Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-02
ON THE ROCKS
Goes the Steamer Elder With
out a Moments Warming
While Feeling Her Way During
a Dense Fog at Night.

Elder, of the North German LLOYD
Steamship company, Captain Heinecke,
which left New York for Bremen on
Jan. 23, went ashore during Sunday
night ON the Atherfield rocks, 4line miles
west of Ventnor, Isle of Wight.
The coast-guardsmen noticed the fog
whistle of big steamship blowing dur
ing the night, but, as there are 80 many
vessels passing up and down the chan
mel, no danger was anticipated until
suddenly rockets were seen to flare up
ward through the night mist and fog,
and then steamships whistle was heard
blowing the long uninterrupted note of
| distress.
| The entire coast guard was immedi-
ately summoned and the neighboring
stations were promptly notified to send
reinforcements to the spot The life
boat of the coast guard station near
Atherfield rocks, was then manned and
run out the surf By this time rocket
after rocket was sent up by the steam
ship in distress, thus guiding the coast
guard life boat to the spot where she
was ashore.
Particulars of the Wreck.
Particulars gathered during the day
in regard to the stranding of the Elder,
show that she ran on the rocks at about
10 o'clock Sunday 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 whistles were kept
going and the engines were slowed down
until the steamship may be said to have
been feeling her way toward the light
she wanted to make before heading for
the Solent and Southampton waters. 1t
was while hunting for the Needles
passage that the Elder, without any
warning, suddenly shook from stem to
stern and then with long, terrible
rasping, grating quiver, brought upon
the Athertield rocks, as already stated.
The suddenness with which the
steamship ran ashore can be Judged
from the fact that 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.
A Scene of Terror.
Then scene of terror followed the
passengers rushed ON deck in their night
clothes or partly dressed, and were with
difficulty Gained by the ships officers,
who assured them that there was no
danger. Women and children 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 course be found nee
essary.
In the meanwhile Captain Heinecke
had ordered the crew to boat quarters
and saw that the small craft were got
ready for launching in the most prompt
manner possible.
A 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 mile from
the shore, and that there was no deny
ing that she was in situation of great
peril.
Life Savers to the Rescue.
The Atherfield coast guard lifeboat,
attracted 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 con-
siderably lessening her chances of getting
off. When the coast-guardsmen reached
the Elder, they offered to take off the
passengers, but Captain Heinecke de-
clined to allow them to leave the ship,
expressing himself confdant of providing
for their safety.
BY this time the wind had increased
80 much that 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 increas-
ing the size Of the holes cut in her bot
tom. The water was also rising in her
hold in spite of the fact that the pumps
were kept going continually.
Eventually the passengers became SO
alarmed and pleaded SO earnestly with
Captain Heinecke to be allowed to go
ashore in the coastrguaid or oGher life
boats that the Elders commander con-
sented to allow some of them to do 30
and thirteen of the passengers were
safely landed at Atherfield in the life
boat, after passing through an expert
ence among the waves off the shore that
they are not likely to forget for the re-
mainder of their lives.
Safely Landed.
The lifeboat was tossed about like a
cork, her passengers and crew were re-
peatedly half drowned beneath the crests !
of towering breakers and were repeat
edly lost to view from the ship and from
the shore; but the lifeboat was 80 skill |
fully handled that the thirteen passen-
gers and the crew of the lifeboat were
all safely landed near the coast-guard |
stations, where there were crowds of |
people gathered, attracted by the rap
idly spread news of the wreck. The |
drenched and half drowned passengers |
and life-savers were heartily cheered |
upon landing, and received every assist |
ance from those gathered to welcome |
them.
Three more lifeboats, by the time |
the thirteen passengers were landed, had |
made for the Elder and several tugs |
were also steaning up to her; but the |
latter were unable to approach near |
enough to her to be of any assistance,
owing to the fact that the steamship |
was Graded in spot surrounded ON all |
sides by dangerous rocks, which were 80 |
close together that even the light |
lifeboats experienced the utmost |
difficulty in getting near enough to the
distressed vessel to permit of passengers l
and mail bags being swung of into them. |
AS it was, only twelve mail bags were |
got off at the time this message was /
sent, the previous information cabled to |
the effect that all the mails were saved |
having been based on erroneous inforIna-
ton.
The Elder soon after signaled that the \
water was rising fast in her hold