The sun., 1895-02-03
THE NORTH SEA TRAGEDY.
OFFICERS AND GREW ACCUSED By
SOME OF THE SAVED PASSENGERS.
They Say No O.e Was saved with the
Help or the Eibe's Empioyees-A Little
Bey Pulled Out or n Boat that m onioer
Might Take HIS Place Efforts 20 Raise
Funds for the Families OF the Sailors.

Might Take HIS Place Efforts 60 Raise
Funds for the Families OF the Sailors.
Special Gable Despatch TO THE Sun.
LONDON. Feb. 2-Three passengers OF the
Elbc. who are alive because they dcfed the
ders of the officers and crew to keep out OF the
only boat which survived, called at The Suns
London office yesterday to emphasize n certain
feature of their experience Of which little has
been said in the first telling OF the awful story
of the disaster. It Is impossible to ignore these
statements, although they form terrible in
dctment against the German merchant marine
more than against the North German Lloyd
Steamship Company. However, the charges are
made by Germans against Germans.
Mr.. Hofmann's story Is the worst. He says he
entered the boat against the protests of the
crew. His wife handed him their boy, and then
he was about TO assist her in when the order
was gvan for the women and children to 10
the starboard side. She bindly obeyed, al
though her husband called her back. Before lie
could move the chief engineer appeared at the
side of the boat and shouted, Give me that
child" The boy put up his hands to the man
and the engineer dragged him out, although his
father tried to hold him. Hofmaun thon at
tempted to follow the boy, but the engineer
jumped into the place the child had vacated. and
at the same instant the boat was launched. The
boat quickly drifted past the first lfcboat which
had capslzed. and to which Miss Boecker was
clinging. The four passengers begged the Of
ficers and crew to pick her up but they refused.
Mr.. Hofmann aud another passenger managed
to get hold of her. and, after infinite exsrtions,
dragged her aboard. Then, instead of showing
the slightest sympathy for Hofmann in his grief
over the loss Of his wife and child, the chief
engineer bewailed his failure to bring a pair of
cuffs containing valuable buttons. The anguish
nf tha Off ri han rpnp IN tal ha gtpr
strong evidence Of his sincerity, and none could
condemn him for the bitterness lie expressed
toward the man whom he accused of being the
cause of his boys death.
Mr.. Verara corroborates Hofmann's story,
and describes how. after permission had re-
peatedly been refused to him to enter the boat,
he jumped in from above when 1t was launched,
and had severe struggle with member of the
crew, who tried to put him overheard. II was
only when he told the man that he would drag
him too into the water that he desisted.
have given only bare outline OF the most
serious features of the charges The English
press do not hesitate to say that the simple fact
that fifteen OF the crew were saved and only five
passengers. constitutes a dark blot upon the
German escuJcheon.
The rescued passengers have said little of
their treatment by the English representatives
OF the North German Lloyd. 1t is a matter OF
genuine public Importance, however, that these
facts be made known as widely as possible. The
German Consul at Lowestoft clothed the sur
vivors as soon as they landed. When tho
English agent Of the steamship company ar
rived he gave each male passenger SIS. Yester-
day he brought them to London and asked them
to 20 to q second-olass hotel with the officers
and crew. The passengers refused TO remain
longer in the vicinity of the men. whom they
denounce most bitterly as towards. Quarters
were therefore provided at thu Euston
Hotel. The agent of the steamship company
asked what else was wanted besides pas
sage to America. They replied that it
would be q great favor IL they could
have clean shirt. socks. &C., to put on before
they reached America. The agent then doled
out SIS moro to each of the three passengers.
The survivors elected to sail to-day on the Um-
bris. A reporter who heard what was being
done for the passengers was unkind enough to
say some hard things to the Steamship agent
before the survivors left for Liverpool with the
result that each man received third pound;
but out OF this money they had to pay their own
fare to Liverpool. which is 81 third class. They
took with them q letter to tho Cunard Office at
Liverpool from tho agent requesting that he
supply them with fl2 berths the lowest saloon
rate to New York. This is cheaper than the
fare which had been paid on the Elbe. The
agent was good enough to add: I'VE shall regard
it as a favor If you will give them the best
berths available at the price. When they reach
New York, IL they are economical in Liverpool
and refrain from giving fees and indulglng in
extras ON the Umbria, each man will be able to
buy one square meal. One passenger lives in
Michigan and another in Ohio. This was known
to the steamship agent here, but he made no
suggestion how they were to reach their homes
and gave no letter to the New York agent of the
company. When learned these facts to-day l
telegraphsd to Mr.. Hoffman, on board the Um-
bria at Queenstown, to call at The Sun office as
soon as he arrived In New York. No doubt tho
friends of the three destitute men who read this
despatch will send them ample funds 10 take
them in comfort TO their homes.
IL is still impossible to say anything definite
about the responsibility for the disaster It's
sure to have one important effect, namely. the
adoption OF stringent international regulations
OF navigation In the crowded and dangerous
waters OF the English Channel and the North
Sea- Without making any imputations against
the Crathie, which sent the Elbe to the bottom IL
must be said that vessels of her class are much
dreaded terror to navigators In these waters.
They often run with criminal neglect OF The
most ordinary precautions, and they are usually
undermined. and some times sail At full speed on
the course at night with only one man on duty
above deck. Instances are known where this
one man has lhsncu tue "Hocl On ln0 course ana
gone below for a drink or 10 warm himself
The regulations about the lights are also often
neglected.
BY the United Press
Carl Hoffman,, Eugene schleRel, and Jan We
vera, upon their departure for Liverpool TO take
passage for America on the Umbrla to-day,
asked that the bodies OF their relatives who per-
lsled on the Elbs be buried in England in case
they should be found. They also expressed
their heartfelt thanks for the kindness which
had been extended 10 them on nll sides during
their stay at Lowestoft Miss Anna Boecker has
arrived at Portsmouth,. where she is stopping
with some friends. In a supplementary state
ment Miss Boecker says that after she had been
in the water some minutes, she tried To get
into a boat near which she was thrown by =
wave. She endeayored to catch one OF the oars,
when man In the boat shouted; Push her
on" Others. however, caught hold OF her and
dragged her into the boat. She declares that
there was no fog when the collision occurred.
There was no confusion among the officers OF
the Elbe after tho collision, but all OF them
seemed to expect that the ship would keep
alto tNnh l1pa han aha