Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-01-31

LOaQ w as SdVSu.
LONDON, January 3O.-The North
German Lloyd Steamer EIbe, Captain
Won Gossel, from Bremen, yesterday
for New York, via Southampton, has
been sunk in collision with the British
Steamer Crathi e, bound from Rotter-
dam for Aberdeen.
Al the tire of Sc nding this despatch,
the exact loss Of life is unknown, but
report has il that it was enormous.
The disaster occurred before daylight
this morning at point some thirty
miles from the Hook of Holland.
The first intimation of the disaster
came from Lowestoft, Suffolk, one OF
the chief English fishing ports. Late
this afternoon a dispatch was received
from that place saying that 1t was re-
ported there that a transatlantic line
steamer had been sunk in the North
Sea and that the loss OF
life was very great. The hrst
dispatches stated that there had been
$50 persons on the Elbe, and that only
nineteen had been saved, the rescued
having been landed at Lowestoft by
fishing smacks. Later dispatches to
! 10 the Exchange Telegraph Company
and to Lloyds confirmed the report
! of the loss OF the steamer, and still laser
it was learned that the Crathie, the
STEAMER THAT SUNK THE ELBE,
had cut into Mas Luis, Holland, in a
| distressed condition. She reported that
| she had been in collision with an un-
| known ocean steamer.
Towards evening, over two hours and
half after the news had reached the
London Offices OF the Associated Press
and had been cabied 10 America. the
agents in this city, OF the North Ger
man Lloyd Steamship Company, re-
ceived the following cable message:
"Most deplorabls news from Lowe.
stoft. 1t states: Eoe sunk through
collision, six this morning. Boat No
2 with third officer Stall burg, purser
| Weser, engineer NeuSsall aud nineteen
persons landed at Lowestoft. No
further news so lar"
II was at first hoped that the reports
of the disaster had been exaggerated
and that most, il not all of the passen-
gers aud crew had been saved. either by
means OF the ships boats. or by being
ed nm hV naSsiQg vessels.
Rut. as time wore on, IL was apparent
that the FIRST report OF the sinking OF
the steamer had minlmiIed the horrors
Of the disaster.
DISPATCHES TO Masas Luis, to the COM
mander of the Crathie, asking him II he
had rescued any Of the Elbe's passen-
gers, brought 30 answer, and the belief
grew that the Crathte
HAD SOUGHT HER OWN sAFEEY,
rathet than to rescue the Elbe's passen.
gers.
From the details now at hand 1t is
known the Elbe was proceeding at her
usual speed. The night was dark, out
there was no gale. Suddenly the for
ward lookout reported that the lights OF
2 steamer were close. Before the course
Of the Elbe could be changed the
Crathie struck her just about the engine
room, going through her plates as
though they were pasteboard and SUCK
ing her nose almost completely through
the bull of the Elbe. For time the
Crathie held the Elbe on her nose, out
than her engines were reversed ana Sne
hacked out Of the aperture she had
made. As she did so the water rushed
into the Elbe in torrent. and she De
gan Immediately to settle.
The officer in charge OF the snip at
once saw that she was doomed ana gave
hurrlsd orders 10 clear away the HE
boats for launching.
THREE WERE CLEARED.
The frat boat contained the third
officer, chief engineer, purser aud about
twenty of tbs passengers. Ihese are
ihe persons picked up by the fishing
smack aud taken TO LOwestoft.
From the survivors II is learned that
as soon &c she Crathie backed away
from the Elbe, the inrushjng water
flooded the aft OF the engine room so
onicklv that nobody below decks es'
p, ned The shock was slight In view OF
the damage uOUe, puo ~ VIZ '"NN
IL was a direct cutting blow. Nearly
all the passengers were asleep.
They could hear the rush OF the rapio
fnAowjpp water, and with cries of terror
songbt to make their way TO the upper
deck. The steamer being loaded by the
stern. water naturally rushed aft, and
TINS allowed many of the passengers
forward to reach the deck. In the case
Of the saloon passengers, however, the
result was fatal. As they rushed from
their state rooms into the saloon they
were met by the torrent. against which
IL was impossible for them to make
beadway. They were caught up ana
swept aft toward the cockpit, where
THEY WERE PROBABLY DROWNED
before the ship ioundered. Altogether,
about fifty OF the passengers reached
the deck, where the widest confusion
existed. Wild rushes were made for
the boats but the terrible excitement
nreyaiing i'm peded the efforts OF those
who were trying to clear them away.