The herald., 1895-02-01

Doas az tho laSO ulomeut, Wish tuo WhtoI
was up to tho promenade deck and the
vessel sinking under their feet, and two
minutes before she disappeared, there
crowded 10 men. wo man and children,
having rushed to the other side, owing
il is said, to the command tha: they
should get into boats there.
SIGNALING WITH SHIRT.
"This third boat pulled away from the
chip, and in go doing shortly afterwsrd
passed lady passenger, Miss AnnG
Bue cher, who clung to the gunwales OIL
eide OF the life boat. Some time elapsed
before she could be pulled into the boat.
Twenty survivors drifted about until
IL 80 a. M. the heavy seas repeatedly
washing over the small craft, which was
in constant danger OF being bwampsd
and drenching its occupants, who had
not morsel of food. Mics Buecher lay
in the bottom OF the boat, half drowned
and semi-conscious. Lights Of many
vessels were seen all around, but no
one approached, though after daylight a
steamer and two fishing vessels passed.
Their crews, however, did not notice
the signals OF the lifeboat. Finally the
waving of a shirt from the boat attracted
the attention of the fishing emsck
Wildflower, which rescued the survivors
with extreme difficulty"
After the collision Rn unknown steam
sr passed under the stern of the Elbe
and proceeded on her course without
paying any heed to the cries OF people
on board OF the sinking steamer.
The rescued eesmen in the sailors
homs were stitching up tat.ered cloth
ing today. laughing and joking the
while. They said they were all below
asleep when the collision took place.
II was i'm possible to reach the forward
boata az the bows OF the steamer had
riBen high out OF the water. The SO amen
then went aft and escaped in the manner
already described. They steadily denied
there had been any panic on the Elbe
after the collision but the excited man
ner in which they replied to questions
OH this point showed great confusio on
had prevailed.
So for as ascertained 374 passengers
snd crew OF thu Elbe are missing.
THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FOUR GONE
AS far as can be asCertained, 374 of
the passengers and crew OF the Eloe ar o
missing.
a strong northeaIt gale blew through
out the night. accompanied by ssvere
frost, but this did not deter tie coast
guards and customs offissrs from keep
ing up an active watch all night long for
any sigma of any of the members Of the
Elbe's party. A majority OF the people
kere have abandoned all hope OF hear
ing of the rescue OF any more OF the
Elbe'a passengers or crew, as
many OF the Yarmouth and Lowestoft
fishing smacks are known to have been
plying near the acene OF the disaster and
they nave not yet returned. which they
certainly would have done had they
picked up any survivors. Although it
is believed the Elbe sank immediately
after the collision, some survivors assert
that they did not ses her 90 down, and
they express the hope that she may
still be sfoat. The agent of the North
German Lloyd company announced that
the emperor and empress OK Germany
have telegraphed their condoleuce TO
the company and asked to be promptly
informed il any more of the passengers
or crew OF the ill-iated EIbe are rescusd.
CARL HoFFMAN's STORY.
Carl Hoffman, one of the cabin psss-
engers of the Ebs. who was rescued
from the life boat Of that vessel, says
that I'd the vessel which oollidsd with
the steamer Elbe etood by the latter
steame; the majority of the passengers
and crew might have been saved, for, he
says. The Elbe remained perfectly
steady for many minutes after the co.'s
Union before the volume OF water poured
into her and caused her to lurch. Then
all became confusion. When the sur
vivors were informed that the Csathie
was supposed to be the vesael which
sank the Elbe they strongly denounced
her crew for their apparent inhumanity
in net making an effort to assist the dis
abled vesssl or to rescue her crew. Mr..
Hoffman this morning, speaking OF the
disaster, Baid:
"Thoss who were drowned suffered
less than we who we've saved" Sobs,
ehook the nidsR of the strong man who
made the statement. He is German
American about 35 years old, of the
type common in the western part OF the
United States. His face was streamed
with learns which Lad wet his sleepless
pillow all night.
Continuing, Mr.. Hoffman said:
"There was no confusion among the
passengers. They behaved we'll. and
the only confusion was with the crew,
who tried to save themselves. 1t seems
strange, sir, but TO see that while those
here are 60 few, out OF the small number
saved there are fifteen members OF the
crew. But MANY more might have been
saved. Oh, God my wife my boy
Both are dead and cannot go TO their
graves.J
Here the unfortunate man burst into
tears. After q few minutes he con-
tinued:
LIFE BELTS UsELE5s.
"Yes. many OF tho passengers had life
belts. but they were useless. The noise
Of the collision sounded no louder in
my stateroom than the single beat of a
drum. But when | ruahed on deck
found passengers crowding about the
boatn and the crew running here and
there and cutting the ropes about the
tackles with which they sre lowered.
They wore too proud on that ship, paint
ing ropes that should have been oiled;
then they would hsve been limpsr.
81 saw no other vesaal and no other
light except the Elbe's light. When ]
entered the boat they took roy baby
from me. Oh, God, my 7-ysar-old
darling. Sir, had | known it was not
the captain who ordered tho women and
children to tho cardboard of the ship
they would never bsve taken them from
me. But you see. I have been mill.
tsrysman snd obsyed ORDERS"
"Where did you server"
sin the Fifteenth Prussian Uhlans for
three years."
UWora vor ,nayriad in Garnoopv