The Portland daily press., 1892-02-02
ON THE ROCKS.
Voyage Of an Atlantic Liner Ends
on the British Coast.
HOW THE ELDER RAN ASHORE AND
HER PEOPLE WERE SAVED.

The Big Steamer Went on the Wrong Side
of the Isle of Wight - Life Savers
Promptly to the Rescue-All the Pas
sengers Landed-Cotton Bales Tied to
the Ship-A Fortune Piled ON Deck.
Elder of the North German Lloyds
steamship company, Captain Heinecke,
which left New York for Bremen on
January 23, went ashore during the past
night on the Atherfield rocks, nine miles
west of Ventnor, Isle of Wight. The
Elder lies in close proximity to the
coast guard station.
The coast guardsmen noticed the fog
whistle of big steamship blowing dur
ing the night, but as there are SO many
vessels passing up and down the chan
mel, no danger was anticipated, until
suddenly rocket was seen to flare up
ward through the night mist, and then
steamers S whistle was heard blowing the
long, uninterrupted note of distress.
The entire coast-guard crew was inn
mediately summoned, and the neighbor
ing stations were promptly notified to
send reenforcements to the spot. The
life-boat of the coast-guard station near
Atherfield rocks was then manned and
run out through the surf. By this time
rocket after rocket was being sent up by
the steamship in distress, thus guiding
the coast-guard life boat to the spot
where she was ashore.
A tremendous sea was running as the
life boat put to sea, and, in addition, it
was bitterly cold, the wind freezing the
water upon the life-savers' boat, oars and
oilskins. As the fog began to clear
away early this morning the life-boat was
seen to still gallantly struggle to reach
the Elder, over which vessel the foam of
heavy seas were breaking.
1t is evident that she missed the Nee
dies light while making for the Solent, or
water between the Isle of Wight and the
mainland of England. She apparently
left the Needles on the port side, and
continued heading down the channel un-
til she brought up on the Atherfield
rocks, which, as already stated, are nine
miles west of Ventnor. But as Ventnor
is about the most southern extremity of
the Isle of Wight, and the Needles are
about off it's most westerly point, it will
be seen that the Elder must have been
much out of her course to have run
ashore where she did.
In other words, to explain the situa-
ton in landsman style, the Elder passed
to the right of the Isle of Wight, instead
of to the left of it, quite an important
difference.
The Elder is of 1000 tons, and 5000
horse power She was built at Glasgow
in 1888, by John Elder & Co., and is con-
sidered in every way to be a first-class
steamer. She has four decks is BARK
rugged, and was last surveyed in Februa-
ry, 1891.
The spot where she is ashore is not far
from where, in the autumn of 1878, on a
calm Sunday afternoon, Eurydice, a Brit
ish government training ship, while re-
turning from cruise in the Pacific and
West Indies, capsized in sudden squat
and drowned 400 men.
WORK OF RESCUE.
II ow the Passengers Were All Landed in
Safety.
LONDON, February 1.-The passengers
were somewhat startled, when the Elder
went on the ledge, but were soon reas-
sured It.was decided to jettison part
of the cargo, and fifty-seven bales of cot
ton were thrown overheard. Ropes
were attached to the bales and tied to
the rails of the ship, so the ship is sur
rounded by a sea of cotton. The cotton
will be saved. The life boats came to the
vessel but the captain declined them
until noon. A strong southwest wind
was then rising, accompanied by q rain
storm, and he 'signalled the shore for
help. The vessel had listed slightly to
port as the tide receded. Although she
appeared close to the shore. it was found
impossible to reach her by double rock
cts. AS the tide ebbed the wind fell and
three lifeboats were launched. AS soon
as they reached the ship, they began the
work of rescue, landing as rapidly
rapidly as possible full boat loads of pas
sengers. At 10 p. m. all the passengers
and the mails were landed The saving
crews received an ovation. By
nightfall six tugs had arrived
and were awaiting an attempt to tow the
vessel off. 1t is thought the vessel has
not been seriously damaged. The vessel
carried 100000 in specie. The captain
ordered the bags containing the money
piled on deck on the side of the vessel,
facing the shore. The big heap of mon
ey was so arranged as to be ready, should
the necessity arise, to be sunk in safe
place among the rocks, whence it could
afterwards be easily recovered by divers.
The Elder had 130 passengers and crew
of 100.