Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-02-01
NEARLY 400 DROWNED.
Lloyd Line Steamship Sunk Off
the English Coast.

Terrible Scene of swift Destruction---22
Survivors Picked Up---story of the
Disaster.
A terrible disaster, attended by great
loss of life, occurred in the North sea We'd
nesday morning, when the North German
Lloyd steamer Elbe, bound from Bremen
to New York, was sunk 80 miles off Loves
loft, England, at o'clock. after collision
with a small steamer. She carried 240
passengers and 100 officers and seamen, of
whom only y are known to have been
saved, though one life boat with other
passengers may have gotten away from the
wreck. Capt. Won Goessel, one of the
most trustworthy and longest employed
men in the service of the line, went down
with his ship.
The % survivors were landed at loves
loft about > 40 in the evening, having been
picked up by the fishing smack Wild
Flower. The passengers were but half
clothed. Their few garments were frozen
stiff, and anxiety and effort had exhausted
them so completely that they had to be
helped ashore. The officers and seamen
were fully dressed, but their clothes were
frozen on them, and it was three hours
after coming ashore before they could tell
the story of the wreck.
The Elbe left Bremen Tuesday after
noon. At o'clock Wednesday the wind
was blowing hard, tremendous sea was
running, AMI the morning was very dark.
Numerous lights were seen in all directions,
showing that many vessels were near, and
the captain ordered that rockets be sent up
to warn the craft to keep out of the Elbe's
course. About the lookout man sighted
steamer of about 1900 tons approaching,
and the signals were repeated at shorter
intervals, but without effect, aud before
the Elbe could change her course or reduce
her speed, the collision came,
The Elbe was hit abaft her engine room
and when the small steamer wrenchad
away an enormous hole was left in the
Elbe's side through which the water poured
into the engine room. The room filled al
most instantly and the vessel began to
! sink. The shock and crash aroused every
| body and a panic Immediately followed,
but the officers and crew were calm and
tried to quiet the terror stricken groups.
| Seeing that the vessel must 90 down, the
boats were lowered and an attempt made
| to get the passengers OFF, but the high seas
running made this difficult to do and the
struggle for the boats was desperate. The
survivors tossed about some hours before
being picked up by the Wild Flower, when
they were exhausted from exposure and
excitement. Only one woman is among
the survivors. The rough sea made the
work of rescue extremely perilous. Twenty
of the passengers were from different parts
of the United States, returning from the
continent, and others were to have taken
| passage at Southampton.
Third Officer Stolberg says that he can
not explain the collision, and that it is un
likely that any adequate account can b,
obtained, as all the deck watch on duty a
the time were drowned. The New Yorl;
agents of the company, speaking of thu
disaster, say that the accident could no
have been through any negligence on Capt
Won Goessel's part This is the first seri
Gus accident that has occurred TO a steame
of this line since 1915, when the Deutsch
land ran ashore on the Kentish Knocl
sands, at the mouth of the Thames, and {
number of lives were lost of passengers'an,
crew. The company has 80 steamers run
ming on its various lines. The Elbe wa
built in Glasgow, Scotland, and made he
first voyage in 1881. She had accommoda
tions for 100 first-cass, 120 second-clas
and 1000 steerage passengers.
A despatch from Amsterdam says tina
the steamer Crathie, from Rotterdam TO
Aberdeen, returned Wednesday to Maaslul
with her stem stove in.
Her captain reported that about o'clocl
she collded with a vessel, whose name h
could not learn, some 30 miles from tn
Hook of Holland 1t is supposed that tn
Elbe is the steamer in question.