Evening journal., 1895-01-31

sunk in tho North sea, and that the loss
Of life was very great The first dis
patches stated that there had been 800 per
sons on the Elbe, and that only 10 had
been saved, the rescued having been land
ed at Lowestoft by fishing smaoks Later
dispatches to the Exchange Telegraph
company and TO Lloyds confirmed the re-
port OF the loss of the steamer, and still
later II was learned that the Crathie the
steamer that sunk the Elbe, had put into
Maassluis, Holland, in damaged condi-
tion She reported that she had been in
collision with an unknown ocean steamer
Toward evening the agents In this city
OF the North German Lloyd Steamship
company received the following cable mes
sage;
Most deplorable news from Lowestoft
It states that the Elbe was sunk through
collision at o'clock this morning. Boat
No 3, with Third Officer Stallburgh, PiIrs-
er weser, Engineer Neussell and 10 per-
sons, landed at Lowestoft. No further
news so far. -
Much Excitement In Germany.
When the news Of the disaster became
generally known through the medium Of
the tiokers OF tho Exchange Telegraph
resort, the excitement was intense. Ca
Bile dispatches were at once forwarded to
all the principal European cities, and soon
a food OF return dispatches was received
asking for further information. which at
that time 1t was impossible TO obtain.
The agents here OF the company did ev-
erything possible to learn all the facts,
and as soon as any new information was
received il was at once cabled to the va
rious European capitals. Tho dispatches
from Germany show that the news caused
the greatest excitement and sorrow, most
all the officers and crew Of the lost steam
er and majority Of the passengers being
Germans
IL was at first hoped that the reports oi
the disaster had been exaggerated, and
that most If not all Of tho passengers and
crew had escaped either by means Of tn,
ships boats or by being picked up by pass
ing vessels. But as time wore on Il wa
apparent that the first reports Of the sink
ing Of the steamer had minimized the hor
rors Of the disaster.
1t is learned that the Elbe was proceed
ing along at her usunl rate Of speed an,
keeping the ordinary lookouts. The nigh
was dark, but there was no gale Sud
denly the forward lookout on the Elbe re
ported TO the officer on the deck that th
lights Of steamer were close aboard owe
the port bow. Before the course Of tn
Elbe could be changed so as TO sheer he
OF from the approaching steamer the lai
ter struck her just abaft tho engine room
going through her plates as though the
were pssteboard and sticking her nose a
most completely through the hull Of Ii
Elbe.
For time the Crsthie held the Elbe o
her nose but then her engines were r
versed. and she backed ont Of the apertui
she had made. AS she did 80. the wat,
rushed into the Elbe in torrent, and 81
began to Immediately settle
"CIear Away the Lifeboatsg'
The officer in charge Of the ship at on
saw that the vessel was doomed and ga
hurried orders to clear away the lifeboa
for launching. Three of the boats we
cleared. swung outboard on the davits al
lowered, but one Of them shortly after
got clear Of the steamer oapsized, and it
thought that all of its occupants we
drowned The first boat contained &
tnlrd officer, chief engineer. purser al
about 20 Of the passengers. These are [
persons who were picked up by the iis
ing smack and taken to Lowestoft
From survivors it is learned that
soon as the Crathie backed away from t
Elbe the inrushing water flooded {
steamer aft Of the engine room so quick
that melody below decks in that part
the ship had an opportunity TO escape.
Ths shock of the collision was compal
lively slight iD view Of the damage dor
nus this Is explained by the fact thai
was direct cutting blow.
Nearly All the passengers were asleep
rhe time but many Of them were aw,
ened by the shock. slight though il "
They could bear the rush OF the ragi,
inhcwinR water and with cries Of ter
sought 70 make their way 20 the Uni