The sun., 1889-11-30
DID HE DRIVE HER ASHORE?
4 SAILOR THINKS THE GERMANIA WAS
WRECKED ON PURPOSE.
A BOy's Strange story that Cant. Wind
horst Drew - Sketch OF his Vessel .
Lee Shore n Week Before the Disaster.

A Boy's Strange story that Capt. Wind
| horst Drew Sketch OF HE Vessel on q
Lee Shore n Week Before the Disaster
LoNa BRANCH, Nov. 29.-Testimonw was
given to-day that the bark Germania was de.
| liberately run ashore and those who credit II
hold the theory that II the vessel had been less
| rotten than she was the wrocking OF tho vessel
| would not have cost tho lives of Capt Wind
| horst and the nine men who perished with
| him. Lieut.. @. II. Mcclellan OF the United
| States revenue MARINE assistant INSPECTOR OF
the lifo-saying service. began an investiga-
| tion OF the disaster this morning He con-
Quoted the examination In little upper
chamber OF Station 8, where the Germania's
survivors nre staying until after the Coroner's
inquest tomorrow. The rescued sailors made
| their statements Of the wreck under oath be-
fore the inspector.
Louis Berlach, sailmaker. testified that on
Wednesday afternoon the wind was blowing
stinly from the southeast. The bark was
steering northwest by west Tho o'clock
sounding by the lead showed only twenty
fathoms OF water After awhile, when evening
foil liGht was reported to leeward and an
other dead ahead. The Captain peered through
the gathering darkness and angrlly denied
that any lights were visible. Tho carpenter.
who was on deck. called Berlach on deck when
saw the buir and cottaRss % SO so close close that that 1t Il
seemed as II he could almost touch them with
fbe ae n1s 10
the foretopsail, which he hastened to do Just
then, the vessel struck. bows on and turning
inner bar. Then the pillows burst over the
bark. and drove him bgck to the afterhouse.
masts went by the board, and the ship broke
IN two. big wave washed all hands over
(iIIsiav prieva wbosa nan.a UNA ne Arot ro
ported as ,Hillen, testified that he was on
dec deck ,I and heard the man Ct the wheel say
tain responded that 1t was not So that
fhe lH, course OF the vessel was all right.
at hG that sep e sns sddn cnD Dth 9 SFRwSst S
dered the bark headed west by northwest, or
directly ior the beach. where the lights and
tho background OF the sky. Ten minutes be-
fore The ehiT struck Prleye WIS ordered by the
juncture Lieut.. Mcclellan asked: " N '-'''
roISdyG Do you think then that the vessel was
There was plenty OF time" Prieve replied.
Ito change her course after our nearness to
the shore was, discovered. 1t looks TO me as
SeaRong men hero say the wind was favor
able for any vessel to claw OF the lee shore, for
1t blew IfI from the, the southeast, @ and the bark i
of In style to the northeast.
Albert Mantle. the boy steward Of the Cap
to a newly made German friend OF good re-
pute: Capt Windhorst, he said. used to write
and draw frequently In blank book which he
used to carry In an inside pocket of his coat.
One afternoon ut sea. u week or 80 ago the
Captain left the book open on table. The
boy looked at n sketch that adorned one page
It was drawing representing a bark strand
cd on a lee shore. near a lighthouse. The
drawing even showed a life line moving from
the shore to the vessel. Below this was written
expectedly entered the cabin and saw the boy
looking at the sketch. He turned red with
rage and drove Albert from the cnbin.
The boy will have an opportunity to repeat
this story to Coroner Van Derveer and n Jury
tomorrow morning At the Inquest on the Elk
rived back from New York to-day in time to
Identity the bodice. They were those OF Capt.
the, cook; Gustav BerGenheim, Carl Browor.
and another sailor. nRmeunkpown. The Cap
tain's neck and shoulder blades were broken.
Alter the jury views the bodies tomorrow all
except the Captains will be inferred in the
Sailors Corner Of the Branehburg Cemetery.
where lie the 225 victims of the wreck OF the
New Era. which occurred in 1854.
Lieut. Mcclellan did not go into the boy
Alberts story about the sketch. The inspector
SAYS the life saving crew did their whole duty
apparently. He will submit his report to the
Treasury Department early next week.