The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-01

time of the collision there was a high sea
running and a strong wind was blowing
from east-southeast. 1t was bitterly cold.
Lanyards and boats grips and falls were
frozen and lanyards securing 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 left her side"
The explanation given by the surviving
officers as to the proportion OF the crew
saved as to the number of passengers
saved is that the following orders were
given by the officers of the Elbe: Chill
dren were to be saved first and then
women, and they were to be placed in
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 starboard 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 or
ders of Captain Won Goessel, Third Officer
Stollberg and the paymaster, who were IN
charge OF this boat, took seats inside her,
and then, when the water was creeping
over the deck, rush was made for the
boat, and anybody who could get into it
did so.
The rescued seamen in the Sailors Home
were stitching up their tattered clothing
to-day, laughing and joking the while.
They said they were all below asleep when
the collision took place. 1t was impossible
to reach the forward boats, as the bows of
the steamer had risen high out of the
water. The seamen then went aft and
escaped in the manner already described.
They steadily denied there had been any
panic on the Elbe after the collision, but
the excited manner in which they replied
to questions on this point showed that
great confusion had prevailed.
Gould we, " they said, "stand there on
the sinking ship and not spring into the
boats below?"
II cannot swim at all" said one of the
seamen, land the distance between the
boat and the ships side was increasing"
did the captain give no orders?
"Only one, was the reply, land that
was that all the women and children We're
TO go to the starboard side. We were on
the port side and remained there to give
the women and children chance and of
course We could not help them"
did none of the passengers endeavor to
leap into the boats?" was the next ques-
ton.
''They could not" said the seaman ad-
dressed, $50 high had the vessel raised out
of the water and they were afraid to
jump"
What" interjected one man, "did not
one of the passengers jump and nearly
swamp the boat? a big, stout man" and
here the speaker, with a scowl on his face
made gesture to represent a person of
exceeding corpulence. nineteen men in
boat only able to hold fourteen, " he con-
tinued, 1--WE could not take any more on
board Besides" and he again made use
of a dramatic gesture to depict the eddying
OF the whirlpool caused by ship fast 60
ing down, ''we should have been sucked
into the vortex.
When questioned as to the action of the
captain after the collision the seamen said
that he might have given more orders, but
in the confusion which followed the dis
aster it was impossible to hear orders even
if they had been given at such a distance
from the bridge
The agent of the North German Lloyd
Steamship Company this morning sent the
harbor tug Dispatch to the scene of the
disaster, bat owing to the bad weather pre-
vailing the men on board the tug were
unable to see anything. In addition mes
sages ofinquiry have been sent to all places
along the coast asking if they have any
news of the missing craft, and it is hoped
that the Lowestoft fishing-smacks which
are expected to make this harbor this after
noon may bring some news.
AS far as can be ascertained, 374 of the
passengers and crew of the Elbe are miss
ing. A strong northeast gale blew
throughout the night, accompanied by a
severe frost, but this did not deter the
coast guards and customs officers from
keeping up an active watch all night long
for any signs of other survivors of the Elbe.
The majority of people here have aban-
doned all hope OF hearing of the rescue of
any more of the Elbe's passengers or crew,
as many of the Yarmouth and Lowestoft
fishing-smacks are known to have been
plying near the scene of the disaster, and
they have not yet returned, which they
certainly would have done had they picked
up any survivors. Although it is believed
the Elbe sank Immediately after the col
lision, some survivors assert that they did
not see her go down, and they express the
hope that she may still be aAoat. The
agent of the North German Lloyd Com
pany announces that the Emperor and
Empress of Germany have telegraphed
their coincidence to the company, and
asked to be promptly informed if any
more Of the passengers or crew of the i'll
fated Elbe are rescued.
Mr.. Hoffman, one of the cabin passen-
gers of the Elbe, who was rescued from
the lifeboat OF that vessel, says that had
the vessel which collided with the steamer
Elbe stood by the latter steamer the major
ity of the passengers and crew might have
been saved, for, he says, the Elbe remained
perfectly steady for many minutes after
the collision before the volume of water
poured into her ana caused her to lurch.
Then all became confusion. When the
survivors were informed that the Crathie
was supposed to be the vessel which sank
the Elbe they strongly denounced her
crew for their apparent inhumanity in not
making an effort to assist the disabled yes
sci or to rescue her crew.