The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-02-03
All Brought Safely to Land After Long and
Wearying Contests with the Huge Waves
that Rolled Over the Reefs at Atherfield.
The Big Ship Filling with Water and
Pounding 10 Pieces on the Rocks.
Scenes on Shore During the Efforts of the Life.
Savers-Allthe Bullion Except One Case Left
on Board-Disaster in Chinese Waters.
SCENES AT ATHERFIELD.


Crowds of People View the Wreck of the
Eider-The Kodak Fiend Also There.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
LONDON. Feb 2.-Athertield and It's neIgh-
borhood was crowded with people to-day,
who came from all parts of the Isle of
Wight. and even from Portsmouth and
Southampton, in order to see the final
abandonment of the steamship Elder.
Scores upon scores of carriages, full of
curious people, have lined the shore from
morning, and appear likely to stay there
all night. In nearly all cases the horses
have been unhitched, and the drivers and
passengers are making temporary homes of
the vehicles referred to. the passengers
camping inside of them and. In some cases.
the drivers camping beneath them. Fires
were lighted here and there. and meals
were cooked. luncheon baskets were
emptied, and, in q word, jolly picnic by
the sad sea waves was INDUCED in.
The kodak fiend has made the wreck of
the Elder the occasion for q grand holiday
and campaign of Investigation and expert
ment. These amateur photographers are to
be seen like crows, perched here and there,
at every spot, on every rook, available for
their ghoulish work. and from these points
of vantage they have been pottinG the
Elder incident to their own intense delight,
but to the extreme disgust Of the fishermen,
coast guardsmen and fe-boatmen. who
seem to look upon the kodakers as nothing
more or less than carri0n crows in disguise.
To such an extent W as this mania for pho
tographing carried that an installment of
fifteen members from one amateur pho
tOgraphers' club alone came down to-day,
expressly from London, In order TO feast
upon the novel scenery and effects pre-
sented by the gallant steamship preparing
TO leave her frame upon the rocks of the
Isle of Wight.
There were scores of reporters, CORE
bled about the shore. The majority of
these professional gentlemen established
their headquarters in the most comfortable
public house in the vicinity. from which
place they posted sentries and videttes,
who did duty for two hours. came back
and reported the result of their turn of
duty, and who were then relieved by other
Journalists whose inners had been refreshed
by the best the headquarters pub"
PORTION OF THE MAILS SAVED.
The British postofice officials are still
deeply concerned about the mails. for, con-
trary to the previous reports. all the
Elders mail bags have not yet reached the
shore. In fact, it seems that only seventy
six bags of mail have been landed up to
the time this message is sent. Such being
the case there must still be hundredsion
board the Elder. for she is said to have
been carrying several hundreds of bags of
mail matter for England and for the con-
tinent.
1t was evident, to all concerned in trying
to obtain information as to the wreck OF the
Elder, that both the officers. seamen and en-
gineers, to say nothing of the remainder of
the crew of the steamer. had been carefully
drilled to tell the same story of the disas-
ter. The invariable formula was that the
Elder had o beautiful voyage; that her off,
GERS did not see the lights or make land
until the steamship struck on the rocks off
Atherfeld. The Elder, it appears, went
ashore during the watch of the second
officer. III. Krause, and that is about all
that you can gather from the steamers
crew.
The local coast -guardsmen, life-boat-
men. fishermen, and other such nautical ex-
perts, say that they are amazed at the lack of
decision and want of seamanship displayed
by the Elders officers who. they also say.
refused the services of the first life boat
which reached the stranded steamers side
at daylight. on Monday morning. and only
allowed few women to enter the second
boat. Captain Heinicke, the experts add,
sent q message ashore by the first life boat,
telegraphipg to the North German Lloyd
Company's agents, at Southampton. to send
tugs TO his assistance. but. they continue,
the Eiderss commander did not try to get
his anchors out in order to steady her and
prevent her tearing open wider the rents
which might naturally be expected to exist
in her shell in the position In which she
touched the rocks. The maritime critics
also say Captain Heinicke thus allowed
the Elder to drift further ashore until,
after midday. it was impossible for her
to anchor with q chance of benetitinG her
self.
Captain Heinlcke. still according to the
experts referred to. at IL O'Clock last night
began firing rockets and signaling that the
water was rising in the Elders hold. But
the ife-boatmen at that hour had been at
work almost continually for twenty-four
hours. and they were too exhausted to re-
spOnd to the Elders summons before day.
light During the last trip made by local
life boat between the Elder and the shore,
yesterday, she had twenty three persons
on board, and was so injured amidships by
being crushed against the steamers sides
that she barely reached land in safety. As
it was the life boat was half full of water
and weighted down to her gunwales by the