Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-02-01
SINKING0F THE ELBE.
Stories Told by Survivors Of the
Disaster.
NO ADDITIONAL LrrE-sALvAGE.
II rs More Than Probable That All
But the Twcnty-Onc Landed at
Jowcstoft Were Lost-Qucstion of
Responsibility.

no means untried in the search TOT pV's'-
blc survivors, or even for signs OF any
Kind indicating that more oil the hioe
people escaped than have yet been heard
from Thus far no article OF wood
rvoyk or furniture belonging TO the lost
vessel has been washed ashore on the
tufrolk coast. IA fact in itset regarded
by experts as proving the sudden COM
pletepess OF the disaster and tending TO
diminish the probabilities OF further sal
wage OF life being reported. a me-
boat of the Elbc. IL is true. washed
asbore AT Yarmouth last evening. oars
md Ife-buoys being found in 1t. but this
e undoubtedly the boat from which the
Wndnower rescued the survivors yester-
day. and which was left adrft after It's
occupants had been taken on. so that its
discovery on shore furnishes no additional
news or announcement.
Mr.. Carl Hofmann. Of Grand island,
Neb.. who is among the saved. refutes
the statement Of the CrathIe's officers
that a fog prevailed by making the as
sertion that II the vessel which came
into collision with the Elbe had stood
by the sinking ship a majority or her
Messengers might have been saved as the
Elbe stood perfectly still for many min
utes after the impact In fact. she re-
mained motionlcss until the water, which
was pouring into her hold. caused her TO
iurch violently. after which all was con-
fusion on board. Prior 10 this, however,
dlscipline was maintained and there
could have been no diihculty IN trans
ferring the passengers in an orderly
manner.
SURVIVORS RECOVERING.
Tho survivors who were brought 10
Icwestoft are oil recovering from the
effects of their shock and exposure. Miss
Anna Buecker. the only woman known
10 have been saved. has 50 far recONereu
that she will bc able TO proceed TO
Southampton to-day.
The surviving officers Of the Elhe are
very reticent In regard TO the disaster
reserving their statements pending an
official inquiry into the circumstances,
but IL transpires that an officer OF the
Elbe saw a green light on the port bow
belonging TO an unknown vessel, which
II is alleged was trying TO cut across
the Elbes bows. This light evidently be-
longed TO the Crathie.
William Wright. the skipper OF the
flshing-smack Wildnower. says; we
were east-southeast Of Lowestoit' win
our trawling-gear down, when, about IL
o'clock yesterday morning l saw
ships life-boat "a mile away. The BOAT
mast was naked, but l saw something
fluttering from her stern. The water
was breaking over the boat l watched
the boat closely. Her occupants seemed
10 think we were going TO leave them.
so / waved my hat II took us halt an
hour to get up our trawllng-gear, ana
in the mean time the boat was driitlhS
away from US. When We got close 20
them I cast them a rope but they were
SO cold wet. and numb that they could
not make II fast for some time We
pulled them around to the side OF the
smack. and about half of them jumped
aboard but the strain caused by the
heavy sea parted the rope. ana the re-
mainder once more drifted away
Eventually we made another line fast
and four more Of the uufortunates were
dragged In. leaving a woman and four
men In the boat.
THE ONE WOMAN SAVED.
The woman lay in the water in the
bottom Of the boat She wore long
coat. but had on neither boots nor dress.
pilot Greenham helped her TO get on
board the smack Just as all had boarded
the smack the line again parted. and the
life boat was lost. got the woman below,
and asked all the others to so to the
en2ne-room while she took OF hfr
clothes and wrapped herself in dry
blankets
Il am sure another hour OF exposure
in the boat would have killed some
~ them, for there was six inches OF
ice on my deck"
The survivors Of the Elbe's crew
started from Lowestoft for London
al $40 this afternoon.
Storage Passenger Bothcn says that
after the strange vessel struck the
Elbe she sheered Off and steamed In
n semi-circle around the Elbe, but did
not come near her. although had she
done 50 she cou'd have rescued
large number Of those on board the
sinking ship.
IN BEHALF OF THE CRATHIE.
LONDON, January 3l.-A dispatch from
Rotterdam SAYS Captain Gordon of the
steamer Crathie. says IN steamer with
which his ship came into collision Was
lost sight Of Immediately after the ves-
sells came together. and Il was thought
she had proceeded The Crathie re-
malned In the vicinity for two hours and
then returned 20 Rotterdam. as IT was
feared that she could nos keep afoat.
CREW WELL. DISCIPLINED.
when questioned this evening as to the
corduct OF the crew after the collision,
all the survivors Of The Elbe wreck
agreed hat the officers and seamen were
very cool ana sclf-possessed.
Eugene Schaleeel. a second-cabin pas
senrer on the Eibe. would not D. inter-
viewed last night, but this evening he
gave this account of his experience:
when / was awakened by the crash.
l jumped from my berth. and found my
self knee-ceep in water. 1t took me
ten minutes 20 md my sister When
the women and children were ordered 70
the starb0ard side Of the boat led
ny sister across. The women were
crowded together near the rail. shreking
and crying The crew seemed to be
working with perfect discipline. l saw
one boat filed with passengers, and be-
iieve It cleared the ship ! left my sister
10 20 back 10 the port side, and did
not see her again."
The rest OF Mr. Schlegers story does
not dlfer from the accounts given by
the other passengers.
IT was a terrific rush FOR life" he said
OF the struggle for places in the boat
which was picked up by the Wildfower.
THERE WAS NO FOG.
The surviving officers Of the Eibe de-
no1nce the tog story OF the Crath.o's
otiicers as pure invention. The English |
pilot GIesnham. said: 1t Is black lie. !
aud the lights OF several smacks were !
visible four or five miles on "
The Libes seamen made similar state |
ments
skippcr Shoeylig. Of the Yarmouth |
tra"ier Flora. which returned 10 port this |
Afternoon says that at o'clock yestcr- |
DAY morning be was near the place |
where the collision occurred. lie saw |
rockets fired from large steamship. |
ana noticed that It's lights and those OF |
the small steamship were close together |
lie thought al the time that there was |
4 collision, bu, as the Flora's gear WAS |
down. he could not approach the vessels. /
Tho signals ceased IN few minutes |
At 6aybrcak he saw IN the distance a /
steamship flying signals Of distress. and |
making rapidly for the Dutch coast. lie |
thinks she must have been the Crathie |
MISS BUECKER AGAIN.
Miss Buecker has been interviewed n |
dozen times to-day. despite the rorvous |
resctien following her experience yestcr- /
day. She speaks English fiuentiy. ana 4
does not tire telling her story TO the !
Erglish reporters. She says that she is |
en orphan, ~ years OF age. had been |
living with relatives IN Bremen. and |
was returning Via SOUTHAMPTON 20 pOrty.