Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-02-07
LOST ATSEA
NORTH GERMAN LLOYDSTEAM-
Err ELBE GOES DOWN.
Crashed Into and Sunk Inside Of TVen.
ty Minutes.
Carrying 346 Souls to a Watery
Grave.

A1AcNf w
Goessel, from Bremen, for New York,
via southampton, has been sunk in
collision with the British steamer
Crathie, bound from Rotterdam for
Aberdeen. The exact loss of life is
unknown, but report has it that it
was enormous. The disaster occurred
at a point some thirty miles from the
Hook Of Holland. The first intimation
of the disaster came from Lowestoft,
Suffolk, one of the chief English fish.
ing ports. The first dispatches stated
that there had been $50 persons on
the Elbe and that only nineteen had
been saved, the rescued having been
landed at Lowestoft by fishing
smacks.
Later dispatches to the Exchange
Telegraph company and Lloyd's con-
firmed the report of the loss of the
steamer and still later it was learned
that the Crathie, the steamer that
sunk the Elbe, had put into Mass
Luis, Holland, in a damaged con.
dition. She reported that she had
been in collision with an unknown
ocean steamer.
1t was at first hoped that the re.
ports of the disaster had been exag-
gerated and most if not all of the pas.
sangers and crew had escaped, either
by means of the ships boats or by
being picked up by passing vessels.
But as time wore on it was apparent
that the first reports of the sinking
of the steamer had mlnimized the hon.
ors of the disaster.
From the details now at hand it is
learned that the Elbe was proceeding
along at her usual rate of speed and
keeping the ordinary outlook. The
night was dark, but there was nc
gale. Suddenly the forward outlook
on the Elbe reported to the officer on
deck that the lights of a steamer were
close aboard over the port bow. Be.
fore the course Of the Elbe could be
changed so as sheer her off 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
almost completely
THROUGH THE HULL
of the Elbe. For time the Crathie
held the Elbe on her nose, but ther
her engines were reversed and sht
backed out of the aperture she hac
made. AS she did so the wate1
rushed into the Elbe in torrent, ant
: she began Immediately to settle. Th'
officer in charge of the ship at ono
saw she was doomed and gave hurrie'
orders to clear away the lifeboats 70
launching. Three Of the boats wer
} cleared snd lowered, but one of them
shortly after it got clear of the steam
er, capsized, and it is thought tina
all occupants were drowned. Th
, first boat contained the third Officer
: chief engineer, purser, and abou
f twenty passengers. These are th
: persons who were picked up by th
. fishing smack and taken to Lowestof
0 From the survivors it is learne
that as soon as the Crathie backe
v away from the EIbe the in.rushin
s water flooded aft of the engine rool
n so quickly that nobody below deck
in that part of the ship had an oppol
It tunity to escape. The shock of tt
:. collision was comparatively slight
q view of damage done, but this
Q explained by the fact that it was
= direct cutting blow. Nearly all Il
PASSENGERS WERE ASLEEP
at the time, but many of them we
'' awakened by the shock, slight as
s. was. They could hear the rush
r the in-howing water, and with crl
ie ie of terror, sought to make their WI
IT. IT. to the upper deck. The steamer b
9, ing loaded by the stern, water natu
ue ally rushed aft, and this allowed mai
Is Is of the passenger forward to reach t
IS. deck. In the case OF the saloon pa
ic sangers, however, the result was fat
a. a. AS they rusued from their staterool
ey into the saloon they were
81 81 MET BY THE TORRENT
" against which it was impossible I
ii them to make headway. They we
w W. caught up and swept aft toward t
,stt cockpit, where they were probat
30 drowned before the ship founders
Ha ts. Altogether about fifty Of the pas
lly engers reached the deck, where t
ais widest confusion existed. Wild rus
tIy t es were made for the boats, but I
lth terrible excitement prevailing impe