New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-09
THE LOSS OF THE CIMBRIA.
STORIES OF THOSE WHO WERE RESCUED.
.pp,v., =, ,,yy,yr or THE suRyIyORs-THE


there were twelve persons who were on board tpe
Inflated Cimbria and Who narrowly escaped drown
ing. The survivors who were in the cabin OF the
Westphalia were Albert Altendorf and Emile
Altendorf, his sister, of Omaha; Joseph Curh, OF
Flint, Mich; and Chaje Schmul girl ten years
old, who was in the Storage of the Cimbrla, ana
lost her aunt and uncle. In the storage OF the
Westphalia were the following survivors
Robert Schutt, Johann Ganske of Pastug-
nova; Franzin PAka, of Tobayy,
Bohemia Martin Danieleyitch Feigele
Janoyitz Janos Kosti. James Nina. and Peter
Kis5elewslly. These people excited much interest
among those VINO had come TO meet frIenGs, and
there was one affecting little incident when the
father OF Chajc Schmul found her on board The
child start d from Hamburg in the Cimbra's steer
ace IN the company Of her aunt and uncle Hulda
and Abram Schnul in the panic that followed the
collision Chaje was separated from her relatives
She never saw them again 10 the darkness and con-
fusion they were lost but she was saved at the
last moment by sturdy sailor. The frlendless
condition of the child moved the sympathy OF the
We,tahalia's officers and she was taken by them
into the cabin OF the vessel and re eved every pos
81 ole attention on the voyage to this port
A TRIBUNE reporter obtained from the survivors
accounts of their experience on the night OF thc
fatal collision and of their escape from the sinking
vessel Albert hltendorf, who has lived In Omaha
te, vears told his story oe the wreck as follows;
"When heard the crash OF the 'llslon ru'h'd
upstairs wi hout having time to put on any cotn-
ing. except my Oyerc0at aud trousers. On the u'cN
there was gceue Of the widest confusion. Inc
shrieking OF the men and women was
frightful | could see plainly the lights OF
the Sultan AMI the vessel ITSELF which
90 med to be no moro than fifty feet from
~ The people the Sultan paid no attention
whatever to the from our vessel, although they
must have heard them and in a few moments the
Slltan's lights disappeared and thought she had
conc down Our vessel was heeed over on one
zlde and vas sinking rapidly, l saw. l hurried
down INTO the cabin and brought mp my sister
Emile and we both succae led in getting INTO one
Of The boats II WIS all over In what
seemed To l. onlv a moment We rowed about tor
nearly three hours and then returned near the
sunken vessel We saw nothing of the Sultan. we
STAYED there until 1890 O'Clock the next morning
and at no time did the sultan return to the wreck
We were picked mp hnaly by the ship lhetls
and were taken TO Cuxhaytn, where the agent OF
the company received Us, gave IA plenty to eat ana
did all hat hc could TO make ia comtortaD @. Inc
captaIn aud a the oiic "a IF the Clmbra behaved
nobly ut did everything IN their power 10 save the
lives of the Dasse gers. Captain Hansen so upon
pa,scnr Is from the time the coils on occurred TIL
the sup disappeared beneath the water, aud he
went down with It. The greatest trouble that was
encountered IN saving life came from the Indians
ON boarl who brandishei their weapons and
acted in the most feroci0us manner. They
seized one boat Cor the yes, and resisted with
violence all the a 'templs II the passengers and
crew TO Ike 1t from them. They succ -ed~d IN
launching H. but capsIzrd it before they were lar
from The sh rs side and q Of hem were drowned
.Jose,h Curtz sad When reached the d ok.
after beng aw akcncd by the shock of the collision
AID the CRIES or the women and children |
saw the Ink o the Shltn pl'lhiFi ,IhtF ui,aP'
feared IN Snort tins. h'weyrr ana dld not return.
