Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-08
A PLEA FOR THE ELBE2s MEN.
The Public Asked Not to Hastily Be-
1ieve Sensational Charges.


lieve Sensational Charges.
NEW YORK, February s-The North
German Lloyd Steamship. Company has re-
ceived the following cable message from
Messrs. Keller, Wallis apd Company, the
London agents of the North German Lloyd
Company:
LONDON, February S.-Rescued passen-
gers Elbe arriving Umbria may repeat
sensational statements made to English
press. Please note they made no state
nlents or complaints when before Ameri-
can consul general; and following is ex-
tracted from Liverpool Shipping Telegraph
Our London correspondent, in refer
once to the allegations against the Elbe's
crew. telegraphed last night, after reading
the reports:
II am satisfied that the correct account
has not been made public. From a knowl-
edge of the Elbe's decks 1 am prepared to
risk the assertion that the official inquiry
will show that the crew of the rescued boat
did not behave improperly. the newspa-
pers forgetting that the deck house is be-
tween the port and starboard sides, and
also forgetting the relative positions of
the boat and deck during heavy list.
1.-The boat probably required ten hands to
man her. and the officers in charge very
likely belonged to that particular boat.
should say that the boat when in the wa
ter, was nearly level with the promenade
deck rail, and was showed off to avoid be-
iEg swamped by the sinking ship.
Bearing in mind that the rescued boat
was on the listed side, and that the other
side seemed safer, I should say that at the
time of showing off there was no one else
at hand to take into her. Hoffman, and
Vevera. 1 fancy, will turn out sensation
mOngerS, whose heads have been turned by
public attention. Vevera'S statement that
he alone saved the woman and pulled her
into the boat is incredible. and indicates
general eXaggeration. ct is shown to be
untrue by the fact now elected that the
third officer purser's assistant, and Stew
ard Kobe drew the woman into the boat)
1.-The following verbatim extracts from
leading articles in Liverpool papers speak
fer themselves:
celved with even more than the proverbial
grain of salt, and the stories going the
round of the press, with respect to the be-
havior of the crew on board the Eibe" in
that terrible moment do not seem worthy
of crcdence.'
THE North German-Lloyd has been prac
tically found to blame by some journals on
the strength of a few distorted facts given
by irresponsible people laboring under the
excitement naturally born of a great dis
aster and eked out by other details which
are, on the face of them, conflicting"
One paper publishes letter signed by
British shipowners, strongly urging sus
pension of Judgment in face of conflicting
statements, pointing out that mouths OF
crew, owners and agents are closed, pend
ing official inquiry.
Two More Bodies.
LOWESTOFT, February S.-Another body
was brought to Lowestoft today by a fish
ing smack which has been cruising near
the spot where the Elbe was sunk Cards
found upon the body bore the name of
Louis Kurt kleinschmidt, Metallurgist,
Helena, Mont"
There was a second-cabin passenger Of
that hOa rd the EsIhe
Still another body brought here is sup
posed to be that Of Julius c. Dittrich of
No To- East 23d street, New York city.
Lifeboat No of the Elbe has been
brought In here empty. One Of her air
tanks was burst.
This was the missing lfeboat which 1T
was hoped contained survivors Of the Elbe
disaster. -