Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-02-08

81 came abroad to visit relatives In
Germany, and during the last four
months was accompanied by my wife
and boy. We left Bremen for home on
Tuesday | was asleep in our state
room when a noise like gunshot woke
me. | jumped out of bed and spoke to
my wife, who had been aroused as sud
denly. l asked her what she thought
the trouble was, but she seemed to pay
little attention to it. | was not greatly
alarmed until heard scuiiing feet and
. hoarse shouts on deck. | hurried into a
few of my clothes, however, and went
to the upper deck. | saw only too
clearly then what had happened.
rushed below and helped my wife and
boy throw on few clothes and we went
on deck together.
1.-The excitement and confusion can
not be described. | never saw anything
like it; everybody seemed to have lost
his head. The scene was distressing
/ beyond anything else ever saw. Men,
women and children were running
about madly, the women screaming
f with terror and every man getting in the
others way. The darkness increased
A the confusion and fright.
{ suddenly | heard shrill, despairing
cries from the women There are no
e more boats | then saw the men at the
davits. | noticed that the ropes were
. frozen so hard or were so tangled or
: something of the sort that the sailors
j. had to chop them frantically to get the
o boats clear. The sailors were doing
d their best, however, and worked with
e might and main. They finally got out
n the aft quarter boat on the port side. [
n could see that it was full of people, but
. the sailors could not lower it.
"Meanwhile the steamer was settling
percepubly. | took my boy in my
( arms and got into the second boat. My
wife was close behind, when somebody
y shouted, All women and children 90 on
70 the other side of the ship believe
|. the captain gave the order. My wife
e started to run across the deck and that
q is the last | saw of her. | chung to my
l. boy, but some men seized us and dragged
Is us out of the boat and my place was
= taken by one of the crew. This boat
7. got clear of the steamer. Before the
1t men at the oars could get full command
l. of her a big wave almost swamped her
II 1t was almost miraculous that the boat
was not swamped. Another boat was
e got out. ! took my boy into it. anC
I, supposed that he had remained by my
n side, but just as the boat was lowered
J. found that he mad disappeared. He hat
a been torn away in the rush and scram
TT the boat went down with a Jump ant
the moment we reached the water The
10 sailors pushed Off"
l, The steamer which sunk the Elbe was
er the Crathie, comparatively small yes
Y, sci. The Crathie's captain tells hel
i owner that the Crathes bow was ter
n rbly crushed by the collision, and tina
the Crathie was in sinking condition
n when she reached Maasluis. The cap
10 tain was below at the time of the COLI
n sion, the mate being in charge of the
u vessel. The latter has made state
n ment to the captain that he has ne
"a knowledge whatever as to the identity
of the vessel with which the CrathiC
. collided.
n His own vessel was so terribly dam
pc aged that its condition called for the
m undivided attention of the officers an(
n the entire crew, all of whom had tt
70 bend their energies to saving their shil
"a and their own lives.
At carl Hoffman of Grand Island, Neb.
n who is among the saved, refutes thi,
Of statement by making the assertion, il
pr addition to his statement above pub
ID lished. that if the vessel which came
at into collision with the Elbe had stooC
ID by the sinking ship majority of hel
ir passengers might have been saved, a'
:. the Elbe stood perfectly still for many
I'd minutes after the impact.
rs The wreck of the Elbe is one of the
most tragic of modern times. Since
Or 1915, according to the available stats
he ties of British and American shipping
ct there have been less than 20 disasters a
eli sea, outside of the casualties of war
which were accompanied by greater
NJ loss of life. The following is list Of
f. such disasters in which the loss of life
rs reported equaled or exceeded $50:
to Prince George, burned on way to Glib
,e raltar, loss 400, April ID. 1888.
- Royal George, loss COO, August 20
- 1882.
IN IIolsewell, East Indiaman, loss 3S6
as January 6, l7S6.
,e Queen, transport, loss 800, January II
1900.
Queen Charlotte, English ship of tn,
NJ line, burned of Leghorn, loss over 700
IN March IL, 1900,
st. George, Defense and Hero, three
" l1frliah n IliAs mn lllnl on ~