Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1895-02-06
THE ELBE DISASTER.
Wreck Of a Passenger Steamer in
the North Sea.
Survivors Are Fcw-Number of the Missing
Is 3I4-The Story as Told by the Res
cued Ones - Elbe Crew
Criticised.

cued Ones - Elbes Crew
Criticised.
LONDON, Feb. L. The loss of the
North German Lloyd steamship Elbe,
with nearly 400 lives, was the absorb
! ing topic of conversation and comment
in all circles Thursday morning. The
latest information as to the number of
lives lost places it at 314. At least that
is the number missing, and there is
very little hope entertained that any
! of these will eventually be heard from
alive.
| Story of the Disaster.
| The Elbe left Bremen on Tuesday
| afternoon. The few hours of the voy-
age before the disaster were unevent-
| full. At 4 o'clock Wednesday morning
the wind was blowing very hard and a
| tremendous sea was running. The
morning was unusually dark. Numer-
GUS lights were seen in all di-
rections, showing that many YES
sells were near by. The captain
ordered, therefore; that rockets
should be sent up at regular intervals
to keep out of the Elbe's course. 1t
was near o'clock and the Elbe was
some SO miles off Lowestoft, coast of
Suffolk, when the lookout man sighted
steamer of about 1900 tons approach
ing. He gave the word and as pre-
caution the number of rockets was
doubled and they were sent up at short
intervals.
The Collision.
O1l..
The steamer came on with unchecked
speed and before the Elbe could change
her course or reduce her speed, there
was terrific crash of the collision.
The Elbe was hit abaft her engine
room. When the small steamer
wrenched away, an enormous hole
was left i'll the Elbe's side. The
water poured through and down into
the engine room in cataract. The
room filled almost instantly. The en-
gines were still and the big hulk began
to settle. The passengers were in bed
The bitter cold and rough sea had pre-
vented an early rising, and none except
the officers and crew on duty was on
deck when the ship was struck.
Passengers in Panic.
The shock and crash reused every
body. The Storage was in panic in
a moment and men, women and chill
dren half dressed or in their night
clothes came crowding up the com
panionways. They had heard the
sound of rushing water as the other
steamer backed off and had felt the
Elbe lurch and settle. They had
grasped the fact that it was then life
or death with them, and almost to
man had succumbed to their terror.
They chung together in groups, facing
the cold and storm, and cried aloud for
help or prayed on their knees for deliv
erence. The officers and crew were
calm. For few moments they went
among the terror-stricken groups try
ing to quiet them and encouraging
them to hope that the vessel might be
saved. 1t was soon apparent, how
ever, that the Elbe was settling
The officers were convinced
that she was about to founder and
gave orders to lower the boats.
Took to the Boats.
In short time three boats were got |
but the seas were breaking
over the steamer with great force, and !
the first boat was swamped before any
body could get into it. The other two
boats, lowered at about the same time,
were filed quickly with members of |
the crew and some passengers, but the
number was small, as the boats held |
only twenty persons each.
Experience of the Survivors.
The boat carrying the twenty-five
persons who were landed at Lowestoft |
put off in such haste from the sinking |
steamer that nobody in it noticed what |
became of the other boats. The sur
vivors believe however, that they got
away safely. They say that they
tossed about in the heavy seas for
several hours before they sighted the
The little smack bore
down on them at once and took them
aboard. They were exhausted from
excitement and exposure. Several of
them were in a state of col
lapse and had to be carried and
dragged from one boat to the other.
Miss Anna Buecker, the only woman
IN the party, was Frustrated as soon as
they got clear of the Elbe. She lay in
5he bottom of the boat for five hours,
with the seas breaking over her and
jhe water that had been shipped half
covering her body. Although her
Ter physical strength was gone,
'he showed true pluck, however,
ind did not utter word of
complaint and repeatedly urged her
not to mind her, but to
ook after themselves. Hoffman's leg
vas hurt severely while he was chang
ng boats. The survivors cannot say
90 much in praise of the Wildfower's
rev, who gave them every possible at
ention.
Americans Aboard,
Among the passengers on board the
ll-fated Elbe and who are supposed to
,e lost were the following Americans, :
Mrs Anton Fischer, Washington. D. c.;
ohm B. Vinche. St. Charles, Mo-; Mrs. M c.
,onnors, South Dakota: Messrs. Wix, Schnell, |
)ueren, Ernst and Hearen, all Of New York
ity; Jacob Frank, Buffalo, N. Y. Mrs. Sophia |
rhodes and son Eugene. Washington, d c.:
drs Louise Kuhn New York city; Mrs. Anna ]
Hoffman and son Henry, Grand Island Neb.;
fessrs Lockhart and Islaub New York city;
ernst Maseberg, Louisiana; Kurt Klein
chmidt Helena. Mont: John Garlicher I