Omaha daily bee., 1895-01-31
North German Lloyd Liner Lost with
Nearly All on Board,
TtAMtR tlBE SUNK IN THE No9TH SEA
Survivors Landed at Lowestoft by English
Herring Boats,
ONLY NINETEEN OUT OF $50 WERE SAVED
One of the Oldest Passenger Boats on tho
Line Goes Down In Deep Water After
Collision with Another
Steamer.

LONDON Jan. 30.-The North German
Lloyd steamer Elbe, Captain Won Dosset,
from Bremen yesterday for New York, via
Southampton, has been sunk in collision
with the British steamer Crathle, bound
from Rotterdam for Aberdeen. At the time
of sending this dispatch the exact loss of life
is unknown, but report has it that it was
enormous. The disaster occurred before day.
light this morning at point some thirty
miles from the Hook of Holland The first
intimation of the disaster came from loves
toft, Suffolk, one of the chief English fish
was received from that place saying it was
reported there that a transatlantic line
steamer had been sunk in the North sea and
that the loss of life was very great The
$50 persons on the Elbe and that only nine
teen had been saved, the rescued having
been landed at Lowestoft by fishing smacks.
Later dispatches to the Exchange Tele,
Sioph NoHipuhS anu W LlOyu s c0nflrmod the
report of the loss of the steamer, and still
later it was learned the Crathie, the steamer
that sunk the Elbe, had put into Mas Luis.
Holland, in a damaged condition. She re-
ported she had been in collision with an un-
known ocean steamer. Toward evening, over
two hours and half after the news had
reached the London office of the Associated
press and had been cabled to America, the
agents In this city OF the North German
Lloyd company received the following meg
sage:
Most deplorabe news from Lowestoft.
1t states that the Elbe was sunk through
collision this morning. Boat No. 8, with
Third Officer Stalburgh, Purser Weser. En-
gineer Neussel and nineteen persons. landed
at Lowestoft. No further news so far"
EVERYBODY WANTED INFORMATION.
When the news of the disaster became gen.
orally known through the mediums of the
tickers of the Exchange Telegraph company
In the clubs and places of public resort the
excitement was intense. Cable dispatches
"'ie az ohce iorWarieu TO all the principal
European cities, and soon a food of return
dispatches were received asking for further
information, which, at that time It was inn
possible to obtain. The agents of the COM
pany here did everything possible to learn
all OF the facts, and as soon as any new in
| formation received it was also cabled
to the various European capitals. The dis
| patches from Germany showed that the news
caused the greatest excitement and sorrow.
| almost all of the officers and crew of the
| lost steamer and a majority of the passen-
| gers being Germans. 1t was at first hoped
the reports of the disaster had been exag-
gerated, and that most, II not all, of the pas
| sengers and crew had escaped either by
means OF the ships boats or by being picked
up by passing vessels. But as time wore
on 1t was apparent that the first reports of
| the sinking of the steamer had minmlzed
| the horrors of the disaster.
| Many dispatches were forwarded to Maa.
Luis to the commander of the Crathe ask
| Ing him If he had rescued any of the Elbes
passengers Up to a late hour however, no
| answers were received to these dispatches.
and the belief grew that the Crathe, after the
accident, had rather sought her own safety
than to rescue the people on the doomed
Elbe.
From the details now at hand it is learned
the Ebe was proceeding along at her usual
rate Of speed and keeping the ordinary look
|
Suddenly the forward lookout on the Elbe re-
ported to the officer on deck that the lights
| OF steamer were close aboard over the port
bow. Before the course of the llbe could be
changed so as to sheer off from the approach
ing steamer the latter struck her Just about
the engine room, going through her plates
as though they were pasteboard and stick
Ing her nose almost completely through the
hull of the Elbe.
ELBE FILLED RAPIDLY.
For time the Crathie held the Elbe on her
nose, but then her engines were reversed
and she backed out Of the aperture she had
made. AS she did so the water rushed into
the Ebe in torrent and she began imme-
| dlately 10 sellle. The oiicer in charge OF
the ship at once saw she was doomed and
gave hurried orders to clear away the life
boats for launching Three CT the boats were
cleared and lowered, but one Of them shortly
| after It got clear Of the steamer capsized and
| II is thought all the occupants were drowned.
The first boat contained the third officer.
chief engineer purser and about twenty OF
the passengers These are the persons who
we're 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 por-
tion 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