Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-01-31
A TERRIBLE DISASTER AT SEA.


SOUTHAMPTON, was sunk at $50 o'clock
Yesterday morning in collision with the
British steamer Crathie, bound from
Rotterdam for Aberdeen. The disaster
occurred at point some thirty miles
from the Hook of Holland. 1t is re-
ported that there were about four hun
bred persons on the Eihe, TWO hundred
and forty of whom were passengers,
one hundred and sixty officers aud
ere ,,nd Il number of cattiemen who
we're returning To the United States.
The Crathie, the steamer that sunk
the Elbe, put into Maasluis, Holland,
in damaged condition. She reported
that she had been in collision with an
unknown ocean steamer.
When the news of the disaster be-
came generally known the excitement
was intense. Cable dispatches were at
once forwarded to all the principal
cities, and soon flood of return dis
patches were received. asking for
further information, which, at that
time, it was impossible TO obtain.
From the details it is learned that
the EIbe was proceeding along at her
usual rate of speed, aud keeping the
ordinary lookouts. The night was
dark, but there was no gale Sudden
" the forward lookout on the Eibe re-
ported to the officer on deck that the
nights of steamer were close aboard
over the port bow. Before the course
of the Elbe could be changed SO as 10
sheer her off from the approaching
steamer, the latter struck her just abaft
the engineroom, going through her
plates as though they were pasteboard,
and sticking her nose almost complete
" through the hull of the Elbe. For
a time the Crathie held the Elbe on
her bows, but then her engines were re-
versed, and she backed out ofthe aper-
ture she had made. As she did so, the
water rushed into the Elhe in a torrent
and she began Immediately to settle.
The officer in charge of the snip at
once saw that she was doomed, and
gave hurried orders to clear away the
lifeboats for launching. Three of the
boats were cleared, swung out beard on
tine davits and lowered, but one of them,
shortly after it got clear of the steamer,
capsized, and it is thought that all OF
its occupants were drowned. The first
boat contained the third officer, chief
engineer, 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 the inrushing water
flooded the steamer aft of the engine
room so quickly that nobody below
decks in that part OF the ship had an
opportunity to escape. The shock OF
the collision was comparatively slight,
in view of the damage done, but this is
explained by the fact that it was g
direct cutting blow. Nearly all the
passengers were asleep at the time, but
many of them were awakened by the
shock.
They could hear the rush of the
rapidly indowing water, and, with cries
of terror. sought to make their way TO
the upper deck. The steamer being
loaded by the stern. the water natural
IL rushed aft, and this allowed many
OF the passengers forward 10 reach the
deck.
Ia the case of the saloon passengers,
however, the result was fatal. As they
rushed from their staterooms into the
saloon, they were met by the torrent,
against which it was impossible for
them to make Roadway. They were
caught up and swept aft toward the
cockpit, where they were probably
drowned before the ship foundered.
Altogether, about fifty OF the passen-
gers reached the deck, where the wild
est confusion existed. Wild rushes
were made for the boats, but the terrible
excitement prevailing impeded the eff
forts of those who were trying to clear
them away. Many hesrtrending scenes
were witnessed between parents and
children in the few moments preceding
the sinking Of the vessel.
There is some disagreement among
the survivors as to the number of boats
that were launched. One survivor,
Karl 4. Holman, declares that only
70 boats We're launched. One of these
was swamped instantly, and the only
one of its occupants, girl named Anna
Boreker, who was bound for South
ampton, was rescued. she clung to a
piece OF wrecksge, which she grasped so
tightly that it was only with difficulty
that she was dragged into the second
boat. She was just returning from the
death bed of her father and mother.
Meanwhile the cry was raised on the
doomed vessel for the women and
children to go over to the other side of
the steamer away from the port side,
in which was the gaping hole, caused
by the Crathie. The half-faintiug wo-
men and terror-stricken children hur-
RED 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, beneath the waves, car
rying down her human freight.
Barely twenty minutes elapsed be-
tween the collision aud the sinking Of
the steamer. a heavy sea was running
and the wind. which Wa from the east
southeast, was bitterly cold.
The small boat containing the sur
vivors tossed about until eleven O'CLOCK
in the morning. Several vessels were
sighted in the meantime, but they
made no replies to the Signals that
were set for them. The survivors were
nearly frozen, having hardly any cloth
ing, and their sutferiugs were intense.
Eventually the fishing smack Wild
flower saw the signals, and bore down
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