The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-22
Former Was Loaded with Excursion
lists and over Fifty of the 1S5 on
Board Perished.
TWO DISASTERS IN RUSSIA
FIFTY-EIGHT LIVES LOST AT ONE
PLACE, FIFTEEN AT ANOTHER.
Ten of the Baltimore Storm Victims
Were DrOwDed-Fate of Brothers
Who Jumped from Launch.

HAMBURG. July 2.-The steamship
Primus. Of Hamburg. with 1S5 passengers
on board, was cut in two and sunk by the
tug Hansa on the River EIbe at 1890 o'clock
this morning Between fifty and sixty
persons were drowned. Forty-fve bodies
already have been recovered. The Primus
was an excursion steamer from Buxtehude
(province of Hanover, Prussia)
The disaster occurred between Blankenez
and Niesteden. Among the passengers
were the members Of the Eilbeck Male
Choral Society. At the time of the acct
dent the Primus was crossing the river
channel near Blankenez from the southern
into the northern fair way According TO
witnesses aboard the Hansa the movement
was made precipitately. The Primus
struck the tugs engine room, and the
Hansa endeavOred TO push her ashore. but
the tug grounded and the ships parted.
The Primus then sank. In the interval,
however, about fifty of her passengers were
able 10 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 par
ents. The Choral Society. which was on
board the excursion steamer, consisted
mainly Of workmen There were no foreign
passengers. Captain Peterson. of the Pri-
mus. swan ashore and gave himself up to
the police. Captain Sachs. OF the Hansa,
also surrendered.
The Primus was the oldest boat on the
Elbe. She was built in England in 1874,
and had never before met with an accident
The line which owned the Hansa issued a
statement to the effect that the weather
fine the shining and that
both vessels were steering absolutely clear
OF each other. Suddenly the Primus when
about $50 feet from the Hansa, put her rud-
der hard aport and crossed the bows of
the latter. This mistake" continues the
statement. rendered a collision unavoid-
able. The only possible step for the Hansa
10 take. namely TO go full speed astern.
was carried out Immediately. but without
avail Less than minute elapsed between
the time the Primus changed her course
and the collision. Boats were lowered from
the Hansa and ropes and ladders were
thrown overheard. Fifty persons were res
cued by the boats. At the same time the
Hansa tried 10 push the Primus ashore
but being OF deeper draught, grounded her
self before the passenger boat. The Primus
foated down stream and sank 800 feet from
the Hansa.
The terrible panic that occurred on the
Primus when the Hansa struck her rem
dered the efforts to save her passengers
almost useless. Fortunately the steamer
Dolphin came up Immediately and succeed
ed In saving sixty Of those on board of the
I'm the work of rescue.
Some of the survivors furnish graphic
descriptions of the suddenness of the dis
aster. According to their story, the band
was playing and many couples were dane
ing when the collision came like a thunder
bolt. The vessel gave a great list her deck
taking such an angle that IL impossible
tor the passengers to keep their feet. Those
below scrambled up the cOmpanionways
but most OF the persons in the saloon were
drowned. Men fought for their own safety
regardless OF others
In the midst of the confusion the boilers
exploded. adding 10 the horrors of the
scene and many persons are said TO be in
Jured by flying splinters of metal More of
the Primus's passengers would have been
saved by the ropes thrown from the Hansa
had IL not been that before those who
seized the ropes could be hauled on board
they were pulled of from the lines they
had grasped by other persons struggling i'm
the water and all were drowned in the con-
fusion.
This morning enormous crowds poured
out from Hamburg to the scene of the col
l1sion, and the shore was thronged with
tho1sandS OF friends and relatives of those
s5oard the sunken steamer who had come
In heart-rending anxiety to learn the fate
or their friends who were among the ex-
CurslonlstS. Many sad scenes were wit
ressed as the bodies OF those lost were
washed upon the beach or brought ashore
by divers
II is asserted that divers have already re-
covered forty-five bodies but as vet IN Is
impossible to verify the death list An at
tempt will Immediately be mode 30 float the
vessel and when this is done IL Is believed
a number OF more bodies will be found
Estimates OF the number OF dead vary from
fifty 10 sixty. A large number of the s,lr
VlVOrs were injured, though not seriously