Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-31

room, further aft. 1t was impossible to
reach the forward boats, as the bows Of
the steamer had risen high out of the
water. The seamen then went aft. and
escaped in the manner already described.
After the Collision.
The rescued seamen steadily denied that
there had been any panic on board the
Elbe after the collision, but the excited
manner in which they replied to the ques-
lions put them on this point showed that
great confusion had prevailed.
Gould We" they said, stand there on
the sinking ship and not spring into the
boats below?"
II cannot swim at ALL" said one of the
seamen, and the distance between the boat
and the ships side was increasing"
did the captain give no orders?" asked
the correspondent of the Associated Press.
only one.' was the reply; land that
was that all the women and children were
to go to the starboard side. We were on
the port side, and remained there to give
the women and children a chance, and, of
course, We couldn't help Them
Did none of the passengers endeavor to
leap into the boats?" was the next QueS-
ton.
They could mot" said the seaman ad-
dressed, 80 high had the vessel raised out
IF the water. and they were afraid to
jump"
"What! interjected one man. did not
enc of the passengers jump and nearly
swamp the boat? big stout''-and here
the speaker. with a scowl on his face. made
o gesture to represent a person of exceed
Ing CorpulenCe.
Nineteen men in boat Only able to
Fold fourteen" he continued. I'VE could
not take any more on board. Besides"-and
he again made use Of a dramatic gesture
to depict the eddying of the whirlpool
caused by ship fast going down. I'VE
would have been sucked into the vortex.
When questioned as to the action Of the
captain after the collision, the seamen said
that he might have given more orders;
but, they added. in the noise and confusion
which followed the disaster, it was i'm
possible to hear orders, even If they had
been given, at such a distance from the
bridge.
Identity of the RamminE Steamer.
In the midst of inquiries of every kind
as to the cause of tie accident, the identity
of the steamer which rammed the Elbe,
ETC., every possible attempt is being made
20 find some trace of the missing boat and
its passengers.
The agent of the North German-Lloyd
Steamship Company this morning sent the
harbor tug Despatch to the scene of the
disaster. but. owing to the bad weather
prevailing, the men on board the tug were
unable to see anything. In addition, tele-
grams of inquiry have been sent to all
places along the coast asking If they have
any news of the missing craft and 1t is
hoped that the slowest of the fishing
smacks, which are expected to make this
harbor during the afternoon, may bring
some news.
The Missing Number 374.
So far as can be ascertained 374 of the
passengers and crew of the Elbe are miss
iEg. strong northeast gale blew through
out the night, accompanied by severe
frost, but this did not deter the coast
guards and customs officers from keeping
up an active watch all night long for any
signs of other survivors of the Elbe. These
coast guardSmen and custom house officers
have been on duty continuously now for
forty-eight hours, the whole force of both
branches of the service having been on
duty, but nothing has been seen OF the
missing boat, and not a vestige Of wreck
age from the Elbe has yet been washed
ashore.
The majority of people here have aban.
doned all hope of hearing of the rescue of
any more of the Elbe's passengers or
crew, as many Of the Yarmouth and
Lowestoft fishing smacks are known to
have been plying near the scene OF the
disaster and they have not yet returned.
which they certainly would have done had
thew picked up any survivors.
Although it is generally believed that
collision some of the survivors assert that
they did not see her go down, and they
express the hope that she may still be
The agent of the North German-Lloyd
Company here announces that the Emperor
and Empress of Germany have telegraphed
their condolences to the company and
have asked to be promptly informed II
any more of the passengers or crew OF the
Inflated Elbe are rescued.
Might Have Saved Many.
Mr.. Carl Hoffman, one of the cabin pas
seneers of the Elbe, who was rescued from
the Iife-boat of that steamer, belongs to
Grand Island, Neb He says that had the
vessel which collided with the Elbe stood
by the latter steamer the majority or the
passengers and crew might have been
saved; for, he adds, the Elbe remained
perfectly steady for many minutes after
the collision, before the volume of water
poured into her and caused her to lurch.
Then all became confusion. When the sur
v.vors were Informed that the Crathle was
supposed to be the vessel which sank the
Elbe they strongly denounced her crew
for their apparent inhuman1ty IN not max
ing an effort to assist the disabled vessel
or to rescue her crew.
Mr.. Hoffman, this morning, speaking ol
the disaster. said:
than we who are saved.
AhOat on the North Sen.
He is a German-American, about thirty
five ears Of age, Of the type common to the
western part of the United States. His
face was scanned with tears, which had
wet his sleepless pillow all night. Con-
tinung, Mr.. Hoffman said: There was no
confusion among the passengers. They be-
haved we'll, and the only confusion was
with the crew, who tried to save them
selves.
TT seems strange, sir; but to see that
those here are so few-out of the small
number saved there are fifteen members
of the crew. But many more might have
been saved. Oh, God, my wife! My. boy!
Both are dead, and I can't go to their
gravesv
Here the unfortunate man burst into
tears. After few minutes he continued:
"Yes. Many of the passengers had life
belts; but, they were useless. The noise of
the collision sounded no louder in my state
room than the single beat Of a big drum.