The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-01-23
TWO MONSTER WAVES.
Almost Engulfed the North German
Lloyd Steamer Dresden-An officer
Knocked Senseless-Panic Among
Passengers Locked in the Cabin.

From the New York Mail and Express of Jan. 14th.
One of those accumulative seas that
sailors are prone to call tidal waves almost
overwhelmed the stout North German
LLOYD steamer Dresden in mid-Atlantic
week ago yesterday. The Dresden left
Bremen the last day of the old year and
reached Hoboken this morning, 48 hours
late. In fact, she docked two hours after
her speedy sister ship, the Lain, which
left the Weser six days after the slower
boat
1t was rough trip for the Dresden from
the start, but what was considered the
crisis occurred with the breaking of dawn
on January g. The ship was then in lati-
tude 49 north and longitude so west,
The first wave, which the officers said
was fully so feet high, struck the ship at
4 O clock. 1t tumbled aboard on the star
board side, between the after break in the
promenade deck and the main saloon.
WRECKED THE SALOON.
Driving in the door leading into the
saloon the sea had then full play in that
apartment, and the mischief it wrought
was awful to behold when the carpenters
began repairs several hours later. The
room of Chief Steward Baare is alongside
the main saloon and adjoins the bar. The
chief steward, who was in the land of Nod,
was awakened by the pounding in of his
door and the rush cf the water which rose
over his berth. He jumped to the floor
and became jammed between the door and
his bunk His knee was wrenched, and
to free himself he had to push with all the
strength at his command He finally
extricated himself and rushed into the
saloon The water rose up as high as his
neck as he ran, and he found several of
the officers actually swimming about.
The sea had thrown the vessel down to
an angle of 80 degrees, and she held there
for some time. 1t seemed an age before
she righted, and for second or SO every
body felt sure that the craft would never
again return to an even keel. The sta
tionary tables and revolving chairs in the
saloon were the only articles of furniture
there that did not break adrift. The
hanging lamps which swing from the cell
ing were hurled with dreadful force in
every direction by the wave, and the broken
chimneys and globes made for time
perfect shower of flying glass.
PASSENGERS IN A PANIC.
There were seventy five steerage passen-
gers on the Dresden, and they were locked
below when the first sea broke Few of
them were asleep, fearing the advent of
just what did happen. When the ship
was thrown down, the cries and screams
from the steerage quarter could be plainly
heard above the roar of the water and the
howl of the wind The passengers, be-
lieving that the vessel was about to turn
turtle, made an effort to reach the deck,
but found the door locked. Several OF
them pounded and shouted so hard that it
became necessary to send three sailors In
charge of an officer to guard the door.
The officer shouted that everything was all
right, but the passengers were not quite
satisfied with assurances from an unseen
person, and demanded that the door be
opened One Of the passengers with we'll
found lungs bawled out in German that
they would break the door down unless re-
leased. The righting of the ship and the