REGARDING
THE EVENTS OF THE NIGHT OF NOVEMBER %.
LONDON. Dec. 8. 1875
Mr.. Conrad Poppenhusen's narrative gives a calm
statement of events far they came beneath his
notice, and it is only due to the company that what
he says should be taken into consideration before
passing Judgment the Inflated steamers crew,
against whom such serious charges made at the
inquest recently held at Hastings The conduct Of
the first officer in refusing to give his version of the
events leading to the collision cannot be severely
reprimanded. Mr.. Poppenhuscn says
Twas passenger the Inflated steamer Pomnlera-
mia sunk Off Dover, and having crossed the ocean
fifty upes think my account OF this disaster will
be of Interest to you We left New York the l4th
OF November at quarter past three Z. NJ, in fine
weather. which continued up to the night Of the 18TH
when storm set in. and from that time the weather
ish coast the captain showed his we'll Known eau
tion-viz, in slowing the engines and taking sound
ngs frequently he sad to me- Essher arrive day
day. the 25th Of November, at three A. NJ and after
landing passengers and mails, proceeded to
O'Clock the same day. The weather continued thick
and rainy; at night very dark. At eleven o'clock
aroused by fearful crash. dressed quickly, went
deck and noticed that the steamer leant over to
side. met the ships doctor and he told me to
put it on. Coming on deck saw that the ship was
sinking and found the busy getting
m ns So No. oseher pts
Faber. another cabin passenger 1t then
very dark. and only the bluelight signals and
rockets from the ship enabled at intervals
to discern the objects around us. When the boat
No. was near the water got into it with Mr. Faber
and lady, Mrs. Ohrnstiel, and assisted other
passengers who were and visible and among
whom were two ladies' to get into the boat We had
to hurry these latter as the steamer was fast sinking
about fifty or one hundred feet from the
PJmmerania when she sank. When we were about
lowering boat l saw the captain going along the
deck and giving his orders III loud but perfectly
calm manner / noticed confusion among the
officers and sailors, and everybody did his
duty. as is sufficiently proved by the fact
only twelve to fifteen minutes-and in spite Of the
prevailing darkness 50 many souls have been saved.
1 can fully contradict the report that young lady
had been pushed overheard, brought the very
same lady the report aludes to afterward myself to
the hotel at Dover and she told that trying to get
into the boat she missed it and fell into the sea- but
picked out at once by persons who were in the
boat While we were III the boat No. some of its
in neighborhood. When requested that
everybody should keep quiet more cries
command of the boat. believe that we were in all
about twenty-five to thirty persons in the boat
In about twenty minutes we got alongside the
English steamer Glengarry, and our boat was then
sent adrift. While was on board this steamer
person fished ont Of the apparently drowned
but brought back to consciousness thanks the en-
ergetic endeavors Of the assistant engineer Hinck
and others l saw the chief officer come on board
the English steamer in q very exhausted states he
hurt. Captain Hogg and the OF the steamer
Glengarry cannot be sufficiently praised for the
ready help they rendered-they gave US. in fact all
they had OF bedding and clothes to
Captain Hogg did not leave the scene Of the
disaster all night. and at daybreak he slowly
steamed round the sunken Pommerania, of which he
could the masts, possibly some might still
have been saved. We saw no one, however, and then
made for Dover. With regard to the collision have
say that my impression Ia that the bark struck the
PomInerania ainidships. making such fearful hole
that the water rushed in torrents into the stoke
hole, filling the bunkers and the engine room. and
then the spar deck, the second cabin and
other rapidly that every effort to stop the
OF avail. aud the sinking OF the steamer
occurred in consequence within very short time.
The loss of life among the passengers attribute to
extent also, to the fact that many Of them tried
TO get to the captain where they believed them
selves the safest instead Of hurryng to the nearest
boat Some of the passengers also went below to
fetch some valuables. &C., and never came on deck
again. The darkness was 80 great that the bark was
sight Immediately after the collision, and 1t Is
my Arm conviction that il the collision had happened
during the day every soul board would have been