The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-02-08

u.
that the lights Of q steamer were
close aboard over the port bow. Be-
fore the course Of the Elbe could bc
changed % as to sheer her on from the
approaching steamer the latter struck
her just about the engine room, going
through her plates as though they were
pasteboard, and sticking her nose al
most completely through the hull Of
the Elbe. For time the Crathie held
the Elbe on her nose, but then her
engines were reversed and she backed
out Of the aperture she had made. As
she did 20, the water rushed into the
nlba In torrent and she began imme-
diately to settle. The officer In charge
OF the ship at once saw that she was
doomed and gave hurried orders to
clear away the life boats for launch
Ing. Three Of the boats were cleared
and lowered, but one Of them shortly
after 1t got clear from the steamer
capsized, and It is thought that all "r
cupants were drowned. The first boa J.
contained the third officer, chief en-
gineer, purser and about twenty Of
the passengers. These are the persons
who were picked up by the fishing
smack and taken to Lowestoft. From
the survivors It Is learned that as soon
as the Crathie backed aWay from the
Elbe that in-rushing water flooded the
aft Of the engine room 20 quickly that
nobody below decks in that part Of the
ship had *
An Opportunity to Escape.
The shock of the collision was COM
paratively slight In view Of the dam
age done, but this 10 explained by the
fact that 1t was direct cutting blow.
Nearly all the passengers were asleep
at the time. but many Of them were
awakened BY the shock, slight a. 1t
was. z,
They could hear the rush Of the
rapid in-dowing water and with cries
Of terror, sought to make their way
to the upper deck. The steamer being
loaded by the stern, water naturally
rushed aft, and this allowed many of
the passengers forward to reach the
deck. In the case Of the saloon pas-
sengers, however, the result was fatal.
AZ they rushed from their state rooms
Into the saloon they were met by the
torrent, against which 1t was impossi.
BILE for them to make any headway
They were caught up and swept aft to-
ward the cockpit, where they were
probably drowned before the ship
foundered. Altogether, about fifty Of
the passengers reached the deck, where
the widest confusion existed. Wild
rushes were made for the boats. but
the terrible excitement prevailing i'm
peded the efforts Of those who were
trying to clear them away.
Many HeaFtrendiAg Scenes
were witnessed between parents and
children IN the few moments preceding
the sinking Of the vessel. There Is
some disagreement among the sur
vivors az to the number Of boats that
were launched. One survivor, Karl A.
Hoffman,, declares that only two
boats were launched. One Of these was.
swamped instantly, aud the only one
Of Its occupants, o girl naMed Anna
Becker who was bound for South
ampton, was rescued. She clung to
Q piece Of wreckage which she grasped
30 tightly that 1t was only with diff
Guilty that she was dragged into the
second boat. She was Just returning
from tho dcathbed Of her father and
mother.
Meanwhile the cry was raised on the
doomed vessel for the women and chill
dren to 20 over to the other side of
the steamer away from the port side,
In which was the great gaping hole
caused by the Crathie. The half faint.
Ing women and terror stricken chill
dren hurried to the starboard side,
but they had scarcely reached the
boats when the huge vessel lifted her
bows high In the air and then slowly
and silently sank. stern foremost, be-
meath the waves, taking with her her
human freight.
One report has 1t that there were
about 400 persons on the Elbe, 24O Of
whom were passengers, 100 officers and
crew and number of cattlemen who
were returning to the United States.
Tke Saved and the Lost.
The following is a list Of saved:
Anna Boecker, Third Officer Stol.
berg, First Engineer Meussell, Purser
Wefer, Assistant Purser Schlutins.
Assistant Purser Linkmeyer, Assist.
ant Purser Sittig, Chief Stoker Feurst,
Steward Koebe, Seamen Winning,
Finger, Seibert, Dreson, Baettke, ri.
lots De Harde, Grcenham.
The name Of Anna Boecker does
not appear on the list OF passengers
and the officers Of the North German.
Lloyd say that 1t may be Hugo Beck
er, first cabin passenger.
The following Is a complete list Of
first and second cabin passengers on
the Elbe: /
First sCabin-Fritz Appel, Munich:
Hugo Becker, Chemnitz; Ditroter Dau.
man, Berlin; Mrs. Hermine Sanders,
Falmouth, Miss; Anton Fischer, Wash
Mo-; Charles Wiz, New York; Mrs.
NJ. G. Connors, Spearflsh, 8. D.. wife,
Of the ex-mayor Of that city; Henry
N. Castle, Honolulu: Dorothy Castle,
Honolulu; Mrs. Klipfel. Brandenburg;
Louis Thewett, Vienna; Walter
schnell, Dueren; Domingo FurHnr,
Guatemala; ]. r. Gerlicher, Winona,
MINI.
Second Cabin-Mrs. Louis Kuehne,
New York: Jake Frank. Buffalo: Fiji
gene Hchlegei, k'uerth; Mrs. sophie
Rhodes, Washington; Eugene Rhodes,
Washington; Carl Hoffman, Mrs. Anna
Hoffman, Henry Hoffman. Grand 1sl.
and, Neb.; Mira Andrew Briebach, Am.
sterdam; Mrs. Waiter Kraane, An.
drew Waiter, Amsterdam; Julius Ros-
enbaum, Berlin; Adolph Islanb, New
York; Ernst Mazeberg, Louisiana;
Kurt Kleinschmidt, Helena; Rudolph
Nolte. Leipsig; DR.. Dittrich (return
ticket, ]. H. Hahn, James Vevera,
Kretoo Ker, Frank Miskoloz, Edward
Moskovie. 1sterla Goldner, Eperjes;
Mr.. Lockhart, New York; August San
ders, Esseol; Peter Powierski, Kasan-
itz; Miss Clara Weingastner, Flehin.
gen.
TslA b One Of the saved.
From what one Of the rescued men
says the disaster must have been one
Of the most terrible In the history Of
such catastrophes. The whole Of the
passengers are understood to have
been below and asleep at the time the
collision occurred, and nearly all Of
them must have been either drowned
below or have met death while seek
ing to rush upon the deck. The man
who furnished this Information was
In such an excited state that little
more could be gathered from him but
ordinations Of horror. He repeated
time and again:
1T was terrible. II Als terrible.