Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-01
The Steamship Elder Aground Neal
the Isle of Wight.
MISCALCULATED THE NEEDLES LIGHT.
Life Boats Succeed in Taking Off
Thirteen Passengers.
MANY LIVES IN GREAT PERIL.
THE ELDER RUNS AGROUND.
She Tries to Pass the Isle OF Wight on Her
Left Instead of Her Right


Capt Heinecke. which left New York for
Bremen on January 2S, went ashore during
the past night on the Atherfeld rocks, nine
miles west of Ventor, Isle of Wight.
The Elder lies in pretty comfortable posi-
ton, In close proximity TO the coast guard sta
ton The coast guardsmen noticed the fog
whistle OF big steamship blowing during the
night. but as there are SO many vessels passing
up and down the channel no danger was antic-
ipated until suddenly rockets were seen to
hare upward through the night. mist and fog
ana then steamships whistle was heard blow
ing the long. uninterrupted note of distress.
Ihe entire coast guard crew was Immediately
summoned and the neignboring stations were
promptly notified to send reinforcements to
the spot The life boat of the coast guard sta
ton near Atherfield rocks was then manned
and run out through the surf. BY this
tinle rocket after rocket beng
sent up by the steamship in dis
tress, thus guiding the coast guard life
boat to the spot where she was ashore. A tre-
mendous sea was running the life boat put
TO sea and. In addition, il was bitterly cold. the
WIND freezing the water upon the life savers
boat oars and oilskins. The sea was so heavy
that, as this dispatch is sent the lie boat has
not succeeded III reaching the steamship.
As the log began to clear away early this
morning the life boat was seen still gallantly
struggling to reach the Elder, over which
vessel the foam of heavy seas was breaking liz
be able to rescue all the crew and passengers
even II the steamship is unable to get of.
IL Is impossible at this cabling to form any
definite idea OF the amount of damage done
Nor can the situation be more accurately
sunmedup than to say that the Elder is
ashore on dangerous coast and that every
thing possible Will be done to assist her.
HOW SHE MISSED THE LIGHT.
1t is evident that the Elder missed the
Needles light while making for the Solent or
water between the Isle of Wight and the MAIN
land of England. The Elder being bound for
Southampton, directly behind or inside the
Isle OF Wight, she would first make the Needles
light on the western extremity of the
Isle OF Wight and would then leave
1t on her starboard side and head
for the Solent aud Southampton waters.
Not making this light in the darkness and fog,
and perhaps being slightly out of her reckon
ing. the Elder must have apparently left the
Needles on the port side and have continued
heading down channel until she brought upon
the Atherfield rocks, which. already stated,
are nine miles west of Eentnor. But as yentnor
Is about the most southern extremity OF the Isle
OF Wight and theAeedles are about off its most
westerly point, 1t will be seen that the Elder
must have been much out OF her course to have
run ashore where she did In other words 10
explain the situation in landsman STYLE the
Elder passed to the right of the Isle of Wight
instead OF to the left OF 1t, quite an important
uluerence, IL Will be admitted.
GALE INCREASING.
Later.-As this cable message is forwarded
the gale is increasing in violence and heavy
seas are continually breaking over the Elder
Several tugs and life boats from Ventnor Yar-
mouth, Chale, st. GATHERINGS and other places
have managed to reach her and are doing
everything possible to assist the steamer; hut
her situation is becoming more critical every
hour. The tugs and life boats have managed
to take of the mails and have landed them at
Atherfeld. From this fact it is believed that
the passengers are all safe.
The Elder is 1850 tons and $500 horse
power. She was built at Glasgow in 1883 by
John Elder x Co.. and is considered in every
way to be a trst-class ocean passenger vessel
She has four decks, is bark-rigged and was last
surveyed in February, 1891.
THE WRECK OF THE EuRYpIcE.
The spot where the Elder is ashore is not far
from where, in the autumn of 1878. or a calm
Sunday afternoon, II. NJ. S. Eurydice, British
government training ship, while returning
from a cruise iu the Pacific and West Indies.
capsized In sudden squall and drowned 400
men, The Eurydice. when the sauall struck
her, had her portfolios open on account of the
fine weather and was SO close to land, to use a
seaman phrase, that you could chuck bis
cult ashore. yet nearly every soul on board
the ship was drowned.
SdbucTtu tUe CaN IN re-
gard to the stranding of the Elder show that
she ran on the rocks at about 10 o'clock last
night At that hour the sea was calm but the
fog was so thick that her officers were unable
to see half the length of the ship ahead. The
lead and steam whistle were kept going and the
engines were slowed down until the steamship
may be said to have been feeling her way
toward the lights she wanted to make before
heading for the Solent and Southampton
waters. 1t was while hunting for the Needles
mas fhaf ha IL
warning suddenly shook from stem to stern,
and then, with a long, terrible rasping, grating
quiyer, brought up on the AtherIeld rocks. as |
already stated. The suddenuess with which |
the steamship ran ashore can be judged from |
the fact that the hand lead was kept going on |
in the waist while the patent lead was hove over
her quarter and that both reported plenty of |
water until almost the instant the Steamship |
struck.
AscENE OF TERROR.
Then q scene of terror followed; the pas- |
sengers rushed on deck in their night clothes |
or partly dressed, and were with difficulty |
calmed by the ships officers, who assured them |
that there was no danger. Women and chill |
dren cried piteously, and the male passengers |
were much alarmed, but were prevailed upon to /
return to their cabins and make the necessary /
preparations TO abandon the ship should such |
a course be found necessary.
In the meanwhile Capt Henecke had ordered /
the crew to boat quarters and saw that the |
small craft were got ready for launching in the |
most prompt manner possible.
hasty examination Of the damage done to |
the steamer and of the position in which she |
rested showed that she was Graded in the /
rocks about a mile from the shore and there
was no denying that she was in q situation of /
great peril.
THE LIFE BOAT REACHES THE STEAMER
The Ather6eld coast guard life boat, at
tracted by the rockets sent up from the Elder,
managed to reach the side Of that steamer by /
midnight, although by that time heavy sea |
was rolling and a sea gale had sprung up,
forcing the steamer more and more upon
the rocks and considerably lessening her
chances OF getting of. When the coast
guardsmeu reached the Elder they offered |
to take of the passengers. but Captsin /
Henecke declined to'allow them to leave the |
ship, expressing himself confident of providing
for their safety. BY this time the wind had 4
increased SO much that q most furious gale was
raging, the wind blowing dead ashore and the
sea rising every moment and breaking over the /
steamship, which was working badly on the /
rocks and Increasing the size OF the holes cut i
In her bottom. The water Was also rising in /
her hold in spite Of the fact that the pumps i
were kept going continually.
fHIRrEEH RAaBEN0Kns LANDED.
Eventually the psasengsn became 70 alarmed /
and pleaded 20 earnestly with Capt Hsnscks