Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-02-06

known IndL lne CfdlHle was Tue OueHu-
ing steamer. There are several interest
ing points in this distressing story which
require definite explanation before all the
facts in the case will become generally
known.
For instance there are people who be-
lieve that a second steamer may have
foundered. They base their opinions on
the fact that the Ramsgate lifeboat put
to sea yesterday evening in answer to
signals of distress supposed to have come
from a steamer. But the lifebOat has not
returned, and, as she got away in blind
ing snowstorm, it is believed that she IS
lost and that the steamer she attempted
to assist also went down. Then again
the word ''Azonia" is branded on the oars
of the boat stranded near Yarmouth, so
people say that it could not be the boat
from which the Wildflower took the sur
vivors of the Elbe. The name "'Azonia"
is not known in shipping circles here.
Await the Court of Inquiry.
The German vice-consul and the agent
of the North German Lloyd company
have cautioned all the survivors of the
crew Of the Elbe to furnish no infOr-
nation Of any description to any
body until they appear before the court
of inquiry, and as the men are strictly
obeying these directions, very little can
be gathered except from the passengers
who, of course, are not posted on mari
time rules and regulations and are there
fore unable to furnish the facts which
might enable the mystery of the sinking
Of the Elbe to be cleared up as promptly
as most people wish. It seems, however,
that neither of the two pilots was on
the bridge of the Elbe at the time of
the collision. The Weser, or German
pilot, ceased his duty when the Elbe
cleared from the Weser and the turn of
duty of the Trinity, or English pilot
did not commence until the steamship
entered the waters of the Isle of Wight,
and the surviving officers Of the Elbe
steamer when the collision occurred :;
but it is supposed to have been Third Of
hcer Stollberg, who was one of the sur
viyOrs. Stollberg is understood to have
asserted that the steamship which sank
the Elbe was out of her course and he
is said to have admitted that he saw q
green light on the port bow of the Elbe
shortly before the collision occurred. He
described the third lifeboat, which it is
still thought may have escaped, to be
about twenty feet long. She cleared the
Elbe all right and had a number of peo-
pie inside her. Stollberg, however, does
not believe it possible for her to have
lived for any length of time in the heavy
sea which was running at the time of the
accident.
Chief Engineer Neussell says the stem
of the unknown ship struck the Elbe
about 100 feet forward of the rudder. or
just abaft the engine room. The engines
were not damaged by the collision, but
the water soon poured in, and although
the steam pumps were put to work in
about three minutes time, it became use
less, and the engine rooms were soon
deserted for the upper deck
The English Pilots Statement.
Later in the day, at the request of the
agents of the North German LLOYD com
4 Nl,o,, FNrf,,; .1oA
the following statement:
when | came on deck with some of
the passengers, Capt. Won Gossel was in
charge. The first order given was to
swing the boats out, but not to lower them
until further orders. The next order was
for everybody TO come on deck and for
the crew to go to their stations Then
followed the order for women and children
to go to the starboard BOATS. n which it
was proposed to save them. The first of
these orders were given by Capt. Won
Gossel and repeated by Chief Officer
Wilhelms. The captain was on the bridge
and | believe he went down with his ship.
THE next order which [ heard given
was to lower the boats. There was no
confusion whatever, nor was there pans
ic, Every order was executed with the
greatest calmness and promptitude.
AT the time of the collision there was
a high sea running and strong wind
blowing from eaSt-SOutheaSt. 1t was bit
terly cold and there had been 10 degrees
of frost, Celsius % degrees above zero,
Fahrenheit, on the norning before the
boats grips and falls were frozen and the
lanyards securing the falls had to be
chopped in order to save time, but that
would have been done in any case in the
event of collision.
THE Elbe went down about two min
utes after we left her side"
Surviving Officers Explain.
The explanation given by the surviv-
ing officers of the Elbe as to the proper
ton of the crew saved to the number OF
passengers saved is that the following
orders were given by the officers of the
Elbe: The children were to be saved
first and then the women, and they were
to be placed in the boats on the star
board side, where the women and chill
dren were told to gather. But almost
immediately after these orders had been
obeyed, the Elbe listed heavily to star
board and the seas swept up to the prom
made deck, so the starboard boats were
rendered useless.
The boat which brought the survivors
away from the Elbe was one Of the port
boats and was the last to leave the vessel
Acting upon the orders of Capt. Won Cos
sci, Third Officer Stollberg and the pay
master, who were in charge Of this boat,
took their seats inside of her and then
Geek, it was rush for the boat and any
body who could get into it did so. The
Trinity pilot, Greenham, who, as already
stated by himself, rushed on deck immedi-
ately after the collision, assisted the crew
of the Elbe in firing the rockets which sig
haled the vessels distress. IT is under
stood that Greenham has been heard to
express the opinion that the steamer
which collided with the Elbe was distinct
ly at fault as she attempted to cross the
bows of the Elbe
Carl Hoffman's Story.
Carl Hoffman, one of the cabin pas
sengers, who was rescued from the life
boat, belongs to Grand Island, Neb. He
says that had the vessel which collided
with the Elbe stood by the latter steamer,
the majority of the passengers and crew
might have been saved, for he says the
Elbe remained perfectly steady for many
minutes after the collision, before the vol
ume of water poured into her and caused
her to Iurch. Then all became confusion.
When the survivors were informed that
the Crathie was supposed to be the yes
sci which sank the Elbe they strongly
denounced her crew for their apparent in,
humanity in not making an effort to as
sist the disabled vessel or to rescue her
crew Mr. Hoffman,, this morning,