St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-02
The Steamer Elder Runs on
Atherfeld Ledge in Dark,
Heavy Weather.
All Reckoning by Sight or.
Sound Was Lost by the
Ships officers.
Lifeboatmen Land the Pas
sengers and Mails After q
Long Struggle.
Attempts to Float the Big
Steamer by Tugs Prove
of No Avail.

1 I4o0NDONs Ia QioPdlSN "oo
received this morning from the signal
station at st. Catherne's Point, the
southern extremely OF the Isle of Wight,
| stating that the North German Lloyd
steamer Elder. Capt. Heinecke, from
| New York, Jan. 81, for Bremen, strand
| ed near that point at 10 O'Clock last
night. A neavy fog prevailed at the
time the steamer struck, but it is not
yet known how she came to be so far
| off her course, or how she took bottom
before the officers found she was shat
lowing water.
The Elder is lying Oh Athertield
| ledge. To judge from her position. she
evidently was carried by roller about
| half way over the ledge, and was then
! dropped Oh the rocks. She lies with
bow and stern in comparatively deep
water, her midship section resting on
the ledge.
| About 9 O'Clock this afternoon the
Elders engines were started, and all at
| tempt made to float her with her own
power. The screw churned the water
at great rate, but the steamer re-
! NAMED hard and fast.
l "a hioPoiSii oCIt lIOIl OdlutTlH6
Point at 7:30 tonight says that it was
! finally decided that it would be the safer
/ plan to land the Elders passengers.
and, according, boats were lowered, and
these, together with the lifeboatS from
/ the shore. had
Landed 200 Persons
at the time the dispatch was sent.
Among the first passengers landed from
/ the Elder by tile lifeboats were Mr..
| Plckard. of Kansas; Mrs. Martin. Mrs.
| and Miss Grant and two children, of
| New York; Mrs. Waltseyer and three
children, OF Brooklyn. and Mrs. Bendig,
Mr.. and Mrs. Abraham. l. M. kellner,
MIR. and Mrs.Ashenden and Mr.. Rankin.
After he had reached the shore one of
the passengers gave an account of the
accident and of the scenes attending
the stranding of the big steamer. He
said that at the time the Elder struck on
the ledge the weather was very foggy,
and it was only possible to see objects a
/ short distance away. Two lights, how
ever. were visible. The passengers
were somewhat startled when the
steamer first went OH the ledge, but
! they were soon treasured by the news
| that there was no danger. No confUs-
ion resulted from the accident among
the passengers and no alarm prevailed,
I
| er'S officers that the vessel was safe and
that assistance was near at hand il it
| was needed. So confident were the pas
| SengerS In these assurances that, acting
! under the advice of the captain of the
| Elder, they were all
Reluctant to Quit
| the vessel in the Atherfield lifeboat
when the IIfe-SaverS succeeded in reach
! ing the side of the steamer and offered
| to transfer the passengers to the shore
! The lifebOat remained at the scene of
| the accident for some time, but the
crew. finding that their services were
not needed, finally decided, to return,
and they left the steam er during the
night without taking any of the Elders
| passengers back with them.
When the Brightstone lifeboat came
| alongside of the steamer later on, the
captainOf the Elder again refused the
| offer OF help from the hfe-Saver s. and
! the boat started to return to the shore.
| The crew had only rOwed short dis
| lance. however. when twas decided that,
as the steamer still remained fast on the
ledge, and, as there seemed but little
| likelihood of her SOON getting afloat, it
would perhaps be the safest plan to go
ashore, and he therenpon shouted for
! the life savers to come back and entered
it with twelve others. Soon afterward
two more lifeboats began landing pas
SengelS as quickly as possible. The
! passengers concur in the statement that
| there is
No Apparent Damage
10 the vessel. Another report says that
the captain of the Elder declined the
services of the lIfeboats until noon, ex-
| pecting to hold out until the arrival of
| tho cfQ2m
| wind then rising. accompanied by rain
storms, he SIgnaled to the shore for
| help.
The vessel had listed slightly to port
as the tide receded. Although she ap-
| peared to be close to the shore, it was
found Impossible to reach her by double
rockets. As the tide ebbed the wind
fell. The three lifeboatS were again
launched, and, as soon as they reached
the ship, they began the work of rescue,
landing as rapidly as possible full boat
loads of passengers. Besides the hotels.
a number of cottages were placed at the
disposal of the passengers, and there all
| were made comfortable. By nightfaii
six tugs had arrived, and were awaiting
the attempt to tow the vessel off. Dur
ing the day the Elder bumped on the
! rocks considerably, about half a mile
| from shore, the seas breaking over her.
All Safely Landed.
A dispatch sent out at 10 D. m. saws;
s'Alt passengers and the rest of the
mails have been safely landed. The
| crew remained aboard preparing for
| the attempt to tow the steamer off. The
| attempt will be made at O'Clock in the
morning. The last boatload of passen-
gers was landed amid the rejoicing of
large crowd on the beach. The rescu-
ing crew received an ovation. The
specie remains aboard the shin. The
captain thinks the vessel will come to
no harm during the night. TIE weather
is finer than during the day, the night
being clear and Starlit.
The landing of the Elders passengers
by the life-Saving boats became some-
what risky after O'Clock in the eye;:-
ing, when the wind, which was blowing
dead ashore, freshened considerably,
| and threatened to increase to gale.
| This change In the wind rendered the
| operations of the lifeboats very diff
cult. and much care had to be exercised
| in the management of the craft. but all
were finally dragged safely through the
| surf by the aid of the Atherstone lights,
! The captain of the Elder took precau-
| tons to save the large amount of money
which was being shipped by the steam
! er. He gave orders to have it carried
| from the place where it was stored to
the deck, and large number of bags
containing in all
100000 In specie
were soon ri led on the deck on the side
of the vessel facing the shore. The big
| heap of money was so arranged as to be
| ready. should the necessity arise, to be
at once sunk in safe place among the
| rocks, whence it could afterwards be
| recovered easily by divers.
Capt. Addison, one of the passengers
| of the Elder, IN giving an account of the
| accident, said that the captain OF the