Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-06-01
THE CHANNEL DISASTER.
Tive German irOn-elad Steamers Come in
Collision in the British Channel, by
which One Is Almost Instantly
Sunk and Many Lives
Lest.
Nearly Five Hundred Souls Aboard,
Over Three Hundred OF Whom are
DrOWned-HerOic Efforts ola
Fisherman-His Story OF
the Disaster.

LONDON, May 3l.-The German iron clad
Grosser Kurfuerst was sunk by collision with
another iron-clad this morning. The dlsas-
ter occurred in the British channel, near Do
ver.a IL is feared that over four hundred lives
were lost
SECOND DISPATCH.
LONDON, My 3I.-The Grosser Kurfuerst
came in collision with the iron-clad Koenig
Wilhelm, at I've o'clock this morning, three
miles off Folk tone. The Grosser kurfuerst
sank almost Immediately, and her boilers ex-
plodedlas she went down. The weather was
bright and thu sea calm at the time of the
disaster. 1t Is reported from Dover that only
eighteen persons out of a complement of four
hundred and sixty officers and men On board
TIE Grosser Kurfuerst were saved. Boats
went from the shore and were sent from the
German feet to the assistance Of the drown
ing neople. 1t ishoped that more lives were
saved.
= THIRD DISPATCH.
DOVER, May 31.-The German squadron,
consisting of three IRON clads, the Preussen,
Grosser -sKurfuerst and Koenig Wilhelm,
passed Dover at forty minutes past eight
O'Clock this morning, bound for Plymouth,
whence it expected to sail for Gibraltar
When the squadron was off Ludgate, about
five miles from the shore, one of the IRON
clads was observed to be gradually keeling
over on her beam ends, and men were seen
crowdingr on the buwarks In ABOUT FIVE
minutes the vessel went down on her side,
her boilers blowing up as she sank. Boats
from the other lron-clads were launched, and
number of Folkstone fishing smacks near
by hurried to the scene. 1t is hoped that
many lives were saved. The Folkstone life
beat was launched, but arrived too late to be
Of service. Several steamers have gone to
the scene of the disaster from Dover. 1t is
believed that the Koenig Wilhelm, which ran
into the Grosser Kurtuerst is very badly
damaged.
FOURTH DISPATCH.
NEW YORK, May 31.-London dispatches
state that the German embassy is informed
that four hundred and fifty persons were
drowned by the sinking of the iron-clad Gros-
ser Kurfuerst. The German ambassador with
the crown prince have gone by special train
to the scene of disaster. 1t seems the
vessels were under full Roadway when the
Koenig Wilhelm ran into the Grosser Kur
fuerst. The shock was terrific, the latter
vessel filing and sinking within FIVE minutes
the situation the boilers of the vessel ex-
ploded, scattering death and destruction In
every direction.
FIFTH DISPATCH.
LONDON, May 31.-A telegram to the adj
miralty says of the sinking of the Grosser
Kurfuerst: about three hundred persisted,
and two hundred have been saved" This
comes from the coast-guard at Folkstone.
A dispatch from Dover says: 1T is report
ed that the Grosser Kurfuerst carried a crew
of six hundred men, of whom between three
and four hundred are supposed to have been
drowned"
A telegram to the Lloyds, from Folkstone,
repeats the report first telegraphed, that only
eighteen men were rescued; but its correct
ness is doubtful. All previous reports say the
life boats were lowered from the iron-clads
Immediately, and large number of small
raft from Dover and Foikstone fastened to
the locality.
SIXTH DISPATCH.
LONDON, Nav 3I.-A steamer which has
Just returned from the scene of the disaster
reports that the Koenig Wilhelm was able to
proceed down the channel, destined proba-
bly, for Portsmouth. The Preussen remains
on the spot, and nothing is to be seen of the
Grosser Kurfuerst. The captain of fishing
boat makes the following statement. my
boat, with other fishing vessels, was return
ing to Folkstone, when l noticed three IRON
clads coming down; bark was fetching off
shore; til Grosser Kurfuerst ported her helm
to clear the bark; the Koenig Wilhelm
pulled, hard aport, and struck the Grosser
Kurfuerst forward of her miZzen-mast; the
the Kurfuerst went over On her broadside and
sank In five minutes; she went down in if
teen fathoms; all hands jumped overheard;
our boats reached the spot directly afterward
and rescued twenty seven men, including
three officers; other boats rescued NUMBER
OF the crew, all Of whom were transferred to
the Koenig Wilhelm; Captain Batock, OF the
Grosser Kurfuert, went down with his ship;
the boilers did not explode, but the escap ping
of the steam must have scalded many per-
sons in the water; the koenig Wilhelm had
her bows stove in, but the leak was stopped
With hammocks: the collision was uu-
Goubtedly caused by the Koenig Wilhelm
porting her helm too suddenly" Mr.. Smith,
frst-lor of the admiralty. in his statement
in the house of commons, to-day, confirms
the report that the collision occurred while
the Grosser Kurfuerst was endeavoring to
avoid merchantmen. He said a dock was
preparing at Portsmouth for the reception of
the Koenig Wilhelm. She is now proceed
ing thither.
SEVENTH DISPATCH.
LONDON, May 31.-Two of the men rescued
died from exhaustion on board the Preussen.
An eyewitness of the disaster says the
Preussen did not lower any boats, and that
nobody was visible in the water half an hour
after the Grosser Kur;uerst foundered. The
Koenig Wilhelm, which is the flagship, car
ryinR Rear-Admiral Batsch, and the Preus-
sen are expected at Portsmouth tomorrow
morning
EIGHTH DISPATCH.
LONDON, May 31.-The latest Lloyds tele-
gram gives the total of saved as twenty-three
officers and one hundred and sixty men.