The Red Cloud chief., 1895-02-01

lIslos and Went Down In Twenty Min.
utes - Survivors Were Nearly Froxer
whsn Picked Up.
LONDON, Feb. 1.-The North Ger.
man Lloyd steamer Elbe, Captain Won
Dosset, from Bremen for New York. via
Southampton. has been sunk In collision
with the British steamer Crathie,
bound from Rotterdam for Aberdeen.
The disastrous collision occurred before
daylight Wednesday morning at q point
some 30 miles from the Hook Of Hol.
land. The first intimation Of the disas.
ter came from Lowestoft, Suffolk, one
Of the chief English fishing ports. The
first dispatches stated there had been
$50 persons on the Elbe and that only 10
had been saved, the rescued having been
landed at Lowestoft by fishing smncks.
Later dispatches confirmed the report
Of tho loss of the steamer and it was
learned the Crathie, the steamer that
sunk the Elbe, had put into Mass Luis,
Holland, in a damaged condition. She
reported she had been in collision with
an unknown ocean steamer.
Majority of Passengers Germans.
When the news of the disaster be.
came generally known in the clubs and
places Of public resort, the excitement
wa intense. Gable dispatches were at
once forwarded to the principal Euro
pean cities. The dispatches from Ger.
many showed that the news caused the
greatest excitement and sorrow, almost
all Of the officers and crew Of the lost
steamer and Il majority Of the passeng-
ers being Germans. It was ut first
hoped the reports Of the disaster had
been exaggerated and that most, IL not
all Of the passengers and crew had es-
capped either by means of the ships
boats or by being picked up by passing
vessels. But, as time wore on, it was
apparent that the first reports of the
sinking Of the steamer had minimized
the horrors of the disaster. Many dis
patches were forwarded to Mas Luis to
the commander Of the Crathie, asking
him il he had rescued any Of the Elbe's
passengers. However, 10 answers
have been received to these dispatches
and the belief in general that the
Crathie. after the accident, had rather
sought her own safety than to rescue
the people OH the doomed Elbe.
Began to Sink I~snmsdlstsIy.
From the details now at hand il is
learned the Elbe was proceeding along
at her usual rate Of speed and keeping
the ordinary loOkOuts, II wns dark, but
there was no gale. Suddenly the for.
ward lookout on the Elbe reported to
the officer on deck that the lights Of u
steamer was close aboard over the port
bow. Before the course Of the Elbe
could be changed 10 as to sheer off from
the approaching steamer, the latter
struck her just about the engine room,
going through her plases as though they
were pasteboard and sticking her nose
almost completely through the hull Of
the Elbe. For q time the Crathie held
the Elbe on her nose, but then her en-.
gines were reversed and she backed out
Of the aperture she had made. As she
did 40 the water rushed into the Elbe in
a torrent and she began immediately to
settle. The officer in charge'of the ship
at once saw she waS doomed and gave
hurried orders to clear away the life
boats for launching. Three Of the boats
were cleared and lowered, but one Of
them shortly after it got clear Of the
steamer capsized and it ia thought all
the occupants were drowned. The first
boats contained the third officer, chief
engineer, purser and about 30 of the
passengers. These are the persons who
were picked up by the fishing smack
and taken to LowestOft.
saloon Passenger An drowned.
The shock Of the collision was com.
paratively slight. but this is explained
by the fact that it was . direct cutting
blow. Nearly all the passengers were
asleep at the time, but many Of them
were awakened by the shock. They
could hear the rush Of the rapid inflow.
ing water and with cries ,Of terror
sought to make their way to che upper
decks. The steamer being loaded at
the stern, water naturally rushed aft
and this allowed many Of the passengers
forward to reach the deck. In the case
OF the saloon passengers, however, the
result was fatal. As they rushed from
their state rooms into the saloon they
were met by tine torrent, against which
1t was impossible for them to make
hea,lway They were caught mp and
swept aft toward the cockpit, where
they were probably drowned before the
ship fOundered.
Wild RusLss For the Boaf.
Altogether aboHt 80 Of the passengers
reached the deck. where the Widest
confusion existed Wild rushes were
made for the boats. out the terrible ex-
element prevailing impedsd the efforts
OF those who were trying to clear sway.
Many ~beartrending scenes were wit
messed between parepts and children
during h few moments preceding the
sinking of the vessel. There is some
disagreement among the survivors ~ to
the number VI boats that were launched.
One survivor, Carl A. Hoffman, declares
only W boats We're launched. One q
these was swamped instantly and only
che Of its occupants, n girl named Anna
Blocker, who was bound for South
amptOn, was rescued. She cluuy IN n