The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-31


come on deck, and for the crew to go to
their stations. Then followed the order
for the women and children to go to the
starboard beam. in which it was proposed
to save them. The first of these orders
was given by Capt Won Goessel and re-
peated by the chief officer. The captain
was On the bridge, and I believe he went
down with his ship.
"The next order which | heard given
was to lower the boats. There was no
confusion whatever, nor was there a
panic. Every order was executed with
the greatest calmness and promptitude.
lat the time of the collision there was
a high sea running and strong wind
was blowing from the east southeast. 1t
was bitterly cold, and there had been
nineteen degrees of frost on the morn
ing before the day of the wreck. The
lanyards and boats grips and falls were
frozen, and the lanyards securing the
falls had to be chopped in order to save
time, but that would have been done in
any case in the event of collision. The
Elbe went down about two minutes after
we had left her side.
Explanation by Survivors.
The explanation given by the surviv-
ing officers of the EIbe, as to the proper
tion of the crew saved to the number of
passengers saved is that the following or
ders were given by the officers of the
Elbe: The children were to be saved
first and then the women, and they were
to be placed in the boats on the starboard
side, where the women and children were
told to gather
But almost Immediately after these
orders had been obeyed, the Elbe listed
heavily to starbOard and the seas swept
up to the promenade deck so the star
board boats were rendered useless The
boat which brought the survivors away
from the Elbe was one of the port boats
and was the last to leave the vessel
Acting upon the orders of Capt Won
Goessel, Third officer Stollberg and the
paymaster, who were in charge of this
boat, took their seats inside of her and
then. when the water was creeping over
the deck, it was rush for the boat and
anybody who could get into it did so.
The Trinity pilot, Greenham, who, as al
ready stated by himself, rushed on deck
immediately after the collision, as
sisted the crew of the Elbe
in firing the rockets which
is understood that Greenham has been
steamer which collided with the Elbe
was distinctly at fault, as she attempted
to cross the bows of the Elbe.
Officiat Statement.
The following statement of the disas-
ter was officially given this afternoon to
the Associated Press correspondent by
the German vice consul Herr Bradber
and was corrected by him The state
ment was made after sitting all the in
terviews with the survivors and cross
! questioning the officers and crew and
may be classed as the concensus of the
/ officers opinions:
The collision occurred 45 miles from
| Merschelling Light ship. Though both
the Elbe and the colliding steamer were
! going full steam ahead, the conclusion
was very slight. Immediately after the
collision the Elbe began to settle down
stern first, her bow mounting high into
the air and rendering it impossible to
reach some of the boats As everybody
crowded upon the deck Immediately
after the shock and in a state of great
alarm, it was impossible for the orders of
the captain, who was standing on the
bridge, that the women and children
| should be saved first, could be obeyed
"a rush was made for the boats that
were accessible. The first boat to touch
the water was Immediately swamped, and
| the passengers who had crowded into it
were drowned.
''The second boat launched was lost
sight of in the high sea which was run
!
"Into the third boat, at the last mo-
ment when the water was up to the
| promenade deck, the vessel sinking
under their feet, and two minutes before
she disappeared, there crowded nineteen
men, the woman and children having
rushed to the other side, owing,
it is said, to the command that
they should get into the boats
there. This third boat pulled away from
z CHI Il Oh Sc
wards passed lady passenger, Miss
Anna Buecker, who clung to the gun
| vale, or side of the lifeboat. Some time
| elapsed before she could be pulled into
the boat
The Survivors.
The twenty survivors drifted about I'M
til 11:10 a. m, the heavy seas repeatedly
washing over the small craft, which wa:
in constant danger of being swampeC
and drenching its occupants, who haC
not a morsel of food to eat. Miss Bueck
er lay in the bottom of the boat
half-drowned and in a semi conscious
condition. The lights of many yes
sells were seen all around, but not one
approached, though after daylight
| steamer and two fishing vessels passed
Their crews however did not notice the
signals of the lifeboat. Finally the wav-
ing of a shirt from the boat attracted
the attention of the crew of the fishing
smack Wild Flower, which rescued the
survivors with extreme difficulty.
After the collision an unknown
steamer passed under the stern of thl
Elbe and proceeded on her course with
out paying any heed to the cries of the
people on board the sinking steamer"
The rescued seamen showed littlt
trace today OF having SO barely escaped
of having lost their lives in the fearful
disaster. When the correspondent of the
Associated Press entered the room whicI
had been placed at their disposal at th
Sailors Home he found them busily en-
gagged in stitching up their tsttereC
clothing which was all they managed t,
save. They were laughing and joking
all the while as if engaged in thei
daily work and were exceedingly loatl
to converse on the subject 0
the disaster. But when informed tha
the German consul and the Trinity pilo