Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-02-11
Narrowing Stories Told by Some
Of the Survivors Of the
r III-Starrsd Cimbria.
The FriahtfuI Crash h---Scsnss of
Wild Confusion How a Little
Girl Was Saved.
CIinging to the Mast For Eleven
Hours s--RepuIsed From the
B0at---The Rescue.

| passengers who arrived yesterday By the
steamship Westphalia, of the Hamburg.
American line, were ten who had been
saved from the ill.starred Cimbria.
lsssNs,. .AttepdoIf had been for ten years II,
America, II Oni&na, ana GU ~ q 49,
tic some months ago to bring his sister
over from Landau, Germany. He gave the
reporter sketch of his experiences on the
fatal night when the Cimbria went down.
He said it was about ten minutes to two
in the morning when frightful crash was
heard that reused him from his sleep and
also his sister. There was no time TO
lose" he continued, "even for putting on
the necessary clothing. When We reached
the deck there was I
A Scene OF Wild Confusion,
the passengers screaming and shouting and
running here and there. How the boats
were lowered cannot tell. Ionly know
that the second officer put me and my sis.
ter in one and twenty-five minutes after
there was no trace Of the Cimbria. The
| Sult.1, after the collision, did not wait.
| Her lights were visible for about half an
hour after. We had no provisions in the
boat and from two o'clock until noon when
We were picked up by the Thetis, we had TO
endure the bitterest cold. We saw the The
| tis two hours before she perceived u.s."
Mr.. Attendorf went on to tell of the hor
| rors of the situation when the boat first got
away from the Cimpria, of the screams for
help, of the vain dashes made by struggling
| and drowning men and women at the boat,
and of the difficulties they had Of escaping
an upset. Miss Attendorf noticed two per
sons floating near and begged the third of
ceT to take them in.
"Impossible," he said. Another one will
sink the boat"
But oh! look, look" cried the young
woman, cts a child; save her"'
"Yes," said the officer, that won't make
much difference" and then the poor half
drowned FeIge was pulled into the boat.
That she managed to survive
The Cold and Exposure
was considered by all q miracle. On board
| the Thetis she received the kindest treat.
ment. as, indeed, did all the saved. They
were landed at CuIhaven, whence they
were forwarded to Hamburg, where they
received from the steamship company loo
marks on account OF their passage.
Mr.. Curtis has been q citizen of Michigan
| for thirty years. and was paying visit TO
| his old home 'in Meck!enburg. He was
saved in the same boat as were Mr.. and
| Miss AttcndUrf, and was tho last to onterit.
The water" he said, was already reach
| ing the upper deck OF the Cimbria as
| swung myself into the boat. At the same
| moment the officer in command cried out
| to me, Push Off the boat; We have already
| four more than we oan carry The boat
| was pushed of, and almost Immediately
| the Cimbria sank. SIch terrible picture
as saw upon her deck after the collision
never saw before, and never wish to see
agsin. We had no provisions in tie boat,
| and were ten hours drifting about hungry,
cold and weak. At Hamburg the company
| gave me another passage. | don't remem-
| Der that any of the officers received any
| thanks for their efforts to save the passen.
gers"
CIinging 10 the Mast. y.
| Johann Ganske is a young fellow, who
| had an awful time of il, but is now inclined
| to treat 1t as an ordinary experience. He
| is a farm hand. He said he was fast asleep
| on that memorable night when he was
| awakened, not by the shock of the collision
but by the screams Of the other passengers.
| He Jumped out of his berth, put on bis
| wooden shoes and went on deck. When
| he saw what the matter was he went below
| sgain to get q coat, when he found the
| steersge full Of water and noticed "a big
| hole in the ship" lie lost very little time
| in getting on deck once more, and saw
some of the officers trying 10 lower boat.
! The ship was then lying on her side lie
| helped TO cut the ropes, and down went the
| boat, getting half full OF water There
were half a dozen Indians on the Cimnrla,
and one Of them got into the boat with
other passengers. Ganske was about 70
| make an effort TO reach the boat when he
| saw her turn over On her side and all in her
| went under He thought there must have
been twenty. five, but many OF them reap
peared and swan TO a mast 10 which he
| himself had chung when the ship sank.
| Seventeen persons clung 10 that mast with
all the tenacity that fear OF death gave.
When the Sultan had gone of there was
not light to be seen; all was darkness and
wave after wave was dashing over them.
I For eleven hours he and several others
continued to keep their hold, but many in
| despair succumbed
| Many . Cry of Agony
went up in those eleven hours, and stout
hearted as young Ganske was himself, he
thought at one time he must let go. Some
| OF the unfortunates were seized with the
cramps, be said, and as king piteously for
help would sink into the waves never TO
| rise again. Others were seized with hts
snd convulsions, and dropped into the sea-
One poor man was slipping of when
stranger caught him and held him. but in
less than an hour be weakened and both
dawned not q sail was in sight, and the
number clinging 10 the mast was fast d.
minjshing Ganske thought that it vas
| owing 10 his having on all his underc;oth.
| ing and his overcoat that he was able to
| stand the exposure. They went drifting
about till somewhere about noon, when
ship hove in view TO gladden. the hearts Of
the survivors 1t Was The Diamond, which,
| as soon as the rlast and its human freight
were seen. lowered boat and pulled 70 the
rescue. They anchored at the Weser light
house and telegrspbed TO Hamburg. Next
| day Il little tugboat took them 10 Costmun-
| de- where they stopped at a hotel, the pro.
prietor of which treated them most geRer.
ously. OF the seventeen who elung 70 the
mast only about half were saved.
Repulsed frora The Boat.
Robert Schutt is twenty. one years OF age,
| s!Outly DuiiL, luoug'iacro youb5 iai 'hcI
| Yesterday his good natured face was cloud.
ed with care He had lost mother, brother
nineteen years old and sister (sixteen
yearsL who were bound for Buffalo, Ind,
where one of his uncles was expecting
them. Another uncle met him yesterday
at Hoboken. Scbutt, it seems, had des
perate fight for life and was repeatedly
denied the means Of escape from drowning
He. too, was asleep at the moment OF thu
collision, and when reused rushed on dech
half dressed. Ali the boats were already
in the water, and life preseryers be neyel
dreamed Of, even il there we're any. HI
saw there was nothing for it but TO jump
and be did 81, striking out for q boat
WI was in command he did not know
but one of the officers drove him away
He was lifted on wave and again fount
himself near the boat and clutehed IL
Some of the sailors