The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-01-31

to London in day or two.
 Carl Hoffman, who came ashore in
 the Wild Flower, said in an interview:
 My home is in Grand Island, Neb.
 I had my wife and boy of seven with me on the Elbe. I am utterly wretched, l for I became separated from them and hardly dare hope that they have been saved I am abroad to visit relatives
 in Germany and during the last four
 months was accompanied by wife and boy.
 We left for home on Tuesday. I was asleep In our stateroom when noise | like a gun-shot woke me. I jumped l out of bed and spoke to my wife who had been aroused as suddenly. l asked her what she thought the trouble was, but she seemed to pay little att tention to me. I was not greatly alarmed, although I heard shuffling feet ] and hoarse shouts on deck, l hurried l into few of my clothes, however, and went to the upper deck. 1 saw only too clearly then what had happened. I rushed below and helped my wife and boy throw on few clothes and we went on deck together. The excite ment and confusion cannot be describ- ed, I never saw anything like it, ev- J erybody seemed to have lost his head.
 The scene was distressing beyond any
 thing I ever saw. Men, women and
 children were running about madly,
 the women screaming with terror and every man getting in the others way. The darkness increased the confusion and fright. Suddenly I heard shrill despairing cries from the women, there are no more boats." l then saw
 the men at the daYits. I noticed that
 the ropes were frozen so hard or were
 so tangled or something of the sort
 that the sailors had to chop them fran
 tically to get the boats clear. The
 sailors were doing their best, however,
 and worked with might and main.
 They finally got out the aft quarter
 boat on the port side. could see that
 it was full of people, but the sailors
 could not lower it. Meanwhile the
 steamer was settling perceptlbly. Il
 took my boy in my arms and got into
 the second boat. My wife was close be-
 hind when somebody shouted
 All women and children go on the
 other side of the ship
 q believe the captain gave the order.
 My wife started to run across the deck
 and that is the last I saw of her. l
 clung to my boy, but men dragged us
 out of the boat and my place was taken
 by one of the crew. This boat got
 clear of the steamer. Before the men at the oars could get full command of her big wave almost dashed her
 against the steamers Dig foremast, which had gone by the board at the time of the collision. It was almost miraculous that the bpat was not swamped. Another boat was got out. I took my boy into 1t and supposed that he had remained by my side, but just as the boat was lowered I found that he had disappeared.
 He had been torn away in the rush and scramble for places. I tried to get back, but he boat went down with a | jump and the moment we reached the water the sailors pushed off"
 Miss Bucker said in an interview: | 'I was in bed when the steamers | struck. was aroused by a great crash | followed by shouts and the tramplng | of feet on deck. It was dark when | | reached the top of the stairs leading to | the deck. I found that two lifeboats were being lowered, and ran to one of them. The steamer was sinking grad ually. One boat was already in the water Some men showed me into the boat, which was then lowered. We had hardly reached the water before the boat upset, and all were thrown out. Most of the others managed to get back on the steamer. I went under and when I came up clutched the bow of the capsized lifeboat. I chung to it until another lifeboat picked me up. We suffered terribly until the Wild Flower rescued us. I lost all my clothes, but saved my money and watch, which were in the belt around my waist"
 The steerage passenger, Bothen, said "At the moment of the collision I was in the foreeastle When the steamers came together the noise was deafening. like the crashing of icebergs. Then came a series of tearing and grinding sounds. I hurried back and found the officers and crew at quarters. Two boats were being lowered, but saw no others. The ropes were somewhat stiff but not so as to hinder the lowerine of the boats. The Elbe went down about twenty minutes after the collision.r
 Jan Vevora, cabin passenger. was returning with his niece to America His niece was lost. He said: CT fell asleep in the coffee room. A terrific crash woke me up with a jump. I ran out and saw that everything was upside down. People were rushing around be- low in frenzy, some half naked and all only partially dressed I made my way up on deck and asked the mail man what was the matter. He was calm and replied carelessly: oh, nothing is the matter I could see, however, that terrible had happened ran below to get my niece from her cabin. but was unable to go far, as the wood- work had been shattered and broken. and timbers and boards were wedged across the corridor. I then got my wa terproof coat, put on two life preservers and ran back to the upper deck, where t was evident that the ship had a heavy ' list and was sinking fast. I was told to keep out of the boats, as the women and children must go first. The strug- gle for the llfeboats was too desperate 70 leave a man much chance, so I wait sd The men around me had grown U frantic. They tried to tear off my life . 1reservers, but I shouldered them off. J Meantime other men began to climb in- V o the boats. So I jumped on the rail C Et,A npf | q