The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-02-02
HUNDREDS PERISH.
The Big Steamship Elbe Sunk on
I.owestoft, England
Cut Down by the steamer crathie-Three
Hundred and seventy-Eight
Lives Lost-Detaiis OF
the Disaster.


Bremen for New York was sunk in
collision with the small steamer Crathie
off I,owestoft, early Wednesday morn
ing. She carried 24O passengers ana
100 officers and seamen. But TWEEN
ty-two survivors have been landed, but
a few others may be atioat in one
of the ships small boats. At lOo'clock
Wednesday evening the number OF
lives lost was given out as 37s.
The Elbe was tirst-class passenger
steamer Of $500 tons and i70 feet In
length. She was built in 1879 at the
Fairfield Ship building company's, on
the Clyde, and cost l,25O0O0.
The Survivors.
The survivors OF the wreck were
landed at Lowestoft by the fishing
smack Wldhower AZ $40 o'clock
Wednesday evening They number
twenty-five. OF these five were passen-
gers and seventeen members OF the YES
sells crew The passengers saved are
Carl Hoffman, Grand Island, Neb.i
Emma Schlcgel. Fuerth; Mcssrs, Lugen,
Vevera and Bolthen, and Miss Anna
Bueeker. The two last were steerage
passengers. Mr.. Ncvera's residence is
I'm Cleveland. O. loffman's wife and
boy went down with the ship. All Of
the rescued were in a pitiable con-
dition. The passengers were but half
clothed. Their few garments were
frozen stff, their hair coated with ice,
and anxiety and effort had exhausted
them SO completely that they had
10 toe helped ashore. The Off
GERS and sailors were fully dressed
but their clothes had been drcnched
and frozen and they had been almost
paralyzed with cold and fatigue They
had been ashore three hours before
they had recovered sufficiently to tell
the story Of the wreck. Their accounts
agreed upon the following points
story OF tho Disaster.
The Elbc left bremen on Tuesday
afternoon. The few hours of the yoy-
age before the disaster were unevent-
full. Al o'clock "Wednesday morning
the wind was blowing very hard and "A
tremendous sen was running. The
morning was unusually dark. Numer-
ous lights were seen in all di-
rections, showing that many YES
sells were near by. The captain
ordered. therefore, that rockets
should be sent mp 40 regular intervals
10 keen ont OF the Elbe's course. IL
was near g o'clock and the Elbe was
some 80 miles oil Lowestoft, coast Of
Snffolk. when the lookout man sighted
n steamer Of about 800 tons approach
ing. lie gave the word and as pre-
caution the number Of rockets was
doubled und they were sent up at short
intervals.
The Collision.
The warning was without effect
The steamer came on with unchecked
speed, and before the Elbe could change
her course or reduce her speed there
was terrific crash of the collision.
The Elbe was hit abaft her engine
room. When the small steamer
wrenched away, an enormous hole
was left IN the Elbe's side The
water poured through and down into
the engine room In cataract The
room filed almost Instantly. The en-
Cines were still and the big hulk began
10 settle The passengers were IN bed.
The bitter cold and rough sea had pre-
vented an early rising, and none except
the officers and crew ON duty was on
dccl, when the ship was struck
Passengers In Panic.
The shock and crash reused every
body. The stecrage was in panic in
moment and men, women and chill
drcn half dressed or in their night
clothes came crowding up the com
panionways. They had heard the
sound Of rushing water as the other
steamer backed OF and had felt the
Elbe lurch and settle. They had
praspcd the fact that IL was then life
or death with them, and almost TO "a
man had succumbcd 10 their terror.
They clung together in groups facing
the cold and storm. and cried aloud for
help or prayed on their knees for dcliv-
erence. The officers and crew were
calm. For "a few moments they went
among the tcrror-stricken groups try
ing To quiet them and encouraging
them to hope that the vessel might be
saved IL was soon apparent, how
ever, that the Elbc was settling
steadily. The officers were convinced
that she was about 10 founder and
gave orders 60 lower the boats
Took to the boats.
In a short time three boats were got
alongside but the seas were breaking
over the steamer with great force. and
the first boat was swamped before any
body could get into IL. The other two
boats, lowered at about the same time
were filed quickly with members OF
the crew and some passengers, but the
number was small, as the boats held
only twenty persons each
Experience of the SURVIVOR
The boat carrying the twenty-five
persons who were landed at Lowestof
put off In such haste from the sinking
steamer that nobody in II noticed VIVA
became OF the other boats The sur
Vivors believe however, that they GO
away safely. They say that they
tossed about In the heavy seas fo
several hours before they sighted thu
Nildfiower The little smack bore
down on Thorn al once and took then