The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-01

. N-ttAA AZ amt nAA was perfectly LAEnl ana
mad made no water. The collision, accord
ing TO the officers Of the Crathie. occurred
D between and 8 o'clock on the morning OF
Jan. 30. One Of the crew Of the Crathie
was injured by the collision.
The tremendous wind. heavy sea and
binding snow storm drove the tug Dis
patch, sent BY Lloyds back to Lowstoft
at noon to-day, after she had proceeded
only short distance on her way to search
Tor survivors of the Elbe. The storm mod
Grated somewhat after her return and in
the afternoon she started again.
Additional dispatches from Rotterdam
say the officers of the Crathie report that
the ship with which the Crathie was in
colhsion, was large steamer, with two
tunnels
The second officer of the steamer Crathie
says that Immediately after the collision
the ship struck by the Chathie burned blue
and RED lights. Similar signals were re-
turned by the Crathie, his belief being
that no assistance was required on either
side.
Greenham, the English pilot on the Elbe,
who is one of the survivors said in the
tC urse Of an ia t.rview: Wien / came
or III deck OF the -lhe the captain was
in charge. The first order given was.
swing the boats out, don't lower.
The next was, Everybody on deck, crew
to their stations
This was followed by, women and chill
| dren to the starboard boats to be saved
first
These orders were given by the captain
| himself and were repeated by the chief
officer.
The next order was lower the boats
There was no confusion whatever
| among the crew or in the giving of the
orders, nor was there any panic among
passengers. A high sea was running and
there was strong east southeast wind.
/ There had been an average of 10 degrees
below the freezing point since morning.
The lanyards of the boat grips were
frozen and were chopped away in order
to save time. The ship went down two
minutes after we left her"
The survivors of the Elbe's crew started
from Lowstoft for London at $40
o'clock this afternoon.
Storage passenger Bothen says after
the strange vessel struck the Elbe she
sheered off and steamed in a circle around
the Elbe but did not come near her, though
had she done so, she could have rescued
a large number Of those on board the
sinking ship.
Bremen. Jan. S1.-The Elbe had on board
324 persons, of whom 149 were officers and
crew, 50 cabin passengers and 125 steer
age passengers. OF the passengers eigh-
teen were children.
The owners of the Elbe have received
the following telegram from the empe-
rors aid de camp: THE kaiser and
kaiserina have heard with deepest emo
tion of the terrible disater which has be-
fallen the Elbe. Express their warmest
sympathy AT heartfelt con iolence."
A dispatch from Rotterdam to a Lon
donvnews. agency says; "GFff Gordon of
the steamer Crath.e says the steamer
with which his ship came into collision
was lost sight of at once, and it was
thought she had proceeded. The Crathie
ra,r, inc fasr frrro, hon
and then returned to Rotterdam, as it
was feared she could not keep ahoat."
When questioned this afternoon as to
the conduct of the crew after the col
lis!on, all the survivors of the Elbe wreck
agreed that the officers and seaman were
very cool and self-possessed.
Eugene Schlegal, a second cabin pas
senger on the Elbe, would not be inter
viewed last night, but this evening he
gave this account OF his experience:
when 1 was awakened by the crash l
Jumped from my berth and found myself
knee deep in water. 1t took me ten min
utes to find my sister. When the women
and children were ordered to the star
board side of the boat l led my sister
across. The women were crowded TO-
gether near the rail, shrieking and cry
ing. The crew seemed to be working
with perfect discipline. 1 saw one boat
filled with passengers and believe it
cleared the ship. l left my sister to go
back to the port side and did not see her
again"
The rest of Mr. SchelegePs story does
not differ from the accounts given by the
other passengers. at was a terrific rush
for lfe," he said "for the struggle for
places in the boat which was picked up
by the Wild Flower"
The surviving officers of the Elbe de-
nounce the fog story Of the Crathie's Off
GERS as pure invention.
The English pilot, Greenham, said: "It
is a black lie. There was no fog. 1t was
quite clear and the lights of several
smacks were visible four or five miles off"
The Elbe seamen made similar state
ments.
Skipper Shoevling of the Yarmouth
trawler Flora, which returned to port this
afternoon, says that at o'clock yesterday
morning he was near the place where the
collision occurred. He saw rockets fired
from a large steamship and noticed that
its lights and those of a small steamship
were close together. He thought at the
time that there was a collision, but as the
Flora's gear was down he could not ap-
nroach the vessels. The signals ceased
in few minutes. At deybreak he saw, in
the distance, a steamship flying signals of
distress and making rapidly for the Dutch
coast. He thinks she must have been the
Crathie.
dozen times to-day despite the nervous
reaction following her experience yester-
dav. She speaks English fiuently and
does not tire of telling her story to the
English reporters. She says that she is
an orphan, 20 years old, had been visit
ing relatives in Bremen, and was return
ing via Southampton to Portsmouth,
where she earns her living as lady
companion. Her stories of to-day are
similar. in the main part, to that of yes
terday, but less graphic.
The surviving members of the crew OF
4be Elbe are now in London. For the
last twenty-four hours they have been
watched closely to prevent their max
ing unofficial statements.
It is understood that the German con-
sui will open the inquiry here tomorrow.
The agents Of the owners and the insur-
ance companies and the officials of the
admiralty and board Of trade Will be
present. The inquiry will last eight
days.
near the spot where the Elbe lies, ar
rived at Lowstoft this afternoon. Not
one reported seeing any signs Of the wreck
or the passengers. Their reports oanished