Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-01-31


Swept Back 10 DIe-No Time to do Any
thing-Only Three Boats Launched and
One of Them Founders Almost Immedi-
ately-Hea rtrending Account Given by
One Of the survivors-List OF the saved
rs Far as known.
steamer Elbe, Of the North German Lloyd,
the most terrible ocean disaster for years
except that of theVictoria battleship in the
Mediterranean in 1898, took place of
Lowestoft about $50 a. IN. yesterday. She
was steaming along at an ordinary speed
when through the mist she sighted of
her port bow the Crathie, bound from
Rotterdam to Aberdeen. Before the col.
lision could be averted the Crathie had
safA into the Elbe. The North German
kM0 ecamcr was struck above the en-.
gino room and began to fill SO rapidly
that there was only time to lower three
of her boats and one of these was
swamped shortly after getting away from
the steamer.
The first boat contained the third officer,
chief engineer, the purser and about
twenty passengers. The occupants of the
boat were picked up by a couple of fish.
Ing smacks and were taken to Lowestoft,
where they have been landed. 1t has
been found difficult to get the officers of
the steamship to make any statemc mt
until they have communicated with the
agents OF the Elbe, and the passengers
who have been rescued are as yet too ex-
cited TO tell anything but rambling
stories But from what can be gathered
but n very short time must have elapsed
between the collision and the sinking of
the Elbc.
Like Drowning Box.
Nothing is known as to the fate of the
occupants of the third boat which was
loaded from the ibe, but it is hoped that
they will either be picked up by some
passing vessel or else succeed in making a
landing ON the coast. From what one of
the rescued men says the disaster must
have been one of the most terrible in the
history of such catastrophcs. All passengers
are.understood to have been below and
asleep at the time the collision occurred,
and nearly all of them must have been
either drowned below or have met death
while seeking to rush upon the deck. The
man who furnishes this information was
in such an excited state that little more
could be gathered from him :han exclama-
tiOns of horror.
No Time to Utter q Prayer.
He repeated time and again: 1T was
terrible. 1t was terrible. The poor women
and children went down without hardly
being able tn utter a prayer. Ii was ter
rible. The steamship must be full of dead
bodies. They were caught like rats in a
trap. can't tell you any more about it.
All know is that heard terrible crash,
md it was followed by an awful sound of
rushing water and escaping steam. 1t
was very dark down below where was.
But somehow l managed to push my way
on deck. The ship rcsoundcd with heart
rending cries from all quarters, although
the officers seemed to be doing all they
could to calm the people. / saw a lot of
sailors making u rush for boat, and l
joined in with them.
Fighting for . Chance for Life.
Somehow the boat was lowered and I
managed to scramble into il, although it
seemed to me rs if about 100 people were
trying to do the same. We pushed some
of them away, for it was utterly impossi-
BILE to load the boat any more and we
could see that the Elbe was doomed She
was rolling terribly and settling down on
one side in n manner which seemed To
threaten turning her over entirely. Some
how or other we got away and a number
of people were drowned as they jumped
insb the sea and swan after us. OF course
we could not put back for anybody OF We
should have been pulled under.
Goes Down, the Tomb of Hundreds.
'Somc time later-I can't say how long.
for l was too Mortified tn think-the Elbe
gave 4 fearful lurch sideways and sank
with n bursting sound IL seemed To me
as if something blew up on board of her
as she went down. i don't know what
became of the vessel that ran into US
had brother ON board who was from
Germany, like myself We were on our
way tn the United States where We have
relatives
OTHER DETAILS OF THE HORROR.
Lists of the Saved and Of the Cabin Passcn-
Rescue OF the saved.
Tb.r,. - soma T.,