The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-02-06

by my wife and boy. We left Bremen
for home on Tuesday. l was asleep
in our state room when noise like a
gunshot woke me. I jumped
out of the bed and spoke to my wife
who had been aroused as suddenly. l
asked her what she thought the
trouble was, but she seemed to pay
little attention toit. I was not greatly
alarmed, although I heard scutfling
feet and hoarse shouts on deck. [
hurried into few of my clothes. how
ever, and went to the upper deck. I
saw only too clearly then what had
happened. l rushed below and helped
my wife and boy throw on a few
clothes and we went on deck together
The excitement and confusion cannot
be described. / never saw anything
like it; everybody seemed to have lost
his head. The scene was distressing be
yond anything else ever saw. Men.
women and children were running
about madly, the women screaming
with terror and every man getting in
the others way. The darkness increas-
ed the confusion and fright. Sudden
ly hear shrill, desparing cries from
the women. There are 10 more boats y
I then saw the men at the davits. I
noticed that the ropes were frozen so
hard or were tangled so badly 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 aftquarter boat on the port
sid e. | could see that it was full of
pc ople, but the sailors could not lower
it. Meanwhile the steamer was settling
perceptibly. I took my boy in my
arms and got into the second boat.
My wife was close behind when. some
body shouted: All women and child
ren 60 on the ship. I believe the cap
tain give the order. Ny wife started
to run across the deck and that is the
last I saw of her. I clung to my boy,
but some men seized us an dragged US
out of the boat, and my place was
taken by one of the crew. This boat
got clear of the steamer. Before the
men at the oars could get full com
nand of her big wave almost dashed
her against the steamers big foremast,
which had gone by the board at the
time of the collision. It was almost
miraculous that the boat was not
swamped. Another boat was got out.
I took my boy into it and supposed
that he had remained by my side. but
just as the boat was lowered, found
that he had disappeared. He had
been torn away in the rush and scram:
BILE for places. I tried to get back,
but the boat went down with jump
and the moment we reached the water
the sailors pushed off.
Miss Buecker says she was in bed
when the collision occurred. When
she reached the deck two of the life
boats We're being lowered She got
into one of them, but it was capsiZed.
She was picked up by another lifeboat
and five hours after was taken on
board the Wild Flower
Fuerst, a stoker, said in an inter
view: II was in the boiler room at
the time of the collision. The water
rushed on immedistsly ttllsseagh-a-big
gap in the side. 1t poured in at ire.
mendous rate and soon extinguished
the fires. Everybody in the boiler
room knew that the vessel must
founder. When reached the deck ]
saw the captain on the bridge, but did
not see the pilots. I do not know
where the pilots We're. >
Seamen SINCE says that the Elbe
was struck just aft the engine room,
\ the stem of the other steamer crush
ing in the second cabin.
Third Officer Stollberg says that he
cannot explain the collision, and that
it is unlikely that any adequate ac-
count can be obtained, as all the deck
watch on duty at the time were
drowned. The captain was on the
bridge when the collision occurred,
and Officer Stollberg heard him shout
ing in a loud firm voice that the
women and children were to be saved
first. The captains voice reached a
considerable distance. His order was
repeated by the chief officer, and must
have been heard by everybody aboard.
Officer Stollberg expressed the warm
est gratitude to Skipper Wright and
he crew of the Wild Flower. The
roughness Of the sea, he said, made
the work of rescue extremely perilous.
The fishermen gave the survivors the
use of everything aboard the smack
and fed and clothed them.
There is some hope that the missing
boat has been rescued, inasmuch as
there were several smacks in the Vi.
cinity of the collision. Probably some
women and children got into the miss.
ing boat.
The steamship company has defer.
red ustil morning its decision as to
sending the survivors to New York.
In answer to a dispatch from the Uni
ted Press, the North German Lloyd
sent the official statement from Bre-
men tonight.
The third officer of the Elbe re
ports from Lowestoft that the vessel
was struck on the port side in the way
mail room by an unknown steamer,
sinking in twenty minutes. Stormy
weather: watch in order. Hope a
second boat which was lowered may
be safe, as several fishing vessels and
q steamer are in the vicinity. Good
discipline; everything done that was
possible to save life. >
The first official report received by
the owners was dated at Lowestoftand
said The mail steamship Elbe, which
left Bremerhaven Yesterday for New
York, sunk after being in collision at
this morning. a boat has landed
twenty-five. No news of the remain
der" Then followed the statement
given above.
These reports seem to prove that
only two boats were lowered, despite
the varying statements of passengers,
some of whom said that as many as
eight were cut loose. The boat carrying
the survivors was tossed at the mercy