The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-31

=
Sir, had known it was not the captain
who ordered the women and children to
the starboard side of the ship. they
would never have taken them from me.
But you see I have been a military man
and obeyed orders"
where did you serve," Mr.. Hoffman
was asked
SIN the 18th Prussian Uhlans for three
years
Were you married in Germany"
mo, in America. My wife was only
81 years of age. On. God, she was a
good woman, sir. She was born in Ne
braska of German parents. Her mother
is now at Grand Island.
at was all so sudden. We had all
been 50 happy the night before. There
was a young fellow from Berlin who
was going to Mobile, Ala, in order to
buy cotton seed oil He was comical,
sang songs and told funny jokes in the
saloon.
Save Ourselves.
"When the boat got away with great
deal of trouble, the Elbe being right on
top of US at first. we had hardly got a
hundred yards from the ship when l saw
a woman floating in the water. l tried
to throw something to her, but somebody
shouted: No, save ourselves
81 could not do that sir. Finally they
got the boat up to her and with the help
of another man, l drew her into the boat
which was an ordinary ships boat, about
fifteen feet long. l afterward found out
that her name was Annie Bueckner.
Poor girl. she was almost dead with
fright and cold. We put her in the bot
tom of the boat and did all we could to
help her. We were all wet with water,
(which was pouring in at our collars and
descending into our boots
''We first tried to row, but we found
we made no headway, and therefore rig
Sged up a sort of mast, and with a small
sail tried to keep the bow of the boat to
the wind and seas After awhile we saw
a sail. and did all we could to signal to
her, although we failed to attract her at
tention.
"We had cut piece of canvas and
made a small flag, which we used for
signalling, and soon afterwards, having
failed to let the smack know of our dis
tress, the flag blew away, and the smack
sailed off, causing US to despair"
Here fresh paryoxism OF grief over
the loss of his wife and child. His utter
ances were almost choked with grief
Sighting the Wild Flower.
Some minutes elapsed before Mr.. Hoff-
man was able to resume his story, and
then he said: 1--WE made a new flag with
our handkerchiefs and an undershirt.
which melody pulled off. l held them
up against the mast, and we eventually
sighted the Wild Flower, but a
long terrible hour elapsed before
we were taken aboard. She had
her nets out and 1t was difficult
to approach .suw on account of the heavy
soas. After five Of the persons in our
boat had been transferred to the smack
the life boat seemed to slide back into
water and it appeared as if the others
must be lost. But rope was thrown to
US from the smack's stern and gradually
we were hauled up and all of us were
transferred to the Wild Flower.
when | reached her deck fell down
exhausted and offered up a prayer to
God for my dead darlings, and thanked
Him for having saved me.
"Oh, sir, they were SO kind to us on
that smack, although they we're only
rough fishermen They had some hot
tea ready and covered US up with every
thing warm they could lay hands upon.
Why, one of those poor fishermen actu-
ally gave me the only shirt he had and
have it on now, God bless him. As for
poor Mss Bueckner, I have tended her
as a mother might have done"
Mr.. Hoffman concluded with asking
whether anything has been heard of the
appealing glance at the eporter as ever
the latter beheld, and then the poor man
sank back upon his pillow, exclaiming:
''Oh, for some kilograms; but she is dead,
| and SO is my darling boy, and l cannot GO
| to their graves"
1T WAS THE CRATHIE.
Little Doubt That it Was She That Col
Iided With the Elbe.
ROTTERDAM, Jan. 31.--Interviews which
were had here this afternoon with Capt.
Gordon, of the steamer Crathie, and with
| the second officer of that vessel now
leave no room for doubt that she was the
! steamship which ran into and sank the
| Elbe. Capt Gordon said that Crathie
at $3.50 a. N. yesterday was about
thirty five miles from Waterway. The
wind was north by west, half west II
was very dark and the sea and wind were
strong. Continuing, he said: Il stood
at the bottom of the cabin staircase and
was going on deck when there was q
| heavy shock, a crack and the water
| began to pour into the deck.
| II ran on deck and saw large strange
ship across the bows of the Crathie
| After the collision we returned to the spot
| where it occurred, or as near as we cOulC
make out, but we were unable to see any
signs of the steamer, which we
thought had proceeded on her voyage
We followed after her for some
time, but lost all sight of her. We
waited for two hours and then proceed
ed to Maaslauis. We reached there
yesterday, and came here today for re-
pairs, which will take five weeks"
The second officer of the Crathie sale
that about half-past o'clock yesterday
morning the steamer was about 30 mile:
from Men Waterway adding: 1--WE
collided with large steamer. There
was no fog, but it was dark. 1t was my
watch on deck, and l Isuddenly saw ahea6
of US three lights. and 1 made out {
steamer, painted light color, with two
smok estacks, also painted light color
coming toward US. 1t was impossible tt
escape a collision, although ten or t
dozen yards more would probably have
| cleared us.
After we struck, it was impossible fo
some time to disengage the two ships