Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-01-31
Only Three Boats Launched Before
the Ship Went Down.
The Details Of the Terrible Disaster as Told
by the Survivors.


Lloyd steamship Elbe, Bremen for New
steamer, 80 miles off LowesJoft early this
morning. The Elbc carried $50 souls and
but 81 survivors have been landed, though
a few others may still be alioat in one of
the ships small boats. At 10 o'clock this
evening, the number of lives lcs5 was
given out as $50. The survivors of the
wreck were landed at Lowcstof6 by the
fishing smack Wild Flower at 3. 40 o clock,
this evening.
They are: Stollberg, third officer;
Neussell, first engineer; Wefer, pay
master; Schulthuis, Linkmeyer and Sit
ting, assistant paymasters; Furst, chiet
stoker; Vioebe, steward; Wenning Sin
ger and Siebert, sailors; Dreson and
Batko, ordinary seamen; Weissner, Ger
man pilot Greenham, English pilot;
Hoffman, Eugen, Schlegel and Vevera,
saloon passengers and BoltEen and
Tween, Storage passengers. Hoffman,
belongs in Nebraska His wife and boy
went down with the ship.
The survivors say that there is no doubt
that Captain Won Goessel was drowned.
All the survivors are in pitiabIe condl-
ton. The passengers were but half
clothed. Their few garments were frozen
stiff. hair coated with ice, and anxiety
and effort had exhausted them so com
pletely that they had to be helped ashore.
The officers and sailors We're fully dressed,
but their clothes had been drenched and
frozen and they were almost paralyzed
with cold and fatigue. They had been
ashore three hours before they recovered
sufficiently to tell the story of the wreck.
Their accounts agreed upon the follow
ing points:
The Elbe left Bremen. Tuesday after
noon, and few hours of the voyage be
| fore the disaster were uneventful. AT
o clock. this morning, the wind was
blowing very hard and tremendous sea
running The morning was unusually
| dark. Numerous lights were seen In all
directions, showing many vessels near by.
| The captain ordered therefore, that
| rockets be sent up at regular intervals to
warn the craft to keep out of the Elbe
course. 80
Near 6 O'Clock, the Elbe was some so
miles off Lowestoft, coast OF SUFFOLK, Wheh
the lookout sighted a steamer OF about
1900 tons approaching.
He gave the word, and as precaution,
the number of rockets We're doubled ana
thcy were sent up at short Intervals. Inc
warning was without effect. The steamer
came ON with unchecked speed, and before
the Elbe could change her course or reduce
her speed notably, there was a terrific
crash of collision. The Elbe was hit abalt
the engine room.
When the smaller steamer wrenched
away, an enormous hole was ieie IN 'ne
Elbes side. The water poured through
and down into the engine room IN
o.tar,cr The room was filled almost in
stantly The engines were still and the
nj. hull began to settle. The passengers
were in bed.
II was bitter cold and rough sea pre-
vented early rising, so that no one eA'cpo
the officers and crew on duty were Oh oeck
whom the shin was struck. The shock ana
crasb roused everybody. The steeragc
was in a panic in moment, ana men,
women and children, half dressed or IN
their night clothes, came crowding up the
companion ways .;
They chung together in groups, facing
the cold and storm, and crled aiouu III
helm. or prayed on their knees Tor denver
ance The officers and crew were caIii'
for n few momeIts They went among
the terror stricken groups, trying 10 quies
them and encouraging them to nope 'ha'
the vessel light be saved
It was soon apparent that the Eide was
steadily settling. The officers were con-
WINGED that she was aboEt to founder anu
gave orders to lower the boats In shor.
time three beats were got longside, ou'
tbe seas were breaking over the steamer
with great force and the first boat was
swamped before anybody could get INTO
Il The other two boats. lowered about
the same time, were filed quickly WIN
members of the crew and passengers pu,
tho number was small, as the boats heid
only 90 persons each. ,oa
The boat carrying the 81 persons ianueu
AZ Lowest 1T, put off in such haste from
the sinking steamer that nobody IN II
noticed what became Of the other boat.
Tbe survivors believe that she got away
safely. They say they were tossed apo1e
| i i the heavy seas for several hours before
,hev sighted the Wild Flower. The little
smock bore down on them at once ana
fool, took them aboard. They were exhausted
from excitement and exposure several
, ,ro, IN IN 4 state Of collapse and had to le