The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-02-13
HUNDREDS LOST At SEA.
The North German Lloyd Steamship
EIbe Founders After a Collision,
STRUCK BY A SMALL STEAMER,

STRUCK BY A SMALL STEAMER.
Rammed at Night in the North Sea Fifty
Miles or England's Coast. and Sent to
the Bottom in Twenty Minutes---Ter-
rible Scene on Deck---Au but Hand
full Engulfed---TaIes Of the Survivors.
The little fishing smack Wild Flower has
inst sailed into the harbor OF Lowestoft. on
he east coast Of England, with handful
OF survivors, who were all that remained Of
. ships company Of nearly 400 souls who
sailed twenty-four hours before from Bremen
bound for New York. Few of the great
tragedies Of the sea have been more terrible
than the fate OF over $50 men, women and
children who went down in the North Sea in
the wreck of the steamship Elbe, OF the North
German Lloyd Company.
The disaster befel the great ship almost
without warning. She was pursuing her
course Just before daybreak through rough
pes amid half gale, which blew bitter cold.
Other vessels were in sight, with which she
exchanged signals. Suddenly there was
crash, and in moment the Elbe lay helpless
upon the water, cut half in two by smaller
steamer which struck her almost amidshipS.
How it happened no one on the larger YES
sel lives to tell, for all who are known to be
saved were below deck when the collision
occurred. The boat which struck the liner
remained for few moments wedged in the
Ereat rent which she had made. The sea soon
tore the two ships apart. The smaller one
was badly damaged and almost helpless.
She drifted away. and did not even learn
with what ship she had been in collision.
She was the Scotch steamer Craithie, OF
Aberdeen, 1876 tons. Late in the evening she
erswled into the harbor Of Maasluis, near
Rotterdam.
It was quickly realized on board the Elbe
that her wound was mortal, and that she
could not long survive. The blow tore open
ali the middle compartments, and flood OF
water quickly filed the engine and boiler
rooms to the waters edge. Some OF the pas
sengers were undoubtedly killed in their
berths, especially in the second cabin, for
staterooms there were smashed to bits, and
several passageways were blocked by DEBRIS
All but two or three of the 240 passengers
were in bed Few failed to realize that q
serious disaster had befallen, for the shock
was terrific throughout the ship. Within
few moments all who were able to escape
from below reached the deck.
There followed one OF those awful scenes
which are almost inevitable in a. large ships
OUmpduy SUuuOuly DlOuSuS io-O W AhoO WAe4
death. At first there was some attempt at
discipline. The Captain and first officer gave
clear orders which were heard by all that the
women and children should enter the boats
first. This made it plain to everybody that
the ship was doomed and terror in many
cases became madness.
The crew at first worked with efficient SELF
possession In lowering the boats. They were
hampered by frozen ropes and the severe list
Of the rapidly settling steamship. It soon
became apparent to all that the ship was
laundering. Then arose the wild cry:
''There are not boats enough"
Little discipline remained after that mo-
nent There were some sad struggles to-
escape at the expense of others. The last
order heard by any survivor was the Captains
command that the women and children should
90 to the opposite side of the ship from that
where the damage was and where tho most
boats were being got out.
The first lifeboat that was foated was
quickly filed with men and women, but 1t
capsized before it got ten yards from the
side. One young woman In this boat clung
10 1t until picked up by the second boat,
which Is the only one known to have sur
vived. She was the only woman saved, for In
the wild scramble at the very last only men,,
and all but four Of these officers and crew
of the vessel, secured places. Those on,
this boat say that they saw one more boat
load of about twenty get away from the ship
before she sank. Before they cast oil the,
EIbe had heeled over to sharp angle and
settled very low in the water. She went,
down stern first when the survivors who
reached Lowestoft were only few rods
away.
An Ohio man, who happened to be dressed
and on deck within moment OF the colli-
Bion, says the time was less than twenty
minutes from the striking Of the blow till the
ship disappeared. It was only after three or
four hours of severe exposure that the
boat load was rescued by the smack Wild
Flower. The place where they were picked
up Is about fifty miles southeast Of Lowestoft, +,
almost midway between the English and
Dutch coasts.
The Elbe carried 240 passengers and 160
officers and seamen. twenty-five survivors
were landed, though it was thought few
others might be afloat in lifeboat. All the
others were lost. Captain Kurt Won Goessel
went down with his ship.
Twenty of the survivors are:
Cabin passengers: Carl Hofmann, Euffen
Schlegel, Jan Tevera. Steerage: Bothen,
Miss Anna Buecker, Th. Stollberg, third off,
eer; A. Neussell, first engineer; W. Wefer,
purser; Schulteiss, Linkmeyer and Sittig, as
dstant pursers; Koebe, chief stoker; Fuerst,
stoker; Wenning, Finger, Sibert, Dresow and
Boetke, seamen; Deharde, German pilot;
Greenham, English pilot.
Hofmanns home Is in Nebraska. His wife
and boy went down with the ship. The pas
sengers were only half clothed. Their few
garments were frozen stiff, their hair was
coated with ice, and anxiety and effort had
exhausted them so completely that they, had
to be helped ashore. The officers and sailors
were fully dressed, but their clothes had been
Grenched and frozen and they had been al
most paralyzed with cold and fatigue.
Of fha hafOra the
disaster were uneventful. At o'clock q.
m the wind was blowing very hard, and a
tremendous sea was running. The
morning, was unusually dark. Numer-
GUS lights were seen in all directions,
showing that many vessels were near by.
The Captain ordered. therefore, that rockets
should be sent up at regular intervals to warn
the craft to keep out OF the Elbes course. 1t
was near to six o'clock, and the Elbe was
some fifty miles off Lowestoft, coast of Suffolk,
England, when the lookout man sighted a
steamer Of small dimensions approaching. He
gave the word, and, as precaution, the num-
her Of rockets was doubled, and they were sent
up at short intervals. The warning was
without effect. The steamer came on with
unchecked speed, and before the Elbe could
change her course or reduce her speed nota-
bly,, there was the terrific crash Of the COLI.
zion.
The Elbe was hit abaft her engine room
When the smaller steamer wrenched away al
enormous hole was left in the Elbe's side
The water poured through and down into the
engine room in a cataract. The room filled
almost instantly. The engines were still, anG
the big hulk began to settle.
The passengers were in bed. The bitter
cold and rough sea had prevented any early
rising, aud none except the officers and crew
on duty was on deck when the ship was