Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-01-24
A Chapter of Accidents.
Ocean Disaster.

The Hamburg-American line steamer
Cimbria, which left Hamburger the 18th
for New York, was sunk Friday morning
by collision with the British steamer
Sultan - miles southwest Of Borkum, an
island in the North sea, 26 miles northwest
of Emden, belonging to Prussia. One oil
her boats has landed 80 persons at Cux
haven. Six steamers were sent out to
search for her other boats. She was to
have left Havre for New York Saturday
The collision happened in dense fog, and
the Cimbria went down in Is minutes
after she was struck. The Cimbria was
commanded by Capt. Hansen, a competent
and trustworthy man. and carried eight
life boats.
She was vessel of 1925 tons, was built
at Greenock, by Card & Co., in 1856 was
1926 feet long, 40 feet baam and 26 feet
deep.
1t is estimated that fully 300 lives were
lost by the wreck. The passengers were
mostly emigrants from east Prussia.
Among them were six American Indians
who had been on exhibition in Berlin for
some time.
The Cimbra left Hamburg for New
York Thursday with % cabin passengers,
1862 Storage passengers and crew
numb herring 10. She ran aground before
leaving the Elbe, but got off with the
flood tide, with the assistance of the
Hansa, without having sustained damage,
and she put to sea at 80 in the afternoon.
On Friday morning she came into collision
during thick fog off Borkum with the
steamer Sultan. The Cimbra sank in a
short time. When the boat with the 80
passengers arrived, the company sent out
he steamer HanSa and the four largest
available steamers at Cuxhaven to search
for other boats Of the Cimbra. The West
Indian steamer Bavaria also left during
he night with the same object. The
steamer Sultan, which sustained heavy
damage, has arrived in the Elbe.
The Cimbra sustained such severe
injuries that it at once became apparent
she must sink almost Immediately. The
officers therefore did all in their power to
save lives. Without moments loss of
time, life belts were distributed among
the passengers, and an order was given to
lower the boats. This, howev, +, in con-
sequ snce of the vessels heeling over on
her side, was found to be very difficult on
one side and absolutely impossible on the
other. AS the second officer was still
engaged in cutting the spars loose, so that
there should be as much drift wood as
possible for the people to cling to when
the inevitable laundering occurred, the
vessel went down under his feet He
seized spar, but as several other persons
chung to it, was obliged to let 60, and he
swan to boat. This boat was subse-
quently picked up by the Theta to
Cuxhaven. Seventeen other persons have
been saved by the steamer Diamant from
the Weser light house, making Sc thus far
known 10 have been rescued
survivor of the Cimbria makes the
following statement: The weather was
clear up to :l5 o'clock, but fog then set
in, which continued and increased in
density. The engines of the Ci4nbria were
kept ut full speed until 80 O'Clock, then
Ut half speed until o'clock, after which
they were kept at slow speed, About 10
minutes past 2 o'clock the whistle of
another steamer was heard, and the engines
If the Cimbria were stopped instantly.
The sultan's green light was, owing to the
Jog, not observed until she was only $50
eet off from the Cimbria. The latter was
struck abaft the first collision bulkhead on
he port side. and she heeled over TO star.
board and speedily sank. The Theta
picked up one Of the Cimbria' s boats at 2
, clock Saturday afternoon and arrived al
Cuxha7en about O'Clock.