Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-02-07

HuETleu into u itM VI lilS CIOLllest llth-
ever, and went to the upper deck. saw
only too clearly then what had happened.
] rushed below and helped my wife and
bow throw on few clothes and we went
on deck together. The excitement and
confusion cannot be described. never
saw anything like il: everybody seemed to
have lost his head. The scene was dis
tressing beyond anything else ever saw.
Men, women and children we're running
about madly, the women screaming with
terror and every man getting in the others
way. The darkness increased the con-
sion and fright.
THERE ARE NO MORE BOATS"
Suddenly i heard shrlll. despairing
cries from the women: There are no
more boats" then saw the men at the
davits. noticed that the ropes were
frozen so hard or were so tangled, or some
thing of the sort, that the sailors had to
chop them frantically to get the boats
clear, The sailors were doing their best,
however, and worked with might and
main. They finally got out the aft-qnarter
boat on the port side | could see that II
was full of people, but the sailors could
not lower it.
DRAGGED OUT OF THE BOAT.
MEANWHILE the steamer was settling
perceptibly. | took my hoy in my arms
| and cot into the second boat. My wife was
| All women and children go on the other
side of the ship | believe the captain
gave the order. NY wife started TO run
| across the deck and that is the last saw of
| her, l clung to my boy, but some meE
seized us and dragged us out of the boat,
and my place was taken by one of the
crew.
LOST HIS BOY. ...-
nThs boat got clear of the steamer.
Al. AT FNI
command of her big wave almost dashed
her against the steamers foremast which
had gone by the board at the time of the
collision. 1t was almost miraculous that
the boat was not swamped. Another boat
was got out. | took my boy into it and
supposed that he had remained by my
side, but Just as tine boat was lowered |
found that he had disappeared. He had
been torn away in the rush and scramble
for places. tried to get back, but the
boat went down with jump, and the
moment we reached the water the sailors
pushed off,
MISS BuEcKER's EXPERIENCE.
The United Press reporter called at the
Sailors Home at 1890 o. clock to see Miss
Buecker. Her doctor said that she was in
such state of physical and nervous ex-
haustion when she arrived that he had 10
put her to bed. She had rested and felt
much better, and would not suffer any
permanent injury from her experience.
Miss Buecker said in q subsequent inter
view;
Il was in bed when the steamer struck.
was aroused by great crash, followed
by shouts and trampling of feet on deck.
Ii was dark when reached the top OF the
stairs leading to the deck. | found that
two of the lifeboats were being lowered,
and ran to one of them. The steamer was
sinking gradually. One side was already
low in the water. Some men showed me
, into the boat, which was then lowered
We had hardly reached the water before
! the boat upset, and all were thrown out
, As that part of the Elbe was partly sub
; merged, most Of the others managed to
, get back on the steamer | went under
, and when | came up clutched the bow oi
. the capsized lifeboat. ! clung to it des
perately until another lifeboat that hac
, been launched picked me up. We suffered
terribly until the Wild Flower reached us
J / lost all my clothes, but saved my money
i and watch, which had in the belt arounC
me-"
r LIKE THE CRASHING OF IcEBERGs."
! The steerage passenger Bothen gave tint
description of his experience:
! II was going to France by way of South
= ampton. AT the moment OF the collision
was i'll the forecastlc. When the steamer:
came together the noise was deafening
like the crashing of icebergs Then came
a series of tearing and grinding sounds.
hurried back and found the officers anc
crew at quarters. Two boats were beins
r lowered but | saw no others. ] am sur
v that the ropes were not frozen. They wer
) somewhat stiff, but not so as to hinder thu
e lowering of the boats. After | entered th,
d boat which the Wild Flower afterwart
a picked up, / did not see any other small
i boat. The Elbe went down about 20 min
{ minutes after the collision
: WAS ASLEEP IN THE COFFEE ROOM,
: Jan Vevera, cabin passenger, had beei
: visiting his sick brother in Germany, an
}. was returning with his niece to America
= His niece was lost. He told this story;
a II fell asleep in the coffee room at abou
y 2.30 o'clock. When awoke and locke
at my watch it was $50. All was quie
II except the whirl of the screws and tn
j. beating OF the water. | dozed off again
perhaps for 10 minutes. 4 terrific cras
got me up with jump. | ran out am
g soon saw that everything was Upside down
It People were rushing around below IN
e frenzy, some of them half naked and al
= only partly dressed.
g Il made my way upon deck, and, seein
It the mailman, fasked him what was tn
IS matter He was calm and collected an
replied ....-, ,,,
,r see without being told, however, tina
st something terrible had happened. ! RAJ
d below to get my niece. tried to reach he
ID cabin, but was not able to get far, as ,th
" woodwork had been shattered and broke
s timbers and boards were wedged aero:
10 the corridor. When / found | could e
no further | went to my own cabin, x
waterproof coat and put on two life.pr
servers. | ran back to the upper decl
~ where il was evident to everybody that tt
~ ship had heavy list and was sinking fas
,e STRUGGLE FOR THE LIFEBoATs.
\ ~ asked if should get into lifeboa
" and was told to keep out, as the wOme
as and children must go first. saw that Il
le struggle for the iifeboats was too desperal
n to leave man much chance, so | waite
d. and looked on. The men around me ma
I'd grown frantic. They tried to tear off m
te life preserves, but | shouldered them OF
I'd Meantime other men had begun to clim
into the boats, and | realized that mu
take my chance then or not at all.
T., Jumped on the rail as IL boat sheered oi
~ ~ and. when the boat rose on wave
Y jumped in. One of the occupants tried
~ shove me ont, but | hung to him III
~, W death, thinking if 90, you GO, too. o.
~ :, man. He seemed to understand this ait
y, no he felt my grip few times, and let Il
"a stay. We saw the Elbe sink, and cruis,
"a. a. about half full of salt water, until Il
=, Wild Flower rescued u.s.
- Mr.. yevera's leg is badly bruised, b
he otherwise he suffered no harm.
IN THE BOILER ROOM.
in Fuerst, stoker, said in an interview :
ho al was in the boiler room at the time
the collision. The water rushed in INN
ell diately through big gap in the side,
All poured in at tremendous rate and so
he extinguished the fires. Everybody in 7
Tx boiler room knew the vessel must found
ge When reached the deck | saw the capita
be on the bridge, but did not see the pilots
do not know where the niints Mere-