Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-07-24
THREE SCORE DROWN
DANCING is
STOPPED BY DEATH.
TUG CUT STEAMER IN TWO
Disaster on EIbe to Hamburg-Amer-
lean Ship Caused by Sudden Swerve
of Boat Which Was Sunk-WiId
Scenes are Described by the Sur
vivors.

Hamburg, July 22-The steamship
Primus, with 1S5 passengers on board,
was cut in two and sunk by the tug
HanSa on the river Elbe at 1890
o'clock yesterday morning So far as
is ascertainable, so to so persons were
drowned.
The Primus was an excursion
steamer from Buxtehude province of
Hanover, Prussia) The disaster oc-
Cured between Blankenez and Men
stedten. Among the passengers were
the members of the Eilbeck Male
Choral society.
At the time of the accident the Pri-
mus was crossing the river channel
near Blankenez from the southern into
witnesses aboard the Hansa the move
ment was made too precipitately.
The Primus struck the tugs engine
and the Hansa endeavored to push her
ashore, but the tug grounded and the
ships parted. The Primus then sunk.
In the interval, however, about fifty
of her passengers were able to reach
the Hansa by means of ropes and
ladders. Seventy more were picked
up by the tugs boats, while others
swan ashore.
The disaster caused deep gloom
here. Many children lost both their
parents. The choral society, which
was on board the excursion steamer,
consisted mainly Of workmen. There
were no foreign passengers.
Capt. Petersen Of the Primus swan
ashore and gave himself up to the
police. Capt. Savers of the Hansa also
surrendered. The Primus was the
oldest boat on the Elbe. She was built
in England in 1914 and had never be-
fore met with an accident.
The terrible panic that occurred On
the Primus when the Hansa struck her
sengers almost useless. Fortunately
Singers almost useless. Fortunately
the steamer Dolphin came up immedi-
ately and succeeded in saving 60 of
those On the sinking steamer, while
other boats assisted.
Survivors furnished graphic descrip-
tiOns of the disaster. According 10
their story, the band was playing and
many couples were dancing, when the
crash came. The vessel gave a great
list, the deck taking such an angle that
It. was impossible for the passengers to
keep their feet. Those below scrambled
UP the companion-ways but most of the
persons in the saloon were drowned.
The men fought for their own safety
regardless of others. In the midst OF
the confusion of bodies the boilers eX-
ploded, adding to the horrors of the
scent. Nome of the Primus passen.
gers would have been saved by ropes
thrown from the Hansa had it not been
that before those who seized the ropes
could be hauled on board they were
sons struggling in the water and all
were drowned. In the morning enor-
nous crowds poured out from Ham
burg and the shore was thronged with
thousands of friends and relatives of
those aboard the sunken steamer.
bodies of the lost were washed upon
the beach or were brought ashore by
divers. 1t is asserted the divers nave
already recovered As bodies but as yet
| it is impossible to verify the death list
An attempt will Immediately be made
to float the vessel and when this is
done it is believed that more bodies
will be found. Estimates place the
number of dead at so to SO.