The Portland daily press., 1895-02-01
NO TIDINGS.
But One Boat Escaped the Sinking
Steamer EIbe,
OFFICERS OF THE STEAMER
CHARGED WITH COWARDICE.


It's Place. Responsibility for the Coli
sion Fastened on the Officers of the
Crathie-The Night Was Clear and
Signals Could Be Seen.
London. January 31.-When questioned
this evening as to the conduct of the crew
after the collision, all agreed that the
officers and seamen were very cool and self
possessed Eugene Schlegal. second cabin
passenger on the Elbe, this evening gave
this account of lis exerience "When
was awakened by the crash jumped from
the berth and found myself knee deep in
water 1t took me ten minutes to find my
sister. When the women and children were
ordered to the starboard side of the boat
led my sister across. The women crowded
together near the rail shrieking and crying.
The crew seemed to be working with per-
feet discipline. / saw one boat filed with
passengers and believe it cleared the ship.
left my sister to go back TO the port side
and did not see her again.
The rest of Mr.. Schlegal's story does not
differ from the accounts given by other
passengers. 1t was terrific rush for life
he said. and a struggle for places in the
boat picked up by the Wild Flower. The
surviving officers of the Elbe denounce the
fog story of the Crathie's officers as a pure
invention. The English pilot Greenham.
said:
'sIT is A BLACK LIE.
IA o1a
and the lights of several smacks were
| visible four or five miles off," The Elbe
seamen made similar statements.
Skipper Snoevling of the Yarmouth
trawler Flora, which returned to port this
afternoon. says. at SIX O'clock yesterday
morning he was near the place whore the
| collision occurred. He saw tbe rockets fired
from a large steamship and noticed its
lights. and those of small steamship close
together. He thought at the time thers~ was
a collision, but the Flora's'gear was down
and he could not approach the vessels. The
signals ceased in few minutes. AT day.
break he saw in the distance a steamship
flying signals of distress and making rapid
ly for the Dutch coast. He thinks sne must
have heen the Crathie.
Miss Buecker WAS intervi a dozen
I
following her experience of Yesterday. She
stated that she had been visiting relatives
in Bremen and was returning via South
ampton to Portsmouth. where she earns her
living as lady's companion. She said /;
'sAs the trip was SO short did not undress,
but lay down in my berth with my, clothes
on. was sleeping lightly when the crash
came, and somebody was at my door almost
| +oIx To- hof r cyat
ready to leave the ship. put on my hat
and jacket and took my watch and money
in my belt and joined the other cabin
passengers, who were rushing for the deck.
A lifeboat was being got ready and two men
put me in it. AS soon as TIE boat reached
the water
GIT BEGAN TO FILL.
81 believe the water came from the plug
hole in the bottom. AS the boat sank other
persons in it grasped the side of the ship,
which had settled almost to a level with the
water They clambered up to the deck,
but could only cling Ito the Elbes rail.
Before long another lifeboat was launched,
and worked my way along the side of the
ship and grasped ore of The oars. A sailor
pulled me in with great difficulty and laid
ne in the bottom of the boat. l had been
in the water about ten minutes and was all
most paralyzed. I did not see anybody else
in the wafer. The waves swept over the
gunwaIe of the boat continually, and the
men could not stop bailing for q minute.
There was no rest for them from the time
| we left the steamship Ill we boarded the
Wild Flower
The surviving officers and seamen of
the Elbe arrived here at 9 tonight, and
went TO the hotel for the night. For the
last % hours the survivors of the crew
have been closely watched to prevent
their making unofficial statements. One
of the crew said to reporter at the
London station: 1.-The men probably
will be kept here for days. The exam
inaion is expected to be long, although
not much more is to be said. We saw
little or nothing in all that excitement" !"
IT is understood the German consul will
omen an enquiry here tomorrow. The
AGENT of the owners and their insur.
ance companies, and the officials of the
ADMIRALTY and the board of trade will
he present. The enquiry will last eight
days. Pilot Greennam's hand is badly
frostbitten.
HOPE GIVEN UP.
Fifteen fishing smacks which sailed
near the spot where the Elbe disappeared
arrived at Lowestoft this afternoon. Not
one reported seeing any signs Of the
wreck or passengers. Their reports BAN
ish the last hope of finding the second
boat. A smack returning shortly be-
fore midnight brought boats rudder
and loeline, but nothing to Indicate
what boat they were from. The customs
officers at all ports along the south ard
east coast are on the alert to hail and
question shippers of all incoming craft,
ana the coast guard will patrol the
shores for miles in search of wreckage
and dead bodies. Tue wind and tide
would now bring fiotsam to points
south OF Lowestoft
A despatch from Rotterdam says
Cantain Gordon of the Crathie says the
steamer with which his ship collided
was lost sight of Immediately after the
vessels came together, and it was
thought she had proceeded. The Crathe
remained i'll the vicinity two hours and
then returned to Rotterdam, as it was
feared she could not keep afoat
The second officer of the Crathie says
Immediately after the collision the ship
struck by the Crathie burned blue and
| Similar cjonole 1voro