The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-12-12
The ml.starrea pommer.nI..

Captain Schwensen, of the Pommerania,
publishes in a newspaper of Hamburg a
statement OF the events relating to the catas-
trophe. He says; when the steamer
sunk l was sucked down into the vortex.
l did not have a life-belt, and only gained
the surface after a desperate struggle, where,
most fortunately, / encountered a spar,
aided by which 1 foated for an hour and a
half. seemed to be utterly alone on the
surface of the water, until at last the lights
of a steamer, which proved to be the City of
Amsterdam, came in sight. shouted and
was heard. Aboat was sent and 1 was taken
on board the steamer in a semi-unconscious
state"
The Captains watch stopped at II: O3.
The Captain remains for the present at
Hamburg IN account of serious illness,
growing out of the shock to his nervous
system. His physicians encourage the hope
that he will soon be out once more, and re-
stored to health.
Captain Schwensen details the events fol.
lowing the collision which occurred while
he left the bridge for a few moments to visit
the chart house, in order to examine the
course. He exonerates First Officer Franzen
from blame.
Respecting the conduct of the officers and
crew after the collision, the Captain contin.
ues, II can only speak in terms of the high.
est praise. Ny orders were carried out calmly
and effectually. The report that some of the
crew attempted to save their personal pro.
perty, and neglected to attend to the euuip.
ment of the boats or the safety of the passen.
gers, is, according to my observation, utterly
unfounded. Into the last boat that
pulled away l saw a passenger hurl an iron.
cornered Golfer clear from the deck, knock
ing q hole in the boats bottom, and en-
dangering the life of every person on the
craft. Chief Officer Franzer was on deck
distributing life-belts and experimenting
the lowering of the boats until within a
few seconds of the sinking of the Pomme-
rama. DIR. Schneiding, the surgeon, was
also distributing life-belts.
"Chief Engineer Helms assured me soon
after the collision that the steam had been
shut of in consequence of there being so
much water in the engine room that nothing
could be done. Second Officer Foxes was
on deck to the last, and declined to enter
the boats, refusing to leave the Captain.
Third Officer Zanrow was at his post till the
sinking of the ship, firing rockets. Thus it
will be seen that the First Engineer, second
and third officers and the Surgeon persisted
while doing their duty. As to myself 1 say
nothing, only that l was saved by amiracle."
The words of praise which the Captain
speaks in behalf of his officers in the mo.
ment of trial are touching and generous,
coming as they do from the lips of a com.
mander who lives to hear it said of him that
ne went down with his ship, and would not
leave her while she fioated. In conclusion,
Captain Schwensen says:
81 do not wish to be understood as sing.
ling any n man out for more praise than
another. l do not know a man who did not
do his duty. The Pommerania's decks
were only a few feet above water when the
last boat left the ships side, by my express
orders, and just in time to escape the terri
BILE vortex that followed the sinking of the
vessel. 1t seemed a Niagara in the ocean"
1t will be gratifying to the friends of Cap.
tain Schwensen in America to know that the
Hamburg Steamship Company has declared
its full confidence in the unfortunate COM
mander, and has offered him the command
OF the Westphalia, now building, and ex-
pected to be ready for sea in the spring.