The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-01-25
A sunken Vessel.
OVER FOUR HUNDRED PERSONS GO DOWN IN
THE CIMBRIA.


The Hamburg American steamship CHM
bra while on her way from Hamburg TO
Havre, was run into Friday morning during
dense log by the British steamship Sultan
The Cimbra sank in few minutes. The dis
aster occurred in the German ocean off the
Island of Borkum, 26 miles northwest of
Emden.
The Cimbria left Hamburg on Thursday,
with $50 passengers and crew numbering no.
She ran aground before leaving the Elbe but
got off with the flood tide, with the assistance
Of the Hansa, without having received dam
age, and she put to sea at 230 o'clock in the
afternoon On Friday morning she came into
collision with the steamer Sultan. The CHM
bria sank in short time. A boat with 80 pas
sengers arrived at Cuxhaven Friday night and
the company sent out the steamer Hansa and
the four largest available steamers at Cux-
haven to search for other boats of the CHM
bria. The steamer Sultan. which was badly
damaged by the collision, has arrived in the
Elbe.
Details of the Cimbria disaster show that
the loss of life must have been fearful. The
Cimbria received such severe injuries in the
collision 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-bells
were distributed among the passengers, and an
order was given to lower the boats. This,
however, in consequence of the vessels keel
ing 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 drlft-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 sew.
eral other persons chung to it, Was obliged to
let go, and he swan to a boat. This boat was
subsequently picked up by the Theta, The
second officer steered the Theta to Cuxhaven,
arriving there at about 6 o'clock. Seventeen
other persous have been saved by the steamer
Diamant from the Weser Lighthouse max
ing Of thus far known to have Oeen rescued.
A survivor from the Cimbria makes the fol-
lowing statement 1.-The weather was clear up
to lilo o'clock, but fog then set in, which
continued and increased in density. Che en-
glnes OF the CimbIia were kept at full speed
until 1:30 O'clock, then at haltspeed until |
o'clock, after which they were kept at slow
speed. About 2:10 o'clock the whistle OF an
other steamer was heard, and the engines of |
the Cimbra were stopped instantly. The Sui |
tan's green light was, owing to The tog, not |
observed until she was only $50 feet off from
the Clmb1la. The latter was struck abaft the |
first collision bulkbead, on the port side. and |
she heeled over to starboard and speedily sank.
A dispatch from Berlin says: Besides the
~ survivors landed at Cuxhaven and the II |
at the Weser Lighthouse, another vessel has
landed II, but their names have not vet been
ascertained. The number of lives lost Is esti-
mated attully 400. The passengers were mostly
emigrants from East Prussia. Among them
Wero SIX American Indians, who had been on
exhibition in Berlin for some time"