The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-12-05
Terrible Marine Disaster.

About quarter to one O'Clock on
the night of the Oath of November the
Hamburg American line Steamer
Pomerainia, Capt. Schwenson, which
sailed from New York on the 14th
ult., for Hamburg, and arrived at
Plymouth at midnight on the Oath,
collided during dense fog, with the
Welsh bark, Noel Eilian, of Carranoon,
from Rotterdam for Cardiff in ballast,
about eight miles south of Folkestone.
The Pomerania at the time was on her
way from Plymouth to Hamburg.
The steamship foundered in about
ten minutes after the collision and
from fifty to sixty of her passengers
were lost. Among the passengers was
Louis Lauman, of Akron who gives
the following statement Of the occur
renee:
"We had a capital run and got to
Plymouth about 8 in the morning OF
the 25th inst. We landed some pas
sengers and took some for Hamburg,
and then ran for Cherbourg and land
ed the passengers, nearly all of whom
were cabin. Those left were mostly
between decks. The crew consisted OF
Ill men. We have here at the Sail
or's Home 172. / was in bed last night
about IL :45 O'Clock when / felt sud-
den bump as if the Pomernia had
struck upon rock. / was alarmed,
but did not think at first that it was
anything serious as we had kept a
good lookout and the Captain appear
ed TO be very careful. 1t was his 126
voyage, he had told US. He celebrat-
ed his 125 when he was last at Ham.
burg. A few seconds after the coils.
ion the steward and some of the crew
came rushing to us and said a sailing
barque had run into us and we were
all to go on dock, and went on deck
directly and saw our ships light, but
the fog was SO great could sec moth
ing else.
But they told me the barque had
run away. Tho crew were then all
busy lowering the boats. The chip
was beginning to sink. In lowering
the boats there was great confusion,
everybody trying to crowd into them.
One boat filled and sank Immediately
after it got into the water, and two
others were smashed by collision. The
boats were fastened up tight and we
could not get them, undone. The
POmerania was sinking rapidly.
There were a number of women
among the passengers, 1 don't know
how many, but eight have been saved
and baby. l think the baby's moth
er lras been drowned. Our captain
had some fireworks on board and lei
them off. We managed to got into
the boats that remained and had been
there about ten minutes when the
steamer Glengarry picked us up. She
cruised about long time. Our cap
tain had a chance to save his life, but
would stick to his ship. l saw him
when our boat got away from the
steamer, standing on the bridge giving
commands, trying to maintain order
and save as many as he could. lr
| twenty minutes after collision the
Pomerania went down. She die
not keel over but went down gradual
ly. The ship which ran us down
never saw at ali. They told me she
was sailing barque, and that with {
north northeast wind, shc came bowl
ing along and ran right into us.
thought until we landed we had ruI
upon rock as the Schiller did. l
was very thick weather. There wa:
good lookout on the Pomerania al
the time. She had smart sailors, an(
had two men on the bridge, aud two
fore-part from the time she neared th'
channel. Our boat was go crowded i
was nearly even with the water.