The evening world., 1893-10-27

Mrs. Charlotte Grunberg, Miss Ida HON
berg, Miss Celinda Hansmann, Sven
Jaspersen, Alfred Kopetzky, Gustav
klippert, Francis L~angcnfeld, Miss Rosa
Weinberger. Mrs. Klara Wadnay.
Among the first OF the passengers to
land were Mrs. Wagner and her daugh.
ter, n vivacious young German girl.
who admitted she had been awfuIly
frightened, but still claimed the women
acted more bravely thar the men.
There were seven ladies' in the first
cabin" she said. w were aroused
shortly after midnight by n frightened
steward, who hammered at our state
room doors and didn't tell what was
wrong. He told us to go forward.
Nearly all the women crowded out
as | dill. Some were only partly dressed,
but all returned for their clothing.
"A few carried their baggage, but the
majority left 1t for the sailors to bring
forward.
when we were aroused there was
' not much smoke in the cabin. but the
horrible cracking underneath made
every one believe the ship would be de-
stroyed. 1t was simply roaring under
meath the saloon cabin decks as mother
and | walked over II. The boards were
hot. and | felt sure the whole ship
would be on fire.
THE cabin passengers huddlcd together
in the forward part and talked in low
tones about the fire. but there wasn't
nearly so much excitement as when the
alarm was first given. Some OF the men
wanted to go back and got very angry
when they were not allowed to do so.
! ''ha ana ma N nttla CRYING lttt
otherwise didn't show much excitement.
when the boats were got ready to be
lowered. we all thought we would have
to abandon the ship. but as the sea was
not rough 1t was generally concluded
we would be safe.
THE smoke made It too disagreeahlc
to hold any meeting. We were offered
rooms in the second cabin, but there
was no sleep for any one. and all
wanted to be near at hand to get In n
boat II 1t were necessary.
"While the fire was raging there was n
good bit Of complaining among the pas
sengers because there was not much in
formation, but after II was over all were
thankful to the officers and crew for
working so hard"
The odor OF smoke still pervaded every
corner OF the Gellert when she WAS
locked. and where had been her beauti-
full adornment was nothing but blistered
paint and water-soaked upholstery.
The cabin saloon furniture was broken
and Drowned with heat and smoke.
Staterooms were ruined by water, and
even on the upper decks were the marks
OF the heat.
First officer Mestermann was warm
in his praise OF the crew this morning.
He said they worked In heat that was
sitting. II could only be endured for a
few moments. and then sailors rushed
to the upper decks to have n hose
turned on their steaming clothes.
Sailors. he said. had swathed their
arms in wet rags. and lying face down
on the hot deck had held the nozzle
into the holes that had been chopped In
the saloon cabin deck.
Not any OF the men could stand the
heat more than a few moments, Others
then took their PAGES. The heat was
terrific. and there was not a sailor on
the Gellert to-day whose arms were not
blistered and uniform ruined.
The baggage OF the passengers was
not greatly injured, although many
thought they had lost all except what
they were wearing.
one woman's pet canary bird was
killed by smoke. She was lamenting is
loss this morning with az much sorrow
as II the ship had gone down.
Capt. Kaempn came to New York MS
soon as his vessel landed to make a re-
port and see about insurance. 1t Was
stated that the cargo was practically
ruined by either fife or water.
The Gcllert is a three-masted iron
steamship Of $500 horse power. She is
374 feet in length, with 4O-foot beam,
Her draught Is 81 feet. She Is OF 400
tonnage
She was built by Stevens & Son. OF
Glasgow. for the Hamburg-AmeriCan
line in 1874. but was entirely remodclled
by the same firm in 1883.
Her officers are:
Captain, e. Kacmpff; First officer, II.
Mestermann: Second officer, II. Bruins
wig: Third Officer. II. Breitag: Fourth
Officer, a. Schellin: First Engineer, II.
Wichmann: Second Engineer, w. Strom;
3 Third Engineer, F, Hoppner; Fourth
! Engineer. NJ. Kuhne; Purser, 4. Mall
ing, and First Steward. A.. Krause.
l Capt. Carl Kaempn is one Of the
youngest OF the commanders OF ocean
= steamships. He was born in MeCklen'
= burg, Germany, thirty-eight years ago,
, He has been d seaman went years
making his first voyage aboard tbs
Rostock brig Bagatal to Russia. Sweler
. and Denmark. His next voyages were
to the East Indies, Australia and China
S In lS4 he passed the examination al
Hamburg for nate, and cruised as mat,
n on the Hamburg bark Frederick I,
Liberia. In japan he commanded tn
bark Tau Maru, sailing under tn,
japanese flag.
l. In 1878 he passed a captains eXamina
ton, and In 1879 entered the service o
r. the Hamburg packet line AZ fourtl
r officer Of the Gellert.
J. In 1886 Capt. Kaempff was placed II
command OF the Albingia, running from
Hamburg TO the West indies. Sine
e then he has commanded the CycloI
Silesia, Francia, Wiehand, Thuringla
l. Rugia and Gellert in turn.