Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-01-31

Only to Meet the Inrushing Flood and he
Swept Back 10 Die-No Time to do ANY,
thing-Only Three Boats Launched and
One of Them Founders Almost Immedi-
ately-Hea rtrending Account Given by
One of the survivors-List Of the saved
rs Far as known.
LONDON, Jan. 3l-The sinking Of the
steamer Elbe, Of the North German Lloyd,
the most terrible ocean disaster for years
except that of the Victoria battleship in the
Mediterranean in 1893, took place off
Lowestoft about $50 a. IN. yesterday. She
was steaming along at an ordinary speed
when through the mist she sighted off
her port bow the Crathie, bound from
Rotterdam to Aberdeen. Before the col
lision could be averted the Crathie had
ssfA into the Elbe. The North German
LHd Gamer was struck above the en-
einc room and began to fill SO rapidly
that there was only time to lower three
Of her boats and one of these was
swampcd shortly after getting away from
the steamer.
Sole Survivors Of the Disaster.
The first boat contained the third officer,
chief engineer, the purser and about
twenty passengers. The occupants of the
boat were picked up by couple of fish
Ing smacks and were taken to Lowestoft,
where they have been landed. 1t has
been found difficult to get the officers of
the steamship to make any statemen mt
until they have communicated with the
agents of the Elbe, and the passengers
who have been rescued are as yet too ex-
cited TO tell anything but rambling
stories. But from what can be gathered
but very short time must have elapsed
between the collision and the sinking of
the Elbc.
Like Drowning a Box.
Nothing is known as to the fate of the
occupants of the third boat which was
loaded from the E.bc, but it is hoped that
they will either be picked up by some
passing vessel or else succeed in making a
landing on the coast. From what one of
the rescued men says the disaster must
have been one of the most terrible in the
history of such catastrophcs. All passengers
arc.undcrstood to have been below and
asleep at the time the collision occurred,
and nearly all of them must have been
either drowned below or have met death
while seeking to rush upon the deck. The
man who furnishes this Information was
in such an excited state that little more
could be gathered from him than exclama-
tions of horror.
No Time to Utter Prayer.
He repeated time and again: 1T was
terrible. 1t was terrible. The poor women
and children went down without hardly
being able tn utter n PRAYER. Ii was ter
rible. The steamship must be full of dead
bodies. They were caught like rats in n
trap. / can't tell you any more about it.
All l know is that heard n terrible crash,
and it was followed by an awful sound Of
rushing water and escaping steam. 1t
was very dark down below where was
But somehow l managed To push my way
on deck. The ship rcsoundcd with heart
rcnding cries from all quarters, although
the officers seemed to be doing all they
could to calm the people. l saw lot of
sailors making n rush for a boat, and l
Joined in with them.
Fighting for Chance for Life.
Somehow the boat was lowered and I
managed to scramble into it, although it
seemed to me as if about 100 people were
trying to do the same. We pushed some
of them away, for it was utterly impossi-
bic to load the boat any more and we
could see that the Elbe was doomed. She
was rolling terribly and settling down on
one side in n manner which seemed to
threaten turning her over entirely. Some
how or other We got away and a number
of people were drowned as they jumped
insb the sea and swan after us. OF course
we could not put back for anybody or we
should have been pulled under.
Goes Down, the Tomb of Hundreds.
''Some time later-I can't say how long
for was too Mortified To think-the Elbe
gave fearful iurch sideways and sank
with II bursting sound. 1t seemed TO me
as if something blew up on board of her
rs she went down. l don't know what
became of the vessel that ran into u.s. I
had brother on board who was from
Germany, like myself. We were on our
way to the United States where We have
relatives"
OTHER DETAILS OF THE HORROR
Lists of the Saved and OF the Cabin Passcn-
gers-Hescue of the Saved.
There is some disagreement among The