Iue p1nic among e. PASSENGERS : b'Yohl al ne
scrip lou. | impossible Tor the captain ana
the q her officers to quiet them at alt. Peope
i.,n.d into the water uy the score and never came
q O the sur ace. TIL water seemed mass OF strng-
gmg and drowning people Just before anu JUS att-r
the fla 30 lurch OF tie snip. su e ,cdrd IN getllhS
in, tine boat thar va pick ii up los IN" lhetlS and
was itern 10 Cuxhayen with thirty eIght o hers.'
Johann GausAes experience was told by him as
follows: " ! was awakened at about - quarter OF
o'clock IN the morning py he shrleking OF women
ANA children. Hastily putting on - mite clothing.
/ ran M stairs without nv shoes on and tpunu the
Cimbril lying over on one side. ! started back 10
GET same more clothing, but found the water al
ready rising N the cain aud Mp To the staitwt so
/ trtrrurd again tu the deck. Seeiug some o. the
Officers at work cutting ropes nnd lO"erIng NE
boat 1 hurried t. help thru. Nrs on had II low
- red and III. Gee eel IA getting INTO H. one % the
mart, q, ~ an Indian; he was Wild ana herce ana
irirI l., keep other people from getting INTO the
boat The craft upset. and several In lt. including
the Indian. were drowncd. / swan back 10 the
suukeu snip aud climbed up one Of the masts. |
chm. TO the rigging until httlo after noon AID II
sec ed every moment II | cOuid hold on no
lon.er. expected To freeze TO death. Other pas
srn.efs in great number whO were clluglug to the
rigging brcaue exhausted or frozen aud onc by one
around INTO the water and persisted. Several
her. and ysclf taken oil at ns bY the sail
I'D Il ~
house From there telegfauhed TO Hamburg
for assistance ADD tug WAS sent out which took
MS 10 "A place called lOstermunde. We stayed there
over uIgnt at hotel the proprietor OF which Kept
Us free charge aDd gave us free tickets To Ham
burg / w-h To deny emphallcalv The statement
hat was published IN Germany that tho officers of
the CunbrIa did not tIv save the passengers
lives The officers dill everything that II was posi-
bic for them 10 dO. and several OF them lost their
own lives in tr ing to pRsstnGcrs.' Mr.. GanSke
is on his way TO NantlcUke, Penn, where brother
Of his IL LIVING. 49,
RoDert Scnutt gave the following account of his
escape from the sinking vessel: hurried on
deck ns soon az possible after ! MAS awakened by
the collision aud set about finding st means of
escape Tor my mother sister and lIttle brother VINO
were with me- rhe SUN already lay over on her
side and was nearly filed with water. saw the
lights of tho Sultan for II few moments ana thea
I hey aisnppearpl The sultan paid no attention TO
tine cries from the Cirbra. The people rush
Inv about ma1ly aud many of them were hanging
over that side of the ship which was the hi gher
from the water. In the struggle to get as far
from the rising water ~ possible great many
people were pushed over the vessels side and per-
Ished. An American. or German VINO mad been IN
America "A long tire. offered tO take care of my
mother aud the children. He got them into one Of
the bouts and IN "A moment the Clmbria went Gown
1 think their boat must have rapslZed then. |
never saw nv relatives or the man VINO tried to
save them again. | went down in the whirl OF
water with the ship. couldn't sw i'm and thought
that should surrey drown. Pretty soon my strug
giles brought me u the surface and Crashed rope
Ii WAS fastened TO one OF the boats pulled myself
to the boats side aud was pushed back INTO the
" alter by u sailor. | went down agaiL and after
coming TO the face tried once more to get into
the 1oat. Again the sailor pusl ell me back and !
greatest difficulty and succeeded IN crawling along
tho side of the boat to the bow. Before any one
cDuid me OF prevent me. | swung myself by "A
prcat effort into tie boat aud WAS saved. We |
were picked up by ar English ship whose